Life is so simple sometimes. Like tonight, I mentioned during dinner that we would be going to meet Santa next week (and by the way, if you live in the Twin Cities, we visit the best Santa ever at Steamworks Coffee, and it’s a great deal. Go check it out.) I told Julie that she would get a chance to tell Santa what she wants for Christmas, and asked her what she would tell him. She said “An Angelina Ballerina doll” and I did a mental jumping-up-and-down YAY! She also mentioned that she expects Santa to leave the doll in her stocking. And I’m thinking that can be arranged. It’s good to know that I’ve scored at least one home run already.
Now, on to my own wish list for Christmas, which is oh, so much harder. The problem is that as a a grown-up, things that I want tend to fall into one of two categories:
1) I wanted/needed it badly enough and we could afford it, so I went ahead and bought it. For instance:
- Last year I told Joe that I really really wanted a new laptop after Christmas, and we went and bought it for me. Geesh, was that just a year ago?
- I really wanted a new handbag recently, so I bought one.
- When I got my eyes checked a couple weeks ago, I needed new regular glasses, but I also treated myself to my first-ever set of prescription sunglasses as well.
- On top of that, I just ordered myself a new winter coat last night – more on that when it arrives, but it was kind of a necessary purchase – although the one I have is at least five years old, probably six or more, it’s still in fairly good shape and I *could* squeeze another year out of it if I had to.
- That crazy brownie pan, which is awesome – I bought it for myself just a month ago!
- And when it comes down to it, when I want some new yarn or a new knitting book – when I know that I *really* want it enough to part with the money, guess what? I buy it. This is why I have more yarn and books than I know what to do with.
Which leaves me with category number two – stuff that I would love to have, stuff that I would really love, but can live without and/or we really can’t afford, at least right now. Like:
- Lasik eye surgery – I’d be a great candidate for that. I have awful nearsightedness, but it is stable. My eyes haven’t changed notably since I stopped growing. To get it done right, it would cost around $4,000.
- Remodel the upstairs bathroom – we as a family almost desperately need this. But it would cost at least $5,000 to do it the way I would want to do it, not to mention no end of hassle.
- A new couch in the living room. And a new coffee table and rug while we’re at it, but I could settle for just one of those things right off. I want a nice couch with slipcovers that we can wash, or at least have dry cleaned, when someone marks on them or does something unspeakably worse. I’m thinking Sophie’s going to be potty training in a couple years. I think I’d like a sectional to replace both of the couches we currently have, which are old, yucky and don’t even match or fit the space very well. This would cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $1500 at least.
- Okay, but before I spend that kind of money on new furniture, I’ve been wanting to get a consultation from an interior designer. A friend of mine told me about some people she used when she was getting ready to sell her house. For a couple hundred dollars, you can hire them to walk through your house with you and tell you how to re-arrange your own stuff to improve the flow, and just make things feel nicer. I bet if I hired them, they would make a recommendation as to what kind of couch would work best in our kind of weirdly laid out space. This might be an actual option for a present for me, although it really would be in the interest of the whole family, it’s on the upper cost end of what I dare ask for as a present, and it would feel pretty silly to get all this advice and not be able to use it. But I’m sharing my dreams here, so now you know.
- I’d also kind of like the new Sidekick LX now that I’ve seen it in person. The brown color is a lot darker in person than it is in the pictures. Unfortunately, I haven’t had my Sidekick 3 long enough to qualify for contract rebates on a new phone, so the thing would cost around $400. I can’t justify that much money on a slightly-fancier version of an electronic toy I already own, even if I use it every day.
I’m sure I could think of several other incredibly spendy options, including fancy vacations that we also can’t afford. The thing is, they just don’t fit into our standard of living, and that is okay. We just saved up and bought a mini-van, and every time I get into it I think about how glad I am that we were able to buy it outright instead of having to finance it. We are only able to live the way we do with me at home full-time because we choose not to go into debt to buy fancy stuff all the time.
