Author Topic: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women  (Read 9644 times)

MrsPete

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Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« on: December 10, 2013, 11:21:26 AM »
Something that makes us laugh at our house: 

Year after year TV commercials teach us that only a few things are appropriate gifts for husbands to give their wives:  Diamonds. Cell Phones. Cars.  Apparently these are the only things that will do. 




sunshine

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2013, 11:32:27 AM »
Those things are nice but sure not practical year after year. Could you imagine the $ over say 25 years?  I asked for  the generator I want  and good dark chocolate:) I left the gift cards I had already received for the store the generator is at taped to my list.

brewer12345

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rockstache

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2013, 02:16:30 PM »
One of my husbands co-workers was mortified to find out that my husband was not planning to get me a 'present' for Christmas. We only do stockings, and we mostly fill them with toiletries, and maybe a favorite treat or two. She suggested that he get me some expensive bracelet that I have never heard of (Alex and Annie??), and he said no, and that I would be actually upset to receive something like that (I would). She then said in a huff, "How could she not want to get stuff? Christmas is all about getting stuff? That would never fly with me." He just smiled and said that it was a good thing she didn't marry HIM then, and walked away.

somepissedoffman

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #4 on: December 10, 2013, 03:20:00 PM »
One of my husbands co-workers was mortified to find out that my husband was not planning to get me a 'present' for Christmas. We only do stockings, and we mostly fill them with toiletries, and maybe a favorite treat or two. She suggested that he get me some expensive bracelet that I have never heard of (Alex and Annie??), and he said no, and that I would be actually upset to receive something like that (I would). She then said in a huff, "How could she not want to get stuff? Christmas is all about getting stuff? That would never fly with me." He just smiled and said that it was a good thing she didn't marry HIM then, and walked away.

I get this at work, but only from guys that are divorced or in bad relationships.  Interesting...

rocksinmyhead

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #5 on: December 10, 2013, 04:11:06 PM »
One of my husbands co-workers was mortified to find out that my husband was not planning to get me a 'present' for Christmas. We only do stockings, and we mostly fill them with toiletries, and maybe a favorite treat or two. She suggested that he get me some expensive bracelet that I have never heard of (Alex and Annie??), and he said no, and that I would be actually upset to receive something like that (I would). She then said in a huff, "How could she not want to get stuff? Christmas is all about getting stuff? That would never fly with me." He just smiled and said that it was a good thing she didn't marry HIM then, and walked away.

Wow! That is just... horrifying.

MicroRN

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #6 on: December 11, 2013, 09:00:19 PM »
We stopped doing Christmas gifts for each other several years ago.  We felt that we were just telling the other person what to get us, so there was no surprise or "gift" feeling to it.  We've also been trying to move toward a more minimalist lifestyle, so rather than more stuff we splurge on a nice dinner out. 

Avolonte

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #7 on: December 13, 2013, 08:32:36 AM »
I asked for a composter, the one with the barrel that you can just turn. And I also asked to have the zipper on my luggage repaired. I haven't found time to do it, so if he can research that and take care of it--that would be an awesome gift!

randymarsh

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #8 on: December 13, 2013, 09:45:54 AM »
She then said in a huff, "How could she not want to get stuff? Christmas is all about getting stuff? That would never fly with me."

Woah these people exist? I thought people only said "Christmas is all about getting stuff" ironically.

Frankies Girl

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #9 on: December 13, 2013, 09:57:07 AM »
You forgot all the perfume commercials... apparently women stink during the Christmas season. :D

I have requested in past years:  cleaning supplies, cooking utensils, a vacuum and liquid fabric softener. I have gotten my husband into so much trouble at work... :D

I know it's still a weird hangup, but I can't usually bring myself to "splurge" on liquid fabric softener since it was considered so wasteful when I was growing up, and isn't necessarily great for clothes... and the cleaning supplies are usually ones that are "convenience" stuff like scrubby bubbles that I know are not as good as the regular stuff I use, but again, seems kind of decadent to me. Oh, and I freaking love my vacuum.

rockstache

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #10 on: December 13, 2013, 11:37:58 AM »
She then said in a huff, "How could she not want to get stuff? Christmas is all about getting stuff? That would never fly with me."

Woah these people exist? I thought people only said "Christmas is all about getting stuff" ironically.

Me too. I made my husband repeat it just to be sure. Even he (not particularly mustachian) thought it was crazy.

MrsPete

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #11 on: December 13, 2013, 05:08:07 PM »
Those things are nice but sure not practical year after year. Could you imagine the $ over say 25 years?  I asked for  the generator I want  and good dark chocolate:) I left the gift cards I had already received for the store the generator is at taped to my list.
Oh, I never said it was a practical choice!  I mean, who actually needs a new phone every year?  Well, twice a year . . . these very same things are the only appropriate items for Mother's Day as well! 

One of my husbands co-workers was mortified to find out that my husband was not planning to get me a 'present' for Christmas. We only do stockings, and we mostly fill them with toiletries, and maybe a favorite treat or two. She suggested that he get me some expensive bracelet that I have never heard of (Alex and Annie??), and he said no, and that I would be actually upset to receive something like that (I would). She then said in a huff, "How could she not want to get stuff? Christmas is all about getting stuff? That would never fly with me." He just smiled and said that it was a good thing she didn't marry HIM then, and walked away.
Stockings only are a neat idea.  It's probably not something my husband and I would do ourselves, but it's a unique approach.   

