Holidays and birthdays - Gift ideas

[Blackhawk]

So, the holidays are upon us. I thought a shared thread where we could bounce ideas around might be handy. It's a bit earlier than usual, but with the shipping issues this year I want to get 90% of my shopping done in the next couple of weeks.

Between bird medications and a new cage, I'm starting off deep in the hole this year.

Luckily, my youngest is already (mostly) taken care of.

Michelle will probably have to forego a 'big' present this year, and I won't be getting myself anything (I've spent some money on myself recently, so I'm OK with this.)

For our oldest, though, it's more difficult. He's one of the pickiest gift receivers you'll ever meet - probably 90% of everything I've ever gotten him has never been used. For those who remember, he's autistic. That means that he has his personal 'special interests', and anything that doesn't fit within those is likely to be completely ignored. His interests, for the most part, include pigeons, a small selection of Nintendo games, plus watching YouTube videos related to those games. The problem is that he has essentially everything related to them already. I mean, if you're life's passion is one video game series, once you have all of the games, the system, and any art books, that's pretty much all there is. And he already has a selection of pigeon books, and it is unlikely you'll see him wearing a shirt that doesn't have a pigeon on it.

So far, all I have for him is two T-shirts (yes, with pigeons on them) and a new set of headphones. I want to pad that out a bit. I had an idea: One other thing he's always up for is food. He loves his food. We normally get him restaurant gift certificates, but that's not such a hot idea this year. But I was thinking of getting him some sort of subscription box related to food. He's a sucker for sweets and junk food. Are there any of these that aren't complete scams?

[Daehawk]

I have no idea what to get my dog. He doesn't do toys. Doesn't need a blanket. Sleeps in bed with me. He loves food and snacks but if you try new ones it upsets his tummy. Sooooo leaves basically nothing I can get him. Ill probably just end up wrapping him a new bag of his normal treats. Im not sure what he'll get me.

[Smoove_B]

Are there any of these that aren't complete scams?

We did one right before the pandemic that was focused on snacks and candy from different parts of the world. It was interesting, but really expensive for what you get. I think as a one-off it might be worth it, but I'm not sure I'd subscribe. Above and beyond the cost, it really was a box filled with the junkiest of junk foods and that's already an issue for our house. So I guess I'd say it's not at all a scam but your return on investment is going to diminish if you keep receiving boxes, month after month.

Either way, I feel your frustration. Getting gifts is normally difficult. The last two years it's been feeling much more so. Since we've moved and downsized, I've been trying really hard to focus on consumables and/or experiences instead of *things* that fill up the house (here and for relatives). It has not been easy.

[Blackhawk]

With Ian it has always been a challenge. He has a floor lounge (basically just a fold-up memory foam mattress), his laptop, and the Switch. And engaging with those are his only real interest (outside of pigeons.) Gifts that support that are generally five-star (like the headphones), while gifts that don't are ignored. But we've gotten him everything that is practical for those things. He could use a new laptop, but that's way out of our reach. I'd love to see him use a chair instead of the floor, but there's nowhere to put one. Food, at least, is actually used!

None of this is intended to be a criticism of him. We're actively working to expand his horizons, but it's going to be a process that could take years. We're currently dealing with three to four appointments per week with people who are working to get him out in the world and help him with his problems. But while his physical age is 20, his psychological and emotional age is years behind. So we push him - but when it's not time to push, it's time to let him do his thing. It's a delicate balance.

[Jeff V]

Are there any of these that aren't complete scams?

We did one right before the pandemic that was focused on snacks and candy from different parts of the world. It was interesting, but really expensive for what you get. I think as a one-off it might be worth it, but I'm not sure I'd subscribe. Above and beyond the cost, it really was a box filled with the junkiest of junk foods and that's already an issue for our house. So I guess I'd say it's not at all a scam but your return on investment is going to diminish if you keep receiving boxes, month after month.

Either way, I feel your frustration. Getting gifts is normally difficult. The last two years it's been feeling much more so. Since we've moved and downsized, I've been trying really hard to focus on consumables and/or experiences instead of *things* that fill up the house (here and for relatives). It has not been easy.

Look for ethnic supermarkets located in the US and assemble your own box for probably a fraction of the price. There's a pretty big Filipino supermarket in New Jersey, for example, where I used to order various things (until a different Filipino supermarket opened up around here...heading there in about 20 minutes (it's over an hour drive from here though).