So, what to tell people when they ask what I want? Namely Joe, who is the only person who has asked. I don’t really love the idea of gift certificates. So here is what I’ve come up with.
Knitting Lace by Susanna E. Lewis. It’s long out of print, but copies are available – for around $90. I’ve wished for this one for a long time, but the price tag has always seemed a little too high to justify it. I have a wish list over at Amazon, and there are other more reasonably priced books on it. Any of those would still make me quite happy, and there is a nice range of prices among them. Be very wary of buying me a knitting book not on this list! I have a lot of knitting books already, and the ones I don’t have (of those that are in print) are likely to be ones I’ve considered and rejected.
There are a couple of different page-a-day calendars about knitting out there. I bought both of them for myself last year and was not all that thrilled with either, so I may just wait till after Christmas and look for them on sale. But if someone put one in my stocking, I’d receive it gladly.
I was briefly toying with the idea of that software the Yarn Harlot mentioned a few weeks ago. But I already have Stitch Painter software, and I don’t have any immediate plans for designing charted patterns. Plus, it’s kind of expensive.
There is one thing I saw during the shop hop a couple months ago. It was that Artyarns Beaded Cashmere. I found it online here, and I like the colorways 2265-G and 2218-G. I remember seeing some Artyarns at Amazing Threads, but I can’t remember if they had the cashmere as well. Anyway, if a certain husband were to find a supply of this stuff and were willing to fork over the cash for it, I’d need at least two skeins, but three to be safe in order to make a scarf to go with my new coat. But again, that’s pretty expensive.
Alright, and this leads me to the contest. I need ideas. What do I want for Christmas? I don’t want an i-pod (I have an mp3 player built into my cell phone, as well as a separate Creative Zen nano, which more than cover my needs.) I don’t like smelly stuff – no candles, no scented soaps, no bath bombs unless they’re stink-free. I’m trying to lose weight, so candy and food aren’t great ideas. Fun kitchen tools might be nice, other knitting-related stuff might be nice, some piece of clothing that would suit me perfectly (although I don’t iron anything ever). Go crazy with ideas. I’ll admit it, I’m hard to buy for!
It just so happens that I sort of accidentally ended up with two copies of Clara Parkes’ new book – The Knitter’s Book of Yarn. I was so excited about it, I ordered it online, then forgot that I’d ordered it online and scooped up a copy at my LYS when it was available. Oops. But it seems like a great book, and maybe one of you would like it as a little early Christmas present from me. Just post a comment on this post suggesting a gift that you think my husband should get for me for Christmas. It needs to be under $100. Deadline is blog-posting time on December 1st (whenever I get the kids in bed and get around to my computer). I’ll post a list of the gift suggestions that I think actually fit my wants, and randomly draw a winner from those who suggested them. Make sure you include an e-mail address so I can contact you if you’re a winner. Oh, and Joe needs to stuff my stocking too (and I’m not talking innuendo here- I mean an actual Christmas stocking.) Give him some ideas for that as well. Thanks in advance for playing along!
You want a Wii for Christmas! I just got one for my family, and I’m so looking forward to playing with them. And now there’s a Wii fit game for actually exercising with the Wii.
My kids are 2 and 4 and I know that the 4-year-old will understand how to play with the Wii — and it’s something that keeps the kids (and me) off the couch and active. There are even stories about gamers losing weight because of it.
What about an IOU gift, saying you will be taking a knitting weekend vacation of your choice, time and place?
I know exactly what you’re saying – I’m in the same boat – aren’t we lucky we have what we need and recognise needs and wants?
I’d suggest a gorillapod (you’ll have to google it to get a supplier in the US). It’s a bendy little tripod you screw into you digital camera and you can take pics of the whole family. It winds around railings, trees, or anything. I love mine, it’s great for holidays in particular.
Chocolate. Seriously good artisanal chocolate that you can savor a bit at a time. I’m assuming Joe knows your local sources… otherwise, he can try Garrison Confections or Ocean State Chocolates.
