Christmas gifts: giving and receiving

I was surprised when my siblings partner offered to get the Switch for me cos they could split the cost...it's more than I usually get spent on me! ...but she and her daughter are used to getting designer stuff ..mainly clothes but I don't really buy designer clothes. ..I don't go anywhere to wear them!

I do like 'The Mountain' T-shirts that have the dogs faces on and other animals etc that's as close as I've got to liking a specific brand. (have one's that look like my dog's faces!). ..oh and the Sketchers memory foam trainers and winter boots are comfortable for my feet as I can't walk well so have no heeled dress shoes or anything like that.


I've spent more than I usually have done on my siblings partners in the past, though to be fair I had more people to buy for in the past so there's no way I could spend much on one person when had about 18 people to buy for! (and even less income then at the time).


I hope they don't think my presents are cheap cos they're used to designer stuff! Her daughters trainers last year cost more than my Switch!

When I was at the dollar store yesterday I impulsively bought a few travel sized things for my sister and brother-in-law. They are leaving directly after Christmas for a condo on the beach for the month of January. I had a lot of fun picking out stuff that would help. Sanitizer with moisturizer in it, dove’s hand and face cream, a face spray that’s supposed to refresh you, and of course a small bag of snickers! It was just a small thing but it was well received. That was a fun stressless present 🎁 I wish all gift giving was so easy.

my dog is the easiest to buy for all he wants are new tennis balls!!

I wish I can go out on Christmas and New Years Eve. I miss seeing all the decorations on houses, and I miss watching either fireworks or, in Idaho's case, the potato drop (which will be too crowded for my taste anyway). I wish I had a car because then I'd just sit in my car and see all that stuff. But I don't.

As far as gift-giving, I'm waiting on a few more items to arrive in the mail.

Most of my friends and my T and my family have received their gifts through the mail already. Only one friend will wait until Christmas to open her gifts, but all the rest opened theirs right away! They loved them!

My mom sent me a few gifts - one from Swiss Colony (I'm still trying to eat all the goodies), and another from Amazon (a $50 gift certificate). I really tried to boycott Amazon, but I had to reopen an account just to use the gift certificate. I used my alumni email address, so I'll probably keep the account open for minimal purchases. I purchased some pillow shams, which I truly needed. I plan on cleaning my pillow cases and pillows every few days, as recommended somewhere online. I only used to clean my bedding once a month, but they suggested that pillows need to be cleaned every 2 to 3 days.

I wound up mailing my mother a $200 check plus some treats (cookies, teas, etc.) from Target. I also mailed my family, who lives with my mom, three games (Jumanji, Family Feud, and a special edition of Family Feud), which I thought they'd enjoy.

My half-brother and his family received three games as well from me in the mail - Family Feud, the special edition of Family Feud, and Pac-Man (the board game). My half-brother is all into Jumanji, so I have a feeling that he already has the Jumanji games or is getting it from someone else.

My half-sister received her $100 check gift from me in the mail, c/o her twin brother (whom I mentioned above). She's the poorest family member, so she needed the money. She also has skin cancer, lupus, and OCD, and she works in some building, so I make sure that she has enough money to get herself something special since most of her money goes to masks and other PPE.

My neighbors will receive a small gift from me. I think I have about 16 neighbors, plus the landlady and the maintenance man (who quit, but is still helping out until they find his replacement; he got a better paying job with the same management company down the street, so it was more of a promotion than quitting). My neighbors will get this old-fashioned brown bag with handles and a jute-based tag filled with a bag of Pepperidge Farm Cookies with a bow on it, and also with a Hershey's candy cane tied to the jute string holding the tag. The tag will read "Merry Christmas - From <insert my first name only and apt. #>. I plan on placing their gift bags off to the side of their apartment doors (which is housed inside the building/hallway and temperature controlled) in the very early morning/middle-of-the-night, so that it becomes a contactless door delivery for their gifts.

For my landlady and the maintenance man, they will get two specialty bags plus cards, in addition to the bag of cookies and the Hershey's candy cane. The difference is that they will separately receive wine in the mail - today, in fact. So hopefully someone is there to show their ID and sign for those two items. I got the maintenance man sparkling wine - to celebrate his new promotion with his wife, as well as the holidays. I got the landlady a gift box of one red and one white wine from the same company. I hope they like their gifts! I mailed off most, but I plan to do the contactless delivery of the remainder of their gifts early one morning, before anyone wakes up.

For my one veteran friend, I got her a Family Feud game to play with her husband, a Vera Bradley matching apron/tote/casserole bag set (which will hold the gifts), a wine cooler bag, two camouflaged stockings since both her and her husband are veterans, sparkling apple cider, and 4 bottles of wine that I ordered a while back - a combo of 2 red and 2 white. I also added a card. I plan on handing this gift in person outside. She also said that she plans on making me her special homemade shortbread. I've never had shortbread before. So I feel really blessed with that treat!

For my Asian friend who was the president of the local Asian group that meets solely online these days, I got her a Family Feud game as well, some stocking stuffer candies, two Starbucks mug presents, a wine cooler bag, a couple of Starbucks tins in different flavors, sparkling apple cider, some cookies, and 4 bottles of wine that I ordered a while back - a combo of 2 red and 2 white. She has helped me out so much with rides to and from vaccine appointments, etc. I also added a card. I plan on handing this gift off in person outside.

For my other local friend who has helped me out with rides (but is moving out of town in a few months), I mailed her two heart-shaped boxes filled with stones that bring about protection and prosperity. I also sent her a card in the mail.

