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With grandchildren aged 17 to 24, gift certificates are the surest way to get something they want (I really don't share their music or clothes picks!). I give 4 $25 and 1 $50 certificates, wrapped in different shapes with different bags of candies to give them weight. On Christmas Eve, they stand in a circle while I read a "Left/Right" story (many versions can be found on the net). They don't know which contains the $50--but have lots of fun passing presents left/right in the circle! In addition, my two adult daughters and teen grand-
daughter are making new memories by trying to "out tacky" each other ($10 limit). It's run the gammet from pink flamingos, ugly garden gnomes, my two forty-something daughters sitting on Santa's lap, etc. Some have been really weird (like a plastic size 6 vest for a size 20 Grandma),etc. They really have been fun--we each look for the perfect "tacky gift" all year long.

Every year my Mother writes each of her children a letter. It is about the special memories from the previous year and a special little tribute to each child. We love these letters. So much in fact that as we have gotten older, they have become much more important than any other gift. This year I wrote my Mom a letter for the first time. I will not be home for Christmas and I thought it would be a special tribute to her and all the love and support she has given us over the years.

As a child, Gran always gave us each a very special gift on Christmas Eve. Three boxes all wrapped and tied together with one big bow. The first was always pjs or a gown with slippers, the second was a stuffed animal to cuddle through the night and the last was always a good hardback book- usually about Christmas or giving, or something she knew we'd enjoy.
I followed through with this tradition for my own kids and they look forward to it every year.
We open them up after midnight mass, before going to bed.

PS- New jammies make all our photos look better, cuz otherwise, we mostly sleep in tshirts or mismatched pj sets!

We start our Decorating in November, right after halloween.
There have been times when we started in October.
first thing to come out is the village set, then my santa claus's
and nutcrackers, then the trees.
My daughters and I make new ornaments every year for a keepsake.And we are in a christmas ornament swap club.
We make a ornament for each memenber including ourselves,
and print up recipes to share.. make goodies to share as well.
Some years we have a cookie swap too... anyway we have alot of fun swapping oramants, recipes and eating and fellowshipping
with each other. Its one of our favorite times of year!On christmas eve my kids started opening up one small gift to each other, and the kids werent allowed to get out of bed before my hubby and I had our coffee and turned on the christmas music first, and the tree lights ,then we would go get them up.The last few years we have been going to church service first and then open our gifts and having christmas dinner, things change sadly as the children have grown up and have to visit different family memebers now but we still enjoy all of it and being together!
Now I get to make new ornaments fore each grand child each year and want to start making each family memeber a stocking..
hopefully get started soon on those.
Elaine

My children and I aways bake for Christmas. We make Christmas baking baskets for everyone in our families. This is the fun time for all of us and the families enjoy the baskets so much because then they don't have to go out and buy breads or cookies. This way we feel that the gifts are more personal than the ones that you buy and the love that goes into each baked item is worth the mess in the kitchen.

Displaying 1 to 5 of 62 ideas. [add your idea]