'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts

Subject: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Áine
Date: 18 Dec 99 - 01:16 PM

Since there are probably a *few* of us who haven't done all the Christmas shopping yet, let's help each other out with some last minute gift ideas!

My book pick would be 'This Year It Will Be Different' by Maeve Binchy, a book of Christmas stories with an Irish accent (big surprise there, huh?). Here's part of the back cover blurb -- '... a grieving widower heads for a holiday in Ireland and finds an unexpected destination not just for himself, but for a father and daughter in crisis ... a teacher not yet out of her twenties sees her affair with a married man at a turning point as Christmas Eve approaches ... a woman with a complacent husband and grown children enters a season that will forever alter her life, and theirs ...

My music pick would be any of the 'Celtic Christmas' CDs -- they are all wonderful and are a joy to listen to all through the year.

Looking forward to hearing your ideas, Áine

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Helen
Date: 18 Dec 99 - 06:28 PM

Hi Áine,

I get a run on one particular type of gift each Christmas. Last year it was simple wooden massage sets to massage feet, necks, backs etc

(Why is it that I can hear Catwpaw's voice in my head when I say certain words like *massage*? Shut up 'Spaw! *BG* & yes I did give a set to hubby but I have only received the benefit of it once and that was only about a month ago)

This year the items I have been seeking out are candle lanterns. I have found some very nice - and quite cheap in price, but not in looks - table lamps which have a translucent coloured glass shade and a place to put a tealight candle. They look really nice on the table and give a soft glow without the glare of a naked (shut up 'Spaw) candle flame.

I bought hubby a book of cartoons by Illiad (J.D. Frazer) called User Friendly. It is an online cartoon series very similar to Dilbert but revolving around an Internet Service Provider company, so the jokes are all about computers. Bill Gates is the brunt of the joke about every 5 days or so.

http://www.userfriendly.org/cartoons/archives/index.html

Helen

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 18 Dec 99 - 07:32 PM

Thoughs nose-a-phones at your local music store have always been a hit in Woodville Ct.I sold a whole bunch of cds today at the shop... It's amazing how easy cds and christmas seem to go together...Waisail bowls { I'm a Potter} are fun...Chistmas Chargers {Large plate} with wreathing and fruit are popular at my place.. Get a nice smaller plate from any china store and put some coockies on it....God I'm starting to sound like somone I know!!!!I guess thats not SO bad. All the bast guy

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Áine
Date: 18 Dec 99 - 07:42 PM

Helen -- Thank you SO MUCH!! I needed a little something extra for my very special (computer programmer) hubby and the book you recommended was PERFECT!! He's going to crack up when he sees this!

-- Áine

And Guy -- What exactly is a 'Christmas Charger'??

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: bbelle
Date: 18 Dec 99 - 09:00 PM

Aine ... a "charger" is a plate that goes under a dinner plate. They are oversized and I've seen them mostly in pewter. They make a beautiful table setting. I have kind of a odd way of doing gifts. I paint American folkart and makes folkart dolls and bears and I do this all year long with no one in particular in mind. I also go to a very large local holiday craft show in Tallahassee called "Market Days." There are some wonderful local (southern) artisans, from whom I purchase items. When it's time to wrap, that's when I decide what to give whom. It works for me and makes it all a wee bit more interesting. This year, I bought several different shapes of folkart pieces from which to hang things, i.e., purses, coats, etc. Also, locally handmade soaps were a large part of my purchases. I love them, my favorite being the rosemary and Georgia peach, which has a hint of ginger. These are the types of soaps you actually use. I really like the idea of the candle lanterns, though, and think it would be a nice gift for my married niece ... moonchild

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Áine
Date: 19 Dec 99 - 12:31 AM

Thank you so much, moonchild -- Down here in the Texas we call them 'warmers' or 'warming plates'. I just love learning new terms for things! I think it so lovely that people are still making homemade soaps. My grandmother used to make all the soap that was used in her house, and I remember helping her pick what she called 'sweet herbs' to put in them to make them smell so nice. She had a special garden for her 'sweet herbs'. Thank you for reminding me of a very special memory.

-- Áine

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: roopoo
Date: 19 Dec 99 - 04:21 AM

I've noted the userfriendly address. The #1 son who is studying networking at uni is due back tomorrow and may appreciate it! Ta! By the way, one of the stunning gifts he has from me this year is an inflatable light sabre, costing the grand sum of a quid!

cheers mouldy

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Metchosin
Date: 19 Dec 99 - 05:07 AM

I'm making a family songbook using the DT and other resources for my Mum this year. It might be a good idea for others too, although I don't know how last minute it would be, my guess is that it would be based upon how obscure your family songs are. Merry Christmas Everyone and All the Best for the Millenium

Susan

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 19 Dec 99 - 12:06 PM

Not exactly last minute, and when I thought of the idea I knew I was off on another Christmas tangent that would chew up HOURS of my free time! However, hand-made and home-made are things I love to give. (One year I made about 6 sweaters. Never again.)

This year I made a family calendar for everyone.

WORD has a calendar template which you can use as a basis. I changed the font and a few other things. Then I scanned dozens of family photos and even a few small paintings done by my grandmother 35 years ago. Various photos were arranged where they fit the month, such as all the mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers photos in May with a caption "Moms," and all the dads in June. For November, I used a painting of pilgrims done by my grandmother alongside an old photo of my mother and her two brothers making their 1st communion, looking like pilgrims, with the same collars!

It was fun to do and hopefully fun for those receiving it. I printed them on card stock on my own color printer and then had them bound at a copy center for $2 apiece. Commercialism, humbug!

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 19 Dec 99 - 12:49 PM

One more thought: hand-made things are gifts I love to not only give, but receive. My humbug was not meant to disparage anything, just to point out that it doesn't need to be some expensive item.