Yes, I’m from Rhode Island, but they’re both world class
No interest in the contest, but I enjoy enabling chocoholics…have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
For the stocking stuffer, how about more of your favorite needles? I know it seems like I ALWAYS need more size 1 and 2 dpns. You could leave a list at your shop so he could surprise you.
For the gift, what about one of the various yarn clubs. I’ve seen a lot of them for under $100 for various amounts of time. You’d get to try new yarns and get a little surprise in the mail for the next 3-4 months…
For stocking stuffers, what about knitting notions (stitch markers, stitch holders, tape measure, little scissors, etc.) Joe could go to a lys and ask for suggestions or you could leave a list. I know we all have these things, but can you find all of them when you need them? I am getting ready to make 3 or 4 notions bags to go carry along in my knitting bags. One each for the sock bag, knitting chair, prayer shawl bag, project bag, and maybe an extra or two.
Another idea would for the stocking would be small kitchen gadgets, new spatulas, spoons, serving spoons, peeler, paring knives, etc.
I will think about other ideas.
Lynn
I have a couple of suggestions for you:)
THe first is the PictureBook pocket digital photo album from Brookstone, even though it $200. I got one for my birthday last year and I take it everywhere. I love having pictures with me and this little wallet size thing holds about 500. Go to http://www.brookstone.com and search for photo. They also have a digital keychain that holds 62 photos for about $40.
Next, I am a big Tupperware fan, so I have to suggest that. No, I don’t sell it, but I do have a lot of their products! They have a new kitchen line of stainless steel and beautiful knives and all the plastic products too. Best thing is if you have Tupperware you have a lifetime guarantee and if something happens to a piece you can have it replaced free. There is a sale on http://www.tupperware.com tomorrow just so you know!
Happy Thanksgiving!
What about a magazine subscription? Maybe it’s just me but I really like getting mail that isn’t a bill!
How about an annual family pass to the Minnesota Zoo? ($85) When my kids were young my parents bought this for us as a holiday gift. And we loved it. Your kids are the perfect age to enjoy zoo trips.
It was fun to pile into the car and go to the zoo on a nice day: any nice day. Pack a lunch and it won’t cost you a thing except the cost of the gas to get there – all year.
Sue
I can’t live without my digital food scale. You probably already have one, but This one comes in a ton of fabulous colors. I also can’t live without my digital probe meat thermometer. Love that!
I do also love my Wii but they’re not going to be easy to find again. Nintendo is making a LOT but they just can’t meet the demand. Plus, it’s over your $100 price range.
I don’t know if you read a lot, but I loved the book Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen. Really great, and a great gift OR stocking stuffer. What about either more music, or gift certificates for digital downloaded music for your stocking? And also, I highly recommend They Might Be Giants Here Come the ABCs for a good, kid and adult friendly album. They’re also on the cusp of releasing Here Come the 123s which I am sure will be just as great.
*a gift certificate for a massage and/or facial
*classes of some sort… cooking, wine tasting, pottery
*a season or two on DVD of a show that you like but missed most of because you have small children
*one or more of the Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes collections on DVD
Gift Suggestions:
- a good knife or two or three (this Henckel paring knife set is great, I have the same set except for the serrated one; I really like my Victorinox chef’s knife; both of these 4.5″ utility knives are favourites of mine too)
- some adorable hand made note cards from etsy (here are two favourites)
- a pretty pendant (this shop has lovely fused glass pendants at a nice price)
I’ll come back if I think of some more.
When it comes to gifts, I’m an advocate of items that are for YOU (not the family, not the kids, you already do everything for them anyway), as well as the not-entirely-practical. Sure, you could ask for something you need, but if it’s that necessary, you would buy it anyway. So I suggest some kind of consumable, luxury gift, something that pampers but does not clutter, something like a freaking good bottle of wine or pure cashmere yarn or a massage or facial (I think someone already suggested that, actually) or diamond-studded DPNS (kidding) or a lovely piece of jewelry. You get the idea.
Silk pajamas. Pamper yourself at night.
