I threw this together at work, bought a nice frame and wrapped it. I'm definitely NOT artistic, but it does look pretty good in the frame! I have to wait for Maggie to get up to give it to her as Maggie wants to present it... Maggie insisted on putting her Dad's name on it even though we rarely speak anymore.

Fran in NY

My wonderful wife gave me a Kitchen Aide Pro 5 mixer!!! I love to cook so this is a great gift for me!

Joni got a new ultimate Robe from Cotton Palace (www.cottonpalace.com) and a gift certificate from me to go out and buy the leather jacket of her choice. I looked at hundreds of them and finally decided in the end that the best gift would be a Christmas card with a credit card in it so she can pick her own jacket!

The family together got a Sharper image massage chair to replace our old one, and a Brookestone Foot Massage machine. We got it a month in advance and we love it. Our old chair was starting to make noise. With my arthritis this is a great thing to have in the house.

As for Heather...
the princess of our house entertained us all evening with a Karaoke Machine. Really cool deal because it puts your picture up on the screen while you sing. She also got a really cool coupon book that allows her to do, or get things through out the year. The coupons include allowing her to pick the restaurant when the family eats out, several movie coupons, a day at a museum, and a day at a park.............. Joni set it up and set the limits and rules that go with the coupons. She of course got some DVD's, CD's and clothes.

The truth is that at our house it is Christmas 365 days a year. We are so very lucky that we can afford to pretty much get things when we want them. The best gift we have is that we all enjoy being together! Heather likes most of the same type of stuff that her Mama and Papa like -- good music, Broadway shows, dining out, going to sporting events, going to fairs and festivals, Disney and other big parks like Universal and 6-flags -- and TRAVEL, TRAVEL, TRAVEL. Because we all agree so well on just about everything, we just kind of live a perpetual Christmas.

you've been a very good girl and should get LOTS of presents this year.

Lynn

flanel gowns???!!! have a Good one! tim

At least for the Magster--I'll go months without buying something for myself (travel excluded...) so I can get her what she needs, or 'wants,' rather!

Right now I'm just hanging around waiting for the family and guests to arrive. I am dying for turnips and creamed onions--the lasagna, turkey, stuffing and the rest of it can be eaten by everyone else!

Glad you got lots of nice things. That is great that you like to cook! Outside of Italian food--I make a great sauce, I don't dabble in the kitchen too often...

Fran in NY

My husband is hard to buy for because we also pretty much live a perpetual Christmas, so I have to be very creative. This year, we are going to Cancun on a whim, so we agreed not to buy anything for each other. I did buy him a calender--I took 12 of his favorite pictures from previous Cancun vacations to Walgreens and they make a calender out of these pictures. He asked me a long time ago if I would pick up a calender for the computer room that had a tropical design...

It looked great. Another idea.
One year at work we gave the boss an American Express gift certficate.
Since that was so boring I did a big cartoon featuring each of us. Then had it made into a jigsaw puzzle. (Kinko did this then)
We each gave him a piece of the puzzle to put together to get his present.
Lots of fun.
This was really thoughtful of you to give to your parents. They will love it

Last year we did that with Cancun pics for ourselves. We also did a calendar for some friends of ours that had a new baby last year. Each month featured their child doing something new, or pictured with grandparents or Santa.

I love calendars, and with digital pics there is no end to what we can do. This year Joni gave me one made of the 16 golf courses I photographed last year. I think she made it herself and had it bound at Office Depot.

And creamed onions, I'd punch 'em.

In this season of giving thanks, I'm certainly glad that I am not raising a teenage daughter. The thought of buying a red rhinestone bra and thong set, without a gun in my back, makes me cringe...picturing her smiling and grateful face might put me over the edge. If you were to ask me why I feel this way, I don't think I could give a good reason.
I'm sure about the turnips and creamed onions, though.

:I figured if they could do it, there was some way I could do it myself, but I guess I didn't want to try it...it is such a great gift for anyone on any occasion, I think I may keep it in mind for the future!

What a great present--if you have an extra trip available--let us know!!!! Did maggie like her new rhinestone bra and thong? I really like my new thong too! (ha)

: I threw this together at work, bought a nice frame and
: wrapped it. I'm definitely NOT artistic, but it does
: look pretty good in the frame! I have to wait for
: Maggie to get up to give it to her as Maggie wants to
: present it... Maggie insisted on putting her Dad's
: name on it even though we rarely speak anymore.

:

: Fran in NY

Black lace bustier, lots of thongs (one with bells, another with a Christmas tree), silk nightgowns robes that I would never wear and that would break my bank... Sis likes those kinds of things.

But criticizing my turnips and creamed onions--NOW you're going too far!!! When I lived in Ireland, I often bought a whole turnip, chopped it and boiled it WITH ONIONS, and that was dinner!

Mom also made turkey, lasagna, stuffing, green beans, mashed potatoes and the rest of the traditional stuff, but for me it was turnips and onions!

P.S. About daughters--my bell thong and Christmas tree thong seem to have 'disappeared.' Bet if I look long and hard in my daughter's bureau, I'll find them, but I believe in privacy and I don't like them as much as she does anyway. Give me soft cotton bloomers for everyday wear and I'm happy!

Fran in NY