What's the Best Gift You Gave This Year?

Vaughn McMillan

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We still haven't opened presents here, but I always enjoy the giving part more than the getting, mostly for the surprise the right gift can cause the recipient. What did you give this year that was extra well-received??

Any surprise hits? Any duds?
 
Two that were the best were an easel I made my daughter (which she's spent most of the day playing with) and a gift certificate to Lobel's of New York that a couple of my brothers and I went in on for my dad. The latter is something my dad saw on a cooking show and was telling me about. He NEVER expected to be getting anything from there.
 
1. We gave my Mom a Kitchenaid mixer to replace her 35 year old Sunbeam, and she seemed pretty pleased about it.

2. I'm told the jewelry box was a big hit, but I wasn't there to see the reactions in person. Either way, I feel good about giving it.
 
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I think it was "Santa" that gave the Little Man Tinkertoys - he's been building all evening! The "Shoot-a-Loop" has been a hit as well. (from Mom and me)

Wes
 
My dad is 87, blind and a big sports fan. Call him any evening and there is a good chance that he is listening to a high school, college or pro sports game of some kind. He admires Colts coach Tony Dungy, and is also a Colts fan. I gave him a copy of Dungy's book, Quiet Strength, on CD. The smile and sincere "thank you" made that book/CD worth 100's of times what it cost.:) I'm sure he will enjoy the book on CD as much as I enjoyed reading it. It's an easy read and quite inspirational. I highly recommend it.:thumb:
 
Late to chime in on my own thread, but I was successful in finding something this year LOML liked, but had no idea I might get for her.

She typically tells me what she wants, and knows I'll get that. In an attempt to also surprise her, I always get something in addition to her requested item, but sometimes my attempt falls flat. (She's the first to tell you she's hard to buy gifts for...she can be very picky.) This year she got the Bluetooth headset she was expecting (although they didn't ship the color I ordered), but she was very pleasantly surprised by the GPS navigation system for her car. She's...shall we say..."navigationally challenged", and perhaps now she won't need to call me once or twice a month to look up a map on the Internet and help her figure out how to get from Point A to Point B. :p
 
My wifes parents live in Orlando Fl. and she doesn't get to see them as often as she'd like to so,.....I gave her $$$ to buy tickets to go see her mom and dad.
 
My wifes parents live in Orlando Fl. and she doesn't get to see them as often as she'd like to so,.....I gave her $$$ to buy tickets to go see her mom and dad.
Having spent two Christmas seasons in a row unable to be with my family, I can appreciate how pleased LOYL must have been for the ticket money. Excellent call, Steve. :thumb:
 
whatsamatter, Steve, don't want to go to Disneyworld? :rofl:

When our kids were growing up and we visited the inlaws, we received free tickets to Disney and Sea World on our visits (in-laws were employed at each place) so we got our fill of Disney. I never get tired of sea world though.
 
I made these biplane shelves for my granddaughters Leah and Brooke and for my grandson Ethan.

plane-shelf.jpg

Here the parts are being wrapped:

Airplane Shelves 05 -Leah and Brookes shelves being wrapped -small.JPG Airplane Shelves 06 -Ethans shelf  being wrapped -small.JPG

The children get to help with the final assembly and this will happen soon.
 
pictures!

i gave my dad recognition for the hard work he gave me this summer in the shop build. have wall in the shop puter room that i had gotten 5 B&W pics of him and my brother and the crew that helped the sat with trusses showed him them and he never grinned or showed any emotion, but the brag book with all of the shots or most al of them that he opened later got the main attention so one dud and one big hit one hit is worth it ever time.


Steve you shouod go see you'r inlaws and thank him for the business advice.. :rofl:
 
Steve you shouod go see you'r inlaws and thank him for the business advice..
Larry,
eck05.gif
 
Although not the most expensive, (or maybe even useful), I think the "Voucher" for the LOML to get a ticket to the George Strait Concert In Lubbock, Tx this year, got the most REACTION, (of course, she would have gone anyhow):rolleyes::rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
just got unfamily like steve...

Nah, you'll always be family. In fact we are heading up to see my other adopted brother Bruno and pick up some more of that B/E, got room in the back of the truck if you wanna catch a ride with us......might be a little cold back there so be sure to bundle up.
 
The gift(s) that got the most reaction from LOML this year weren't even woodworking-related. I got him gift cards/certificates from three different fast-food places that he likes to frequent - enough for his lunches for a month! Since I won't be working nearby any more and we used to have lunch together 2-3 times a week, this way he'll know that at least I'm thinking about him. He really liked his Carl's Jr. card!! :D:D

Now I need to make the rounds again and do the same thing for his birthday in March, since none of these places do cards/certificates any other time of the year!:huh::huh::huh:

Nancy (isn't it nice NOT to see numbers behind the name any more????:D:D)
 
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