I don’t know if you already have one, but the best kitchen present I ever got that costs under $100 is a Villaware waffle maker. I love it because making waffle batter doesn’t take too much effort, and it’s so much cheaper and yummier to make your own on a Saturday morning than it is to go out and buy brunch at a restaurant. You can also make your own waffles lighter than restaurant waffles–I just use a quarter or half less butter than the recipe calls for, and they still taste great. I got the Villaware brand because Cook’s Illustrated says it’s the best, and I’ve had no complaints so far.
I’ve also been interested in getting an immersion blender–perfect for pureeing soups so you don’t have to add as much cream to get a nice, rich consistency.
For something that’s more than $100, but which both you and Joe might be able to use together as a joint gift (if he likes coffee), you can consider this coffeemaker. It’s $225, but my boyfriend did extensive research when he wanted a new coffeemaker and decided this was the best one. I got it for him for his birthday one year, and he says all the reviews he read were right–it really is the best drip coffeemaker he’s ever had coffee from. It brews the coffee quickly, like an industrial coffeemaker, so that the coffee takes better. (With the slow drip, drip, drip of most drip coffeemakers, the coffee grounds get oversaturated and all the bitter flavors have time to leach out into the coffee.) Although I’m not as big a coffee drinker as he is, there is a marked difference between the quality of coffee from this coffeemaker and from other regular drip ones.
Hope this helps!
a bit impractical, but how about asking for an elf to weave in all the blankie ends for you?
i’m asking for a massage — holding the baby all the time gives me a sore neck, which i’m sure you can relate to!
although it’s $225 a year, you want a membership into the Rockin’ Sock Club at Blue Moon Fiber Arts. Every other month, beginning in February, you get a kit that includes a brand new pattern, brand new Blue Moon Fiber Arts colorway skein of sock yarn, an emergency skein of sock yarn, and a little giftie that’s part of that month’s theme. Plus, in the KAL, there are contests and prizes. So much fun! I love the anticipation of what the new kit will be. Being such a great sock knitter, I think you’d really like this.
Here are my suggestions, trying not to duplicate what other’s have said:
-New cords from Eddie Bauer. They will fit well, last a long time and cords are comfier than jeans in the sub-zero temps of late January and February. They also have really nice long sleeve t-shirts and this down vest looks like it would be great for running errands or adding a layer in the house.
-A starter set of cloth menstrual pads. Ok, so Joe probably doesn’t want to buy those, as they aren’t terribly fun or romantic, but my good friends who used pads anyway and switched love them. You cloth diapered, and this is even easier, if you are a pad person. (says the girl who is a recent convert to o.b. tampons) Cloth Pads by Cuddle Baby. A listing of all the cloth pad makers in the US/North America.
-A Piddleloop Bag… they have knitting bags as well as other zippered pouches. Emailing or convo-ing Jennifer is easy peasy to see what is in the sewing pile and have her make it just for you (and she would be great at working on it with Joe, if he wanted). The little bags, key fobs and tissue holders would all be great stocking stuffers.
-Firefly on DVD. The whole series is usually available for around $25 at Target. Another good one, if you haven’t already seen it, is Freaks and Geeks.
-Art from The Interimaginational Institute is not terribly expensive and lots of fun.
Ideas for the stocking:
-Nivea makes little round blue tins of (as far as I can tell) scent-free hand cream that they sell for about a dollar in Walgreens that are perfect for keeping in your purse.
-your favorite chapstick/lip balm.
-new underwear (boring, but when was the last time you bought some?)
-new socks (even as prolific of a knitter as you are, I bet that you aren’t all handknit, all the time) I found some decent merino wool ones at Target end-of-season last year, Eddie Bauer and the Gap usually have decent ones on the sale rack as well.
-Christmas Tree ornaments
Alright, that was a bunch of ideas. Yes, I want to be in the running for the book. Have fun putting together your list.
Oh, I thought of something else that your whole family would probably love — Family Pastimes cooperative games.
Their website is at:
http://www.familypastimes.com/
My local mom’s group just did a co-op order and got a great discount from them. You can contact them directly if you want to arrange co-op purchases.