For what it's worth, I have no clue what Alex and Annie might be, and I'm not even curious enough to open a new screen and do a google search.

I asked for a composter, the one with the barrel that you can just turn. And I also asked to have the zipper on my luggage repaired. I haven't found time to do it, so if he can research that and take care of it--that would be an awesome gift!
Oh, I want one of those composters!  I saw them last year at the Farmer's Market ($50 each, very well made), but I said to myself, "I'll think about it and maybe buy one on the way out", and they were all sold out. 

She then said in a huff, "How could she not want to get stuff? Christmas is all about getting stuff? That would never fly with me."

Woah these people exist? I thought people only said "Christmas is all about getting stuff" ironically.
What I hear people say all the time these days is that Christmas is about family, whereas when I was a kid, the celebration was firmly about Jesus . . . but it was a time to celebrate His birth with family.  I have many memories of my father reading from the book of Luke to all the kids by candlelight.   
« Last Edit: December 13, 2013, 05:15:09 PM by MrsPete »

grantmeaname

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #12 on: December 14, 2013, 06:03:45 PM »
Hilarious, cjottawa! I'm keeping this.

annaraven

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #13 on: December 15, 2013, 01:58:25 AM »
Quote
I asked for a composter, the one with the barrel that you can just turn. And I also asked to have the zipper on my luggage repaired. I haven't found time to do it, so if he can research that and take care of it--that would be an awesome gift!
Oh, I want one of those composters!  I saw them last year at the Farmer's Market ($50 each, very well made), but I said to myself, "I'll think about it and maybe buy one on the way out", and they were all sold out. 

I actually got one. They're much harder to turn than they claim. And in order to be a barrel and not spill out the sides, they tend to go anaerobic pretty quickly. I was not happy with the one I got. I went back to a simpler model. It's actually easier for me to turn the compost with a pitchfork than with the barrel. Because it tends to all compact down to the bottom and then getting it moving is really hard.

Angelfishtitan

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #14 on: December 16, 2013, 02:57:55 PM »
After reading ONLY the title of this thread, I thought of this flowchart:

Oh! You wanted an Erector Set! Whoops...

Kira

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #15 on: December 16, 2013, 08:27:24 PM »
My husband is getting his favorite suit jacket dry-cleaned and then I will take it to the seamstress to have elbow patches sewn on all professional-like.

Oh yeah, and toys. (like actual kid-type toys, get your mind outta the gutter)

greenmimama

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #16 on: December 18, 2013, 11:49:27 AM »
We don't exchange gifts for Xmas, btw my Husband and I , we really never have, sans the first xmas we were married, we didn't have the money for my wedding band at the time we were married so he surprised me with it for Xmas, I was very surprised, and it was very special.

If I want something really bad, I buy it, whats the point in hoping that my Husband listened to me drop hints and gets me the exact thing I wanted? That is silly, but I am pretty practical and not a very good romantic, go figure.

annaraven

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #17 on: December 18, 2013, 12:09:35 PM »
I will often email him a link to items I want. So he can look at it and decide. One year, I really wanted a jewelry box of a particular kind. So I emailed him the link. He got it - but got the most gorgeous color that I hadn't even considered. I also tell my son what I would like.

It's just easier for guys, I think, to have one or two items that they can choose to get that they know I want rather than having to guess. They've both thanked me.

ace1224

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #18 on: December 18, 2013, 12:33:09 PM »
we only do stocking too.  and we set a price limit.  its really fun to try and fill it up with fun things that he'll like but would never buy himself.  like the random 5 dollar dvd of 30 horror movies from kmart.

Ms Betterhome

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #19 on: December 22, 2013, 06:21:33 PM »
My partner and I scoff at those ads, too. They make intimate relationships look incredibly transactional! We have a fancy restaurant date for Christmas & anniversaries... We decided early on we would rather share experiences than buy 'stuff'.

However, he did buy jewelry when we were first dating: a very plain silver ring, bracelets and necklace. I travel a lot for work, and wearing them is a kind of sentimental link to him. So I understand that gifts can be very meaningful in some contexts.

grantmeaname

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #20 on: December 23, 2013, 05:57:42 AM »
My partner and I scoff at those ads, too. They make intimate relationships look incredibly transactional!
That's an awfully delicate euphemism for prostitution! (I agree, though.)

GuitarStv

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #21 on: December 23, 2013, 08:51:43 AM »
Our illustrious mayor has weighed in on this difficult topic:

Quote from: Rob Ford
Just money. Women love money. Give them a couple of thousand bucks and they're happy. . . At the end of the day, she wants her cash. So I give her a nice cheque and we're all happy.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/rob-ford-s-christmas-gift-advice-women-love-money-1.2470118

aclarridge

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Re: Appropriate Christmas gifts for women
« Reply #22 on: December 24, 2013, 09:53:57 AM »
Our illustrious mayor has weighed in on this difficult topic:

Quote from: Rob Ford
Just money. Women love money. Give them a couple of thousand bucks and they're happy. . . At the end of the day, she wants her cash. So I give her a nice cheque and we're all happy.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/rob-ford-s-christmas-gift-advice-women-love-money-1.2470118

I'll just leave this here.

https://twitter.com/shitrobfordsays

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!