For my recreational rehabilitation therapist, I am giving her one Starbucks mug gift, three Starbucks mug tins with different flavors, sparkling apple cider, a Family Feud game (since she loves playing games online with us veterans online), and some cookies. I hope she can bring her car so that she can carry it with her to work, as she tends to walk with me for 30 to 60 minutes before work, as part of her job assisting me with recreational rehabilitation, but she usually takes her bike. I plan on handing this gift off in person outside.

My psychotherapist had already received her three gifts, which included two personalized gifts with a card, in addition to one Army-themed nutcracker. An additional card is in the mail to her. I accidentally overpaid her this month, so I now have a credit to apply for my copayments and deductible for January. My therapist loved her gifts and thought they were very special, since my alters worked together on getting her a few of the gifts. She told me, however, that any gifts in the future need to be limited to $20. But since she's no longer at the VA or Vet Center, as she's now in private practice, we wanted to splurge on the gifts for her. Those gifts were all sent in the mail, as we've not seen our T for about 2 years.

We also sent our friend (and former classmate) in Chicago a couple of Clinique cosmetic gifts and her daughter a new Care Bear gift pack with also a Snoopy gift and I think some other gift as well.

My friend/ex-boyfriend/former professor in Chicago also received about five gifts from me through the mail - all cat-themed, because he loves cats! There was a cat-based board game that I sent him, a cat-themed throw (gray color), two cat-themed kitchen towels, and a cat-themed wine glass with some other thingies in that gift pack. He loved all his gifts.

Another lonely friend of mine in Chicago, who is also a nurse, received two gifts from me in the mail - a hat and scarf set (Barefoot brand), and some plant she wanted.

My other half-sister, who is a dental assistant in California, received a scarf and cap (Barefoot brand) in the mail. I forgot to send her a Christmas card though. I might still have one or two cards left to send her in the mail.

My mentor and writing friend in Massachusetts received about five gifts from me as well in the mail. She received Vera Bradley writing-based gifts and a matching Vera Bradley scarf, as well as a Jewish artifact and a Jewish tic-tac-toe game that her grandchildren enjoy playing.

My daughter and her adoptive mom really insisted that I only send them Christmas cards, so I complied. I have not yet seen my daughter or adoptive mom in person since the adoption nearly 19 years ago. I really wanted to give them gifts, but they insisted, so I have to respect their wishes.

Most of my close family received cards in the mail, as well as a few friends. I sent the cards after they received their gifts. They are off today in the mail.

I also mailed the many VA Departments and the separate Vet Center Christmas cards.

As for the wonderful postal workers, I plan on leaving a packaged gift with a printed sign downstairs. I ordered 3 medium-size boxes from Target to house their gifts, and to place the card on top with a Hershey's chocolate candy cane attached to the card on top. If I have extra cookies left over, I will place it in their boxes. Here's what's inside their gifts:

USPS driver (female):
1. A world's best woman postal worker mug (from Walmart).
2. A dark blue, 40 oz. Thermos (on sale from Target).
3. Sparkling apple cider.
4. Healthy water (from Walmart).
5. A bottle opener (from Target).
6. Stocking stuffer candies (from Walmart).
7. Travel hot apple cider packets.
8. Travel instant Foldgers packets.
9. Hot cocoa with marshmallows.

UPS Driver:
1. A funny book about UPS drivers and cuss words (from Walmart).
2. A dark blue, 40 oz. Thermos (on sale from Target).
3. Sparkling apple cider.
4. Healthy water (from Walmart).
5. A bottle opener (from Target).
6. Stocking stuffer candies (from Walmart).
7. Travel hot apple cider packets.
8. Travel instant Foldgers packets.
9. Hot cocoa with marshmallows.

FedEx Driver:
1. A funny book about UPS drivers and cuss words (from Walmart).
2. A dark blue, 40 oz. Thermos (on sale from Target).
3. Healthy water (from Walmart).
4. A bottle opener (from Target).
5. Stocking stuffer candies (from Walmart).
6. Travel hot apple cider packets.
7. Travel instant Foldgers packets.
8. Hot cocoa with marshmallows.

And that concludes my gifting. I may have accidentally left out a few other gifts I forgot to mention, but this is what I have been busy with for the past two weeks.

I always shop for Christmas gifts in December. I rarely ever shop on Black Friday. Most of the discounts, I found, are offered after Black Friday anyway.

I got my Dad tickets to the Rams game this Sunday at SOFI Stadium.

For me, I bought myself two pairs of Kate Spade earrings on sale, and an Amazon Fire stick.

Wow! Reading all this makes me feel like a Scrooge for not buying anyone gifts. Well I will be getting Baileys to take to India for my grandmother but that's it.

@downandlonely - I had not purchased Christmas gifts like this for decades. This is not something I do every year. I just feel like I wanted to do this in case anything happens to me, or in case I move next year, etc. I wanted to at least make this year more bearable for everyone. Besides, I don't feel I have a life anymore.

My T says that it's the PTSD talking. She says that a lot of people with PTSD have difficulty saving because they think their life will be over anyway, so why not live it up. That was my thought for many years. She treats mostly veterans, so I'm not sure if this is an observation among vets with PTSD or all people with PTSD in general. Anyway, I want to save and all that, but I find it difficult because I don't know if I have a future anymore.

So, don't feel bad for not giving. For many years, I couldn't afford it. For the years that I could afford it, I felt like I wasn't close enough to anyone to give gifts. I rarely get gifts reciprocated. --Not that I give to get - I don't. But rarely does anyone give me gifts for anything, except for my mother.

I suppose I've not been close to anyone to reciprocate gifts. But once in a while, I'll feel like giving. Last year, I donated about $400 to charities. This year, I got gifts instead. Many years, I didn't give anything at all, and I didn't feel guilty about that either.