What is the proper way to tell family what you want for Christmas?
962211
Well, explain to them what you are explaining to us- that if they wish to give Christmas gifts, cash would be the most convenient (sp?).
698890
I HATE when people ask what I want for Christmas.  It's so tacky!  \n\nHow about a gift card to a large chain bookstore?  They can be purchased online and used online too.
869303
I think a better question would be "What should I GIVE for Christmas?" If you don't know what you want, obviously you already have much more than you need. Maybe you should think of giving some of it away to people who need stuff and be happy with whatever somebody decides to give you.
869183
The Christmas that I remember as one of the best is last year. \nMy family had just simply stopped having Christmas together. \nBoth of our parents are gone on to a better world than this one \nand left us at young ages. After our mother passed in 1992 we \ndriffted away from each other but last year my neice decided that \nenough was enough and told our family that it was time to act \nlike we are a family and would not take no for an answer. I am \nglad that she was so determined. We had a great time and we \nare close to each other again. We will have a blast this year!
1069146
Christmas because of family and friends, everyone is in a giving mood. I love to give gifts. I love the snow, the lights, the tinsel, the movies, the trees, the food, everything about it.
281776
Your wedding reception is the same day as mine!  I say take the gifts and send them a thank you.  What would be the alternative?  To hand it right back to them and tell them again that you would prefer no presents?  A lot of couples keep the ceremony itself to immediate family only and then invite the rest of the guest to join in the celebration with them.  Gifts are not for the ceremony alone, they are for the unity of the two.  They are for the celebration in general.  Also, many times when the couple expresses the "no gift" preference, it can also be read as "we prefer money."  It's your wedding!  Open a gift or two!  It may even be something the two of you could really use.
746843
Gee, kind of hard to work this one out without a complete backgrounder on your entire family history.\n\nBut, maybe, you can start out slow, in another week or two. Put a decoration up here or there, make a meal, side dish, or dessert out of your stock of family Christmas favorites.\n\nSome people just get overwhelmed with Christmas and relentless pressure to shop, decorate, be cheery. I don't know if it's urban legend, but I've heard that suicides go up around Christmas. (Not to suggest that's where your mum's heading, just that there are a lot of different pressures and expectations sometimes associated with Christmas.)\n\nDo you know what your mum likes about Christmas? What makes her happy about it, if anything? Maybe it's the shopping, cooking, decorating, eating, seeing friends and family - if you could work those out without being overbearing about quizzing her on it, you might be able to help provide a more happy and comfortable Christmas environment for her.\n\nI've known one or two folks that were most happy at Christmas getting AWAY from family by taking a vacation, preferably in a warm location. It's just that some people have conflicting or negative associations with holidays.\n\nMyself, I like Thanksgiving Day (USA) more than Christmas. I like giving out presents and seeing little kids happy, but Turkey-day just seems more low-key and relaxed.\n\nOh, and sometimes, as people get older, they just aren't as thrilled with some things as they used to be. I guess it just gets to be old hat or they're focused on things that have gone bad in the past or people that are no longer around, things are no longer the same, etc.\n\nGood luck!
974429
be vague. don't put names in. sign off with something anonymous like "love,your buddy" paint a picture of your ideal christmas day, maybe adding presents and food details. just use a lot of imagination! gd luck :P
809409
I'll stop by Neiman-Marcus on my way to your house. Tell the little guy Santa never disappoints.\n\nMERRY CHRISTMAS!!!\n\nHO HO HO!!
916673
Buy some pretty Christmas toasting glasses, and have a toast to your first Christmas together.\nBuy an ornament for the tree, a nice collectible one, just the two of you.\n LIght a Christmas candle together.\nDecorate the tree.\nDrive around, and see all the pretty lights, tune in a radio station playing carols.. Or go to a comercial light show.\nBuy some canned goods, and take them to the food bank, together.\nCall the relatives to wish them Merry Christmas.\nGo to church.\nHave an empty creche under the tree, and put the baby Jesus in it. \nBuy each other an ornament. \nDo a Christmas eve tradition. Open just one gift from each other. \nHave a cocoa and cookies snuggle by the fire, or TV.\nBuy a Christmas movie, watch the same one, or a different one, every year.\nGo caroling.\nVolunteer to a food bank, or deliver Chistmas baskets to the poor. \nIn advance, call a local nursing home and ask what they need for the patients.\nHave a open house for the neighbors.\nFill each others stockings, without the other one seeing.\nCook dinner together. Cook something that isn't a tradition.\nDeliver some small gift to each of the neighbors, a plate of cookies, a box of candy. \nBake some cookies together, and decorate them. Or make fudge.\nAnd don't forget the mistletoe!
813391
Give her a nice gift.  You arn't just giving her a gift - in a way you are giving the whole office this gift.  If you give a poor gift it will set off negative vibes for everyone else.  Remember that the true reason for Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Christ and all the positive influences that this means for the world.
787376
try to see what other people are buying and go in the middle...and for the present ....try to talk to the guys friends to see what he likes..good luck and merry christmas
852624
If you want to buy something and you are to young then I would recomend you ask someone else buy it for you. Someone who is older (meet the age requirements of 18 or older) and do not mind spending 5 min on amazon. Also make sure you get your parents permision. You do not want your parents to make a huge argument around christmas when your item arives in the mail. You can ask one of your parents to do it if you need to be safe. Always ask the one that says Yes.\n\n*Hint never ask them when they are together. Ask them when they are seprate* It is much easier to pursuade one then two people.
21329
Here is an early Christmas present!\n\nHappy, happy, Merry, merry, Christmas to you!\n\nBe safe, be well, don't drink and drive!\n\nLove well, live well, have nice people say nice things to you!\n\nYou're swell!
564591
Tell them you want to be with him.And if they don't accept that tell them you love them and you will see them at church or at x-mas. Good luck
807484
This year my bf and I are trying something new. NO GIFTS. No one gets anything. We do send out homemade cards with personal notes in each card.\n\nWe are trying to get out of the extreme holiday behavior this world is coming to. We shouldn't have Christmas stuff for sale in all the stores before Thanksgiving and have to spend so much money on gifts for everyone. Gifts should be homemade and well thought out. We are trying to do what we can to change our families and teach them that we dont need gifts, we just want love and quality family time during the holidays!!\n\nIs it me or did I just go way off track on that answer? ;-)
959345
Since you have so many places to be and so many people to see, I suggest you guys use the whole week before xmas to celebrate. I would spend a couple of days with his father and wife and then a couple of days with his mother and her husband and then spend a couple of days with your parents. But make sure you are back at your home for Christmas day to celebrate each other. What a great way to spread holiday cheer and make everyone happy. This way no one can be mad about who you spending Christmas day with, since it will be with each other at home. I realize this is alot of running around but thats what the holidays are all about, the hustle and bustle. However, I would get married and a bigger place so you can have everyone over at your house and let them do the traveling.....Merry Christmas and Good Luck!!