We own two of their games, Harvest and Princess. In Harvest, you work together to bring in the harvest before Winter comes. If you finish harvesting all of your carrots, you can help daddy harvest all of his. Everyone wins if you get everything in before Winter.
In Princess, you work together to rescue the princess before Night comes. Same principle, but it’s led to some pretty creative storytelling on reasons why to use certain tools.
I ordered a bunch for all my friends’ families this year for Christmas. I’m looking forward to hearing how they play.
How about a light tent? You can get a good sized one for under $100.
Or a sun lamp for the winter? I got one for someone last year and it really improved his SAD… not that everyone up north suffers but I know alot of people do.
For your stocking, how about a set of these needles? They’re so beautiful.
If you don’t already have it, New Pathways for Sock Knitters is fun, and I hear good things about Knitting America.
Books–the gift that keeps on giving.
I don’t really know you well enough to know what you’d really like, so I’m going to go with either what I want or what I’m planning to get for those around me.
-Flat bottomed whisk. If you ever make any kind of heated liquid on the stove (especially ones that might scald) this is a life saver – able to get completely into the corners of any pot.
-A cookbook in a new cuisine you’ve never cooked but want to learn. Good pictures are essential, of course…
-A portrait of your family (which would mean Joe would have to get everyone dressed up and coordinated at the studio to take the picture…)
-…I had another idea, but I’m completely striking out now. I suppose that’s what I get for staying up until 1:30 AM…
Hopefully that helps…’cause, you know, I do so love knitting contests…
Remember the cashmere you saw on the shop hop at 3K? I think that should be the thing on the list – with the requirement that it be knit up to make something for you. And Garden of Eden for stocking stuffers. Moms need to take care of themselves and gifts should be things that you wouldn’t buy for yourself…
I think Joe should put a needle case in your stocking and how about a set of Options needles from Knitpicks?
rgirven@gmail.com
1. AeroPress Coffee maker
http://tinyurl.com/ps8gt
2. The Daring Book for Girls
http://tinyurl.com/2a5xmu
3. Clover’s cute accessory bags (available from Knit Picks) — the Frog is cute!
http://tinyurl.com/2xlbob
4. Something fun at the Textile Center (my SIL works there)
http://www.textilecentermn.org/
Either a class or something from the shop?
Hi! I’m new to Ravelry and today I discovered your blog. I had so much fun reading about you and your precious family! I’m a pretty new knitter, so my stash is quite small and my library of knitting books is even smaller, so it would be fantastic to win The Knitter’s Book of Yarn! Also, I can totally relate to you and your dilemma regarding your Christmas Wish List, because if I really want something I go buy it, too!
First of all, I think Joe should have a custom t-shirt made for you, in your favorite color, and in a “very large and readable script” it should read, “DON’T EVEN ASK…MY HUSBAND IS ASIAN”. Then, when you and the girls are out and about without Joe, nosy people won’t ask nosy questions. (I know someone who had the same problem and we joked about this all the time LOL!)
I just received my KnitPicks catalog in the mail and saw this GoKnit Pouch by KnowKnits and thought it looked pretty cool! You can loop it over your wrist, handbag, or belt loop and it holds your yarn while you knit away anywhere, anytime!
With the extremely cold temperatures in Minnesota, I think some super cozy flannel pajamas and a matching robe would be awesome. Check out sleepyhead.com. They have a great selection and claim they’re so soft & cozy you won’t want to leave your bed! Of course, Joe could include a few “breakfast in bed” coupons with this gift! YUM!
I am now an official fan of your blog and I’ll definitely check back on December 26th to see what you received!
I have two suggestions that I’d make for any tech savvy mom this Christmas:
- a digital photo frame
- a nice “personal massager” – I make that suggestion to all my grown-up women friends, and they all laugh – but I’m not kidding
Whatver Joe gets, I hope you enjoy it.
hi Shelly~ how bout a yarn CSA? http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7341200
$100 for a share in the spring 2008 yarn harvest. I love this!
-eLizabeth
How about a “subscription” to a spa? Joe could get you four professional manicures for $100. Even if you are hard on polish, and what SAHM isn’t, having someone else tidy your cuticles and shape your nails can feel like a wonderful luxury.
One of those at home foot spas might be nice. Warm water massage you toes while you sit and knit.
My husband gave me a chair pad that is a massager last year when I was pregnant and couldn’t have a professional massage. I still use it.
Someone touched on the family portrait, but how about going a step further and having a professional photographer come to the house to take candid shots of the four of you? So much more of your daughters’ personality would shine through in a more relaxed shoot than in a studio.
Redenvelope.com has some beautiful and affordable mother/ daughter jewelry.
A plant/cut flower of the month club? Something to brighten the room in the middle of Feburary when you haven’t left the house for several days in a row.
Can you tell I don’t think gifts should be something you would/could buy for yourself? (knitter at creativewares dot com)
for the stocking stuffer, Joe could make you a “gift certificate” giving you a day to yourself….go to the movies, yarn shopping, time to knit, etc.
for the gift, I LOVED that cashmere on the shop hop and would vote for that…..
You want a Knitzi. I just got miine and it’s fabulous! It’s a portable needle cover for your socks in progress. Combine it wit some kind of knitting puoch and you’ve got a kick-butt present!
I have a few stocking stuffer ideas. On the Starbucks website, you can make a custom gift card (for a mere $4 customization fee) with your exact drink order on it (i.e. tall no whip skim decaf mocha) and load it up with a few months worth of coffee drinks. That way, you can just hand the card to the barista and they can punch in your drink order as you chat with your yarn buddies.
Along the same theme, you can get a customizable Starbucks tumbler. The inner cup lifts out from the outer clear plastic tumbler and comes with a sheet of paper you can have the girls color, or put pictures of Joe and the girls, or write your standard Starbucks order on it. Oooooo….. or, if the space between the two tumblers is big enough, you can fill it with the leftover yarn bits from trimming the blankie. Insulating *and* representing! I like that idea. I may have to steal that one for myself and my babette yarn
Good luck and happy holidays to you!
p.s. I’m not affiliated with Starbucks. Not even a big customer. I just remembered the tumblers and went to their website to price them out, then saw the gift card. I know you aren’t too big on gift cards, but I thought the customization was a nice touch.
I have been wracking my brain for ideas! I don’t know what kind of music you like but Shawblades has an album out “Influence” http://www.shawbades.com that is acoustic covers of classic rock songs from the 70’s and 80’s. I really like it, good stocking stuffer. Another stocking stuffer is the little tins of Peppermint patty candies. They are a little ball that tastes like peppermint patty, not a lot of calories, great tin for stitch markers.As for a big gift, you have me stumped! I keep coming back to some sort of luxury bag.. either purse or knitting bag, but most of them are more likely over $100. Although some are not. I do not have a specific idea. I will look!
http://www.lawreslaine.com/
http://www.scoutsswag.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=20_23
Well, here are two that I have seen recently that I liked. I hope that my previous post was not lost, I did not see it.
I was tempted to do as you suggested and recommend a lump of coal…but I’d recommend a rice cooker instead. I have this one: http://us.sanyo.com/appliances/small_appliances/Micro-Computerized_Rice_Cookers/index.cfm?productID=896 and I love it.
They also have a 10 cup version and both are set up for most kinds of rice, as well as soup and stew. The cooker also comes with recipes for making bi bim bab and bread pudding. It’s easy to use and has made it a lot easier for me to eat healthily in my dorm room.
Hmmm. Suggestions. I’ve been thinking about this all week. And I’m not coming up with much…because I’m almost as hard to shop for as you.
I’m a big advocate of something for you, rather than for the family.
What about new furniture to make your workspace as functional as possible? To make it easy for you to design, print patterns, play with knitting machines, etc. Ikea has some nice workspace options, both in terms of desks and organization, and they’re pretty inexpensive.
(emphaticknitting AT gmail DOT com