One year, the best gift I got was an "invitational." My husband invited a circle of musicians over for an evening of picking and singing. It was a treat for all of us!

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: SharonA
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 04:02 PM

*refresh* I was surprised to see how short this thread was, when I came across it! So BEFORE this year's last minute, I thought we might fish for more gift ideas.

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: MMario
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 04:12 PM

A lot of food items always seem to get exchanged in my family - not just chocolates,or baked goods. but special little treats that only one member likes or a brand that normally none of us would buy. You know, those really expensive individual packets of cocoa

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Midchuck
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 04:20 PM

In the spirit of crass overcommercialization that made America great, may I offer Woodchucks' Revenge's two CDs, Loose in the Hills (1996) and Fill One Room (1999)?

Playlists, purchase details, etc., available by PMing me or e-mail - [e-mail].

Peter.

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Helen
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 04:46 PM

Thanks for reviving this timely thread, & for all the good ideas I've just remembered.

One thing I started doing about 3 years ago was to buy calendars from the "$2" shop rather than Christmas cards for my family & close friends. I choose the ones with watercolour pix or *relatively* tasteful photos of teddy bears or colourful flowers or landscape scenes, or topics of specific interest to the person. That way they get to look at my Christmas card all year round, and get some use out of it. I can always find calendars which aren't too schmaltzy but which I think the person would like.

Also, I bought hubby a Dilbert calendar, and found some Monty Python ones in a sale, part of the way into the year. He didn't mind not having it at the start of the year because he liked the pictures of Terry Gilliam's silly montage cartoons. I bought a desk calendar with Escher prints for myself this year (brilliant graphic ability - the more I look at his engravings and drawings the more I appreciate his artistic talent), and a Monet one for myself last year.

I would love to make up a family calendar but time is scarcer than money at this point, unfortunately.

Helen

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Gloredhel
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 06:31 PM

Also in a spirit of commercialism, though not for my own sake, I highly reccomend CD's of an Irish band from Santa Cruz, California called "Molly's Revenge." They have two CD's out as of next week, and you can ge more info by contacting David (a very talented and quite handsome friend of mine) at [e-mail]

My family gives lots of useful things like clothing and books. My list is almost all books.

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Genie
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 07:10 PM

How about writing a song or poem to give someone as a gift -- especially one that is personalized for them?

Genie

You could, like, even, like, record it -- or whatever.

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Genie
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 07:41 PM

Here </a> is the website for The Alternative Gift Market International.

This organization helps kill three calling birds with one stone, as it were:

•  It solves the problems of wrong size, wrong color, already-got-one, not-my-taste, etc.

• It saves the environment by avoiding packaging, shipping, etc.

• It helps out non-profit humanitarian and/or environmental organizations that need donations.

The idea is to select a charity (or other nonprofit organization -- from Doctors Without Borders to The Audubon Society to organizations providing food and medicine for Afhan regugees to those helping out victims of the 9-11 attacks) which you and your recipient would like to support.  Then you make a donation in that person's name and send them a card (paper or electronic) telling them about what that donation has purchased in their name.

After receiving many beautiful but, for me, unusable gifts from my relatives over the past few years [gifts too nice to give to a thrift shop, because they would be messed up in one way or another before anyone bought them], I decided to buy the adult members of my family gifts from the Alternative Gift Market and ask them to "give" me similar gifts.  (The donor can often take a tax deduction, too.  If the recipient did, it would be a net zero, because they would have to declare the gift as income first and then deduct it.)

If you know somebody wants or would really like a material thing, fine.  Nothing wrong with giving that sort of gift, and I sometimes do buy  a CD or article of clothing that's really chosen with my sister, mom, or someone else in mind.  But, especially for the hard-to-choose-for recipient or for the person-who-has-everything, the AGM is, I think, the perfect solution.

Genie

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Bert
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 07:50 PM

Wow, I can't believe that Midchuck beat both me AND Larry with plugging their own stuff.

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Genie
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 07:51 PM

OK, HERE

Genie

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Genie
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 07:54 PM

Well, for some reason, my blue clickies aren't working today. (I've done 'em before, but this time they're not working, so I'll just post the website.

http://www.altgifts.org

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Amergin
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 09:17 PM

Genie's Blicky

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: GUEST,Genie sans cookie
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 01:56 PM

Thanks, Amergin. Usually I do the blickies right, but yesterday no go.

Genie

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Mr Red
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 09:53 AM

I want Rudolph's red nose, when he's done with it.

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: SharonA
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 11:06 AM

Ewww! Who cares whether it glows or not? It's a used nose. What on earth would you do with it? (...besides sell it on ebay!)

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 11:19 AM

Better Rudolfs nose than the noses of any of the reindeer in harness behind him....what if Santa had to brake suddenly? *G*

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Genie
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 09:35 PM

After enough eggnog, you can have your OWN red nose!

Genie

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: 53
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 10:32 PM

GET THEM GUITAR PICKS. bob

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Gypsy
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 10:59 PM

Well, we make all of our gifts, and have for years. This year it is: Kaleidoscopes, dog biscuits (a decades long tradition) cookies, and home canned items. We have a wealth of friends and family, but not in the bank account. Presents are alot more fun when you don't break the budget to pay for them.

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 09:31 AM

Something I'm making this year for the members of my band: tree ornaments. I found some little chalkboard frames in the craft section of WalMart that already have a hanger on them. To these I will glue a picture of the band printed down onto cardstock.

Subject: RE: 'Catters' Last Minute Christmas Gifts
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 08 Dec 01 - 05:48 AM

I love to make things, but this has been such a busy year that I'm buying locally made goods instead of making any. My favorite choice of this year is hemp towels made and sold at a local "hemporium". My sister and brother will love them!