The Art of Gift Giving

I love giving gifts to others. It is something I would love to do all the time if I had the cash. I love the challenge of it, the planning for months, the excitement. I love how it makes you focus on the individual for a while, you have to think about just them and what they like or dislike. In our families for Christmas we usually draw names for Phil's side (6 siblings) and exchange gifts with everyone on my side (2 siblings). This year both sides of the family seemed so down on the gift giving. My family ended up exchanging just like normal. Phil's family finally decided they were going to do a sub-for-Santa instead of exchanging gifts with each other, which is fun except we weren't going to be there when they shopped, wrapped and delivered the gifts so we didn't participate. I decided why not buy for everyone this year, siblings and kids. It was so fun to figure out what to get everyone.

When I was in Utah this summer I took some of Phil's parents pictures (they were on a mission) and decided to make them digital pictures and scrapbook them. I grabbed 2 boxes of pictures that had a sleeve for each of their children. I didn't think it would be a big deal until I had them all scanned in and there were over 300 pictures. Wow! I started editing them and getting them printed and scrappin' them. It was quite the process. I thought since I was getting gifts for everyone why not make each sibling their own book with their childhood pictures in it. I made these couple gifts, cause Phil wasn't to happy about the whole present giving idea I had. It was so fun to see the finished products. Phil's parents book was quite large, it was good we didn't need to ship it. So I ended up making 8 scrapbooks.

Every year I make quilts/blankets for the new babies first Christmas. I started this when I first came into the family. There was only one nephew born before I 'joined' the fam so he is the only one without a blanket. Every year I try a new kind of blanket and this year I have loved the minky fabric so I decided to use that with the satin binding. There were 3 babies born this year, 2 boys and a girl.




I also made little bags for the little 2 year old girls and put a boa and lip gloss in them.

We also gave Iowa shirts to older nephews, fun church CD and book to older niece, a game to brothers, Nerf gun to a 6 year old nephew, and some aprons and baking stuff to sisters. I included pictures by request, so don't look too close at my handiwork.

This was such a fun Christmas for me. I was able to think about each of our family members and come up with my idea of what they might like. I still have my list for the in laws that got clumped with their spouses in getting the scrapbooks so maybe I will have to do this again next year, hmmm, don't tell Phil.

So the 'art' of gift giving. I think it is fun to give but there are certain limits you must and should have. Not too expensive of a gift to someone who isn't expecting anything, and on the flip side don't waste your money if it is crap, nothing too dangerous to kids, it is ok to give loud annoying gifts to others because they have the option of throwing it out, you get the idea.

So what do you think about the gift we were given. Not McKell, not Nate, not even the stroller-- yep the dog! My father, only my father would give someone a dog. The girls are in heaven as you can imagine, they have asked for a dog multiple times a day for the last year. Once Phil saw the girls with Teek (an ewok name from Star Wars) it was suddenly ok with him for them to have a dog.

At least it is a little shih tzu which are good dogs and very cute. (Thanks dad they LOVE it.) So again the 'art' of gift giving- no giving pets to other peoples children unless you have their permission. Which makes me wonder why I ever gave my boyfriend in high school a rabbit for Easter one year. WHAT???