On the topic of christmas present ideas

Over the past year I've really become extremely frustrated with the amount of "stuff" the wife and I have accumulated. With that in mind I really, honestly, don't want more "stuff" for Christmas. I had asked that everyone just donate in my name to our favorite animal rescue and that would make me happy.

The MIL is having none of that and insists that I must have things to open on christmas. I'm really at a loss of what to tell her to get me. I can't think of anything I need. I have tools on top of tools, I love tools but I'm not sure I could name something within a reasonably affordable range that I need in the shop.

Don't really need clothes and they kind of view that as un-fun things to open on christmas anyway.

So help me thing of stuff which could possibly be useful and not terribly expensive <$50

I had come across something the other day but now I dont recall, looking for ideas and memory joggers I guess.

Very much NOT in the holiday spirit right now so trying to focus on this isnt working.

mulit purpose tool (leatherman)

pocket knife. (I like my kershaws)

good LED flashlight (I lost my streamlight pocket light...so bright took 2 AA batteries)

a deltran battery tender. (simply amazing for anyone)

that's it for now.

ahh, I have all those but it reminds me I need a new drop light, thank you!

I would suggest anything consumable. Could be food, liquid or anything you use up. Essentially nothing that will sit on a shelf for ever more.

aircooled wrote: I would suggest anything consumable. Could be food or anything you use up. Essentially nothing that will sit on a shelf.

yeah, that's the path Im on but even there I'm not quite sure where to go. If I was doing more striping or airbrushing I'd ask for more paints but I haven't been working with either of those in awhile so I have a stockpile of paints. I need to look at the tool collection again and determine what things I may have been nursing along which could use an upgrade, I've been so focused on specialty and metalworking tools the last few years that some of my basic hand tolls are probably nearing end of life.

Could you get for gift card that you could quietly donate to a charity later on? Maybe a Home Depot card you could then give to Habitat for Humanity?

Type Q wrote: Could you get for gift card that you could quietly donate to a charity later on? Maybe a Home Depot card you could then give to Habitat for Humanity?

Yeah, they are ok with gift cards so that will fly but there needs to be one or two tangible items as well. But good idea, I'll steer them towards gift cards which our local rescue can use.

Gift card to your favorite restaurant?

I'm sort of "there" with my mother. Neither of us "needs" anything and we both already have more stuff in our houses than we'd like... (I sit here typing this literally surrounded by guitars right now...) ...so I'm thinking that in lieu of physical presents this year, we go find some expensive restaurants we've wanted to try.

Nice bottle of hooch and a fat steak.

Same here…I hate clutter and I have everything I need.

I started a tradition last year of buying people silver in the hopes they’d reciprocate.

RX Reven' wrote: Same here…I hate clutter and I have everything I need. I started a tradition last year of buying people silver in the hopes they’d reciprocate.

Yeah, Im on a 5 year plan to get the hell out of NJ, I want to get rid of stuff to pack, not add more to it.

Go for the animal rescue theme and ask for food, blankets, leashes, bleach for cleaning cages and whatever else they chronically need. You can open it, then donate it in person after the holidays.

Books

One can never have too many nice knives, flashlights or tape measures.

Find out just how much she wants to give you something fun to open on Christmas, with the following options:

1) Donation to animal shelter in your name.

2) 'Love swing' for you to use with her daughter.

JThw8 wrote:

aircooled wrote: I would suggest anything consumable. Could be food or anything you use up. Essentially nothing that will sit on a shelf.

yeah, that's the path Im on but even there I'm not quite sure where to go. If I was doing more striping or airbrushing I'd ask for more paints but I haven't been working with either of those in awhile so I have a stockpile of paints. I need to look at the tool collection again and determine what things I may have been nursing along which could use an upgrade, I've been so focused on specialty and metalworking tools the last few years that some of my basic hand tolls are probably nearing end of life.

A couple of years ago, we agreed with my parents to send food stuff. For example, we know a great meat store- so we get sausages of various types, then a chocolatier- so add that, and a smoker- salmon... Befire you know it, we have a really nice package of food that only available in our home town on it's way half way across the country.

Works even better when we go there for X-mas.

Ask for toys. They don't have to be expensive but it's still fun to play with stuff on Christmas morning, and you can donate them to a shelter or some other charity later.

jimbob_racing wrote: Go for the animal rescue theme and ask for food, blankets, leashes, bleach for cleaning cages and whatever else they chronically need. You can open it, then donate it in person after the holidays.

That's what I was going to suggest.

JThw8 wrote: Over the past year I've really become extremely frustrated with the amount of "stuff" the wife and I have accumulated. With that in mind I really, honestly, don't want more "stuff" for Christmas. I had asked that everyone just donate in my name to our favorite animal rescue and that would make me happy. The MIL is having none of that and insists that I must have things to open on christmas. I'm really at a loss of what to tell her to get me. I can't think of anything I need. I have tools on top of tools, I love tools but I'm not sure I could name something within a reasonably affordable range that I need in the shop. Don't really need clothes and they kind of view that as un-fun things to open on christmas anyway. So help me thing of stuff which could possibly be useful and not terribly expensive <$50 I had come across something the other day but now I dont recall, looking for ideas and memory joggers I guess. Very much NOT in the holiday spirit right now so trying to focus on this isnt working.

bacon … this company seems to have some pretty good stuff … not just bacon … they have some awfully good country ham too

if not there … food is still a good choice

http://www.smokehouse.com