Santa wish list

Assuming most of you on here are guys, i can't take anymore politics. The election will be declared, most people already voted. Need to move the conversation on. So...

What is on your Santa wish list? The men are always the hardest to buy for. Probably because Us girls like to buy girly things. Our exchange price point is $20-25, but my husband and dad are the hardest as well. Or just any ideas for what you want or are giving. For the last 6-7 years I make an old summer sausage recipe I found in old family recipes and candied pecans....great for the men. In the past, I've also bought the root beer or cream soda in the bottle for my dad under the tree. Last year for the exchange, my cousin got my uncle (old school Budweiser guy) a bucket of different craft beers that he would never have tried. Any cheap dollar or two trinkets for men. Again, we ladies often have party gifts for each other (and we do all the work, so why not), but the men rarely have treat bags. Usually it has a pair of fun socks or lotions, etc for all the women. Always trying to think of things for the men. My family Christmas is about 80 people. Actually every few years I pass out decks of Vegas cards or have Santa pass them out. I just stocked everyone up last year.

Actually since this is a "gambler" page, about five years ago at our personal Christmas (12 people), I started making envelopes and each of had a gift card from $5 (subway at that time) to $25 for local restaurants and gas. You drew randomly and that was your prize. We also graduated this to a punch board with Extra gifts and prizes for our family Christmas.

For my teenage sister for the last several years, I also will just go down the street stopping at each fast food and pizza and buy her gift cards.

FYI, gentlemen. If any of your women have a Pinterest account that would be a place to look to see what she may want. She probably has a file called wish list.

I love the holidays, which I define as Halloween to New Years! Enjoy!

Now you are going to get roulettes panties up in a wad.
No one is allowed to think about Chrismas until after Thanksgiving.
My friends and family usually get me my gifts through this catalog.
www.heifer.org
Nothing says I love you like a water buffalo.

Trees can't go up before thanksgiving. Same for music. . Pre-shopping begins with post holiday clearance and crunch time begins October 1. We used to draw names at thanksgiving, but I've moved it to Halloween. If you don't have your shopping done by December 1, you are behind. Lol.

Did you read that my family is 80 people

Man schedule...the mall, noon, December 23. List...whatever the jewelry lady will put in a bag for you

I've created a new word called "elfing". This would be decorating and gift wrapping time. It is back breaking work. You've never wrapped 30 gifts at a time. Thank your ladies...and they do. But December 1 shopping is because December is a crazy busy month.

I do my Christmas shopping year round. Whenever I see a really great sale, I think who might like that as a gift.
I don't know anyone who puts a tree up around Thanksgiving. We put ours up around December 12th in my family. The feast of Epiphany is when it comes down.
I listen to some Christmas music year round. Listening to the Band Aid remix CD right now.

Looked up your organization. I am from a farm community, so we buy as much local as possible

You don't buy from them for yourself, you buy for others.
When you buy a honey bee hive, you don't get it. It goes to a family that will sell the honey.
We bought a family a flock of chicks a few years ago. First family in the village to get them. Fast forward a few years and the family has given chickens to a dozen families and the village now has eggs for protein, more to sell and the chickens provide nutrients for the soil helping them grow better crops.
It's a gift of life, and hope. All for the cost of a gift that's often tossed in a drawer and forgotten.

Sounds like a great program. I saw a business start up loan place many Years ago to third world countries. We are very active in our church so all of our charity work is usually grassroots within our community.

Our tree always went up the day after thanksgiving. But for the last five years or so we've had to host the ladies club dinner and that is the next Friday so my mom has been putting up the tree before thanksgiving, which doesn't make me happy. But it is just family, no company, for thanksgiving. It takes a week to decorate, so we like to put it up early and enjoy. That being said, Christmas morning before we even "go in town" the tree comes down. She is like Christmas is over. We've opened our last presents at midnight for years as soon as Santa no longer was in the picture. But we have new grandkids now, so back to a schedule change.

I have been cooking for a fall chili supper for two days. Love this time of year. Made 14 summer sausage, 3 pumpkin rolls and 2 homemade bread.

Having a real tree in your house for well over a month is a terrible fire hazard.

when it comes to giving or receiving, I like PRACTICAL! the older you get, the less "stuff" you really need. therefore, I almost always give, and like to receive gift cards. the exception would be if I know for sure what someone wants and that they will actually use it. I know it is the thought that counts, but I just hate to think of stuff being thrown in the closet, never to be seen again, or re-gifted even. like me, I think most people hate spending their money at the pump, so gift cards for gasoline are always a pleasant surprise. some will say that the gift cards are so impersonal, maybe so. you can always go a little fancy on the gift wrap to make it seem a little more special. I welcome cash also :-)

All DonDiego wants for Christmas: