Gift ideas? I'm looking for a gift for a hyper 3 year old boy and a very sweet smart 8 year old. HELP?
961559
3 year old boy- try getting him one of those "sit-n-spins!" Little kids love them, and it would calm him down a little!\n\n8 year old girl- try getting her a cook-book for little kids! She could help out in the kitchen and make easy things. \n\nGood luck! =)
796745
I would say only give a gift to the teachers that work directly with your son. And if you dont want to give a gift you arent obligated to. I used to be a daycare teacher and some parents would give small gifts (from the child) and others didnt. I would never expect it. You could do something small like a scented candle that you wrap in tissue paper in put in one of those tiny gift bags. Or you could fill a x-mas coffee mug from the dollar store with m&m's or some other candy. You could do a $5 gift card for the nearest coffee shop (but if you do it for all 7 people that may be too much $$). You could do a gift of a new toy or book for the classroom which would go to everyone--you  may need to ask the director of the daycare their policy on donating to the classroom though. Even a homemade christmas card made by your son would be nice. DONT SPEND A LOT OF MONEY if you do choose to give gifts! It is not expected!
400424
oh my goodness, I love this website. It has helped me out so many times! Check it out!\n\nhttp://www.lovingyou.com/\n\nOr, you could do something with the traditional sixth anniversary gifts... iron or candy. \n\nThere was once that I wanted to do something really special for my husband and I came up with all these ideas. First of all I hid a card in the car telling him that when he got home, it was going to be very special. \nI had the house decorated really cute with balloons and crate paper, my two year old loved helping me with them!\n\nI wrote him a love letter explaining why he was so important to me and wrote it on very pretty stationary paper.\nI bought some fake rose petals and put them in a hot bath, then shared the bath with him along with a nice bottle of wine.\nI made him his favorite dinner along with his favorite dessert and went on a picnic with him... (your kids would probably love this, especially if you go to a park, depending on their ages)\n\nThere are so many things you can do to show him how much you care for and love him without having to spend a lot of money!\n\nGood luck!
826874
My parents always did fun things like novelty magnets! I always got a pair of sissors a pritstick and sellotape cos I was always losing the ones I had! (I was a creative child!) I think little fun things are always good,they shold have a use though obviously! A little diary,a calendar,nice bath stuff,a cuddly toy, depends on who you're giving the stocking too I suppose!
842933
I think you should get him an ipod if hes really into music \nor perhaps a digital camera to remember what a great holiday yous all had as a family!\nmaybe he would perfer a PC game if hes into computers
849127
You are lucky! Give them your love and care. Give them something that they have cherished, something not too expensive, yet something that they would treasure. If you had given some hint as to their age, I would have suggested something. But I  am sure you know them too well, and you will come up with some brilliant idea. Just think about it.
120853
Besides chocolate?  Pretty pink things with lots of stickers, pens that write in different colors, notebooks with animals on the cover, posters of their favorite musicians, CDs with music they like, CD player, mp3 player or ipod if you want to spend a lot.  They would love a puppy too, I'm sure.
778804
Please refrain from buying any little knicknack with an apple, school desk, little book, blackboard, teaching poem etc. on it -  I work for a school system and too many of us get these from our students (some teachers have received hundreds of these little "teacher" gifts).  What about putting together a beautiful gift basket with bubble bath, lotion, bath gel, a candle, loofa and a pretty wine glass and a bottle of wine.  Put a thoughtful note  - something to the effect; "After a tough day teaching you deserve to relax and pamper" - "and after listening to small children whining and talking all day - have a little wine yourself".   I loved a similar gift I got from coworkers - and each time I took a long bath I remembered their kindness.
563455
Ask your brother what they are like, what they like, what they collect, etc. I think one of those little angel pins, a plant, or chocolate, are good gifts if you decide that you must give a gift. If my son's daughter had brought me a gift the first time she met me, I would've thought she was trying to buy my acceptance. As it was she came empty-handed but her personality and her love for my son were gift enough. Now she gives me things all the time. It's a sweet idea though.
933634
I would get her some cds of a band she likes and then make something like a family tree to make her feel important- my parents did that for me when I was 12 and since I have made one for my children for when they turn 12- also, electronics are ruling the scences today. Dolls, .....
905324
I have two boys--they are still young but I love doing this with them.  Since, I already know they are going to get plenty of gifts we start out early--the week after Thanksgiving.  We sort through all of their toys and pick out their favorites (about 5-10).  If the other toys are in a great condition we donate them to a local church or another organization that we may come across.  This is a way to teach them the importance of giving to the less fortunate.\n\nWe decorate the Christmas tree the first Sunday of December.  We are not November decorators.  I really enjoy that.  We all get together and make a really big deal about it.  We put on Christmas music and go around the house adding our little decorations all over the place.  They boys get an ornament every year.\n\nWe make it special to make Santa a belief but also focus on baby Jesus.  I enjoy getting their gifts from Santa.  We will be getting them only three gifts from ourselves this year to represent the three gifts baby Jesus got from the wise men.\n\nWe read stories (Twas' The Night Before Christmas, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, The Miracle of Christmas, A Christmas Carol, etc..) all the way up to Christmas.\n\nWe have a special advent calendar which we use for the kids to count the days down...it's a fun tradition to see my oldest get excited as the days count down.\n\nWe live away from family so we do our own thing for Christmas.  On Christmas even we have a tradition English roast.  We don’t really have a Christmas dinner but soup and sandwiches--it’s a little different but ehh--we like it.  It lets us relax on Christmas day without the worry of cooking a big meal.\n\nThere are so many more things that we do but I doubt you really want to know more--I’ve written a lot already.  I love Christmas.  Tradition, giving, and Christ are very important to me--I make sure to include that with all the excitement of Santa, gifts, and “fun” things that Christmas involves.
1163642
Try Yahoo-Shopping's Gift Finder (1st link under "Sources" below). You work your way through a few menus by selecting choices (his age, gender and so on) and, at the end, it gives you suggestions. For example, I took the information you gave, guessed at his age (18) and "life style" ("fitness fanatic") and got suggestions. To see them, click on the 2nd link below under "Sources"\n\n\n\nGood luck!
891428
Letters from Santa are a big hit. For the seven year old the "clue game". Write a clue , Wrap it in a small box. The clue should lead her to the next box and the next and the next till it leads her to one of her gifts .  For the two year old red and White helium balloons with a long stings attach to which are paper snow flakes. I always got the girls Christmas pajamas and let them open them Christmas eve. It was a lovely tradition and they always looked cute for Christmas morning pictures. I really miss my girls being little at Christmas!!! Enjoy yours for me!!
350482
Check out Yahoo! Gift Finder ( http://shopping.yahoo.com/giftfinder/ ). They have good ideas. You click on the occasion ("Birthday" in this case), then gender/age range, then relationship ("father"), then "Lifestyle", then you get a list of suggestions.
930707
Maybe you can suggest a grab bag for people.  \nI think its crazy for everyone toeach give everyone the same value of unpersonal gifts.  Just makes the stores rich.  \nMaybe have each extended adult couple do the grab bag and just buy for the children?
902435
Good for you! One of the things I have found when buying gifts for young children is that it doesn't matter how much a present costs, but rather how big it is. Buy the biggest thing you can find cheaply, wrap it in nice paper, and watch the happiness.\nGood luck
768191
When my kids were younger, they got a LOT of presents from Santa - they would be allowed to ask for one big and one small present, and anything else they got was a bonus.  \n\nThe other presents would be little toys from the pound shop or Christmas sweets, as well as things like bath stuff and hair accessories.  They would always get books and things like jigsaw puzzles as well.\n\nNone of these things were expensive, could be picked up at various stages during the year, but always created a huge amount of excitement and mystery.\n\nThis year I have one child who has asked for a Wii, and the other two want upgrades on their mobile phones.  That's about it.  \n\nThe Wii will be more in the way of a family present, and I still make a point of buying books as well.  \n\nThen at the last minute, I'll probably splurge out on a heap of stuff for everyone, because that's usually what I do!\n\nHappy Christmas!