[Hrothgar]

Play Asia is having a free shipping sale ($49+). Are there any figures or import games that might fit the category?

[Blackhawk]

If it's an import title that wasn't released in the US, he's probably either got it or has played it. His favorite is still the Fire Emblem series, and know he played all of the non-NA releases with English language patches. He also loves Minecraft, but the stuff available for that isn't exactly made for his age group.

[hitbyambulance]

I had an idea: One other thing he's always up for is food. He loves his food.

my son is on the spectrum and i've found this is pretty much the ideal gift - i will go to one of the local Asian or import markets around here (there are many) and give him a shopping bag of 'foreign snacks' (as he calls them). uncharacteristically, he is pretty adventurous palate-wise and appreciates odd or unusual food items. instant ramen is always a hit, and i think i'm going to get him some major-burn hot sauce this year.

for a few years in his mid-teens he asked for classic novels and since people were happy to oblige, he now has a pretty sizeable shelf of books... that he may never get to (it's certainly enough reading for a good half-decade or so, if one were to really keep at it).

[dbt1949]

Legos for everybody!
Or maybe train rides!

[Blackhawk]

I had an idea: One other thing he's always up for is food. He loves his food.

my son is on the spectrum and i've found this is pretty much the ideal gift - i will go to one of the local Asian or import markets around here (there are many) and give him a shopping bag of 'foreign snacks' (as he calls them). uncharacteristically, he is pretty adventurous palate-wise and appreciates odd or unusual food items. instant ramen is always a hit, and i think i'm going to get him some major-burn hot sauce this year.

Hah, that would actually be a great option, except that we do essentially that every week all summer, and every month or so during school (we have one ethnic store, an Asian grocery, in the town we shop in.)

[gbasden]

I had an idea: One other thing he's always up for is food. He loves his food.

my son is on the spectrum and i've found this is pretty much the ideal gift - i will go to one of the local Asian or import markets around here (there are many) and give him a shopping bag of 'foreign snacks' (as he calls them). uncharacteristically, he is pretty adventurous palate-wise and appreciates odd or unusual food items. instant ramen is always a hit, and i think i'm going to get him some major-burn hot sauce this year.

Hah, that would actually be a great option, except that we do essentially that every week all summer, and every month or so during school (we have one ethnic store, an Asian grocery, in the town we shop in.)

If you want something different, we've got a number of ethnic markets from Mexican to Russian and everything in between. I'd be happy to put together a box of stuff and send it out if he'd like that.

[Kraken]

Wife and I are each hard to buy for for opposite reasons.

I don't like things. I already have too many things and resent them taking up space. I only want a new thing if it's useful, and I already have virtually everything I need. Now that I'm making more money I no longer even need basics like socks and underwear. Last week I suggested that I'd like some wireless headphones for xmas, and I got a blank look. So I just bought them myself rather than putting her through the trouble of researching them and possibly making an inappropriate choice.

Wife, OTOH, loves things. She buys anything that strikes her fancy. Amazon is building a pneumatic tube to our house so that they don't have to send six trucks a day. It's hard to buy something for someone who already has three of everything and nowhere to put them. So I try to identify needs that she doesn't know she has. For example, every year she fights letting me uninstall her air conditioner even after it starts getting cold out because the noise helps her sleep. So I bought her a white noise machine for her birthday. The jury is still out on whether that was a hit, but in theory it ought to be.

For a couple of years we tried buying each other experiences instead of things, but any experience that we need to do together is not great for me since I don't like to leave the house. Last year she signed me up for MasterClass, which was an inspired idea. I wasn't interested in much of their content, but I did enjoy Chris Hadfield's course on space exploration.

Every birthday and xmas is a challenge. Sometimes I rise to the occasion; more often, I whiff.

[dbt1949]

White noise is not as good as an air conditioner. A medium size fan works tho.

[Kraken]

White noise is not as good as an air conditioner. A medium size fan works tho.

Air conditioners aren't great when it's 30 degrees at night. The noise generator that I chose is basically just a fan in a can. It's been around since 1962, and I only paid $35 for it, so I'm feeling good about the purchase if Wife uses it. If not...well, I wasted $35, but I had a thing to give her on her bday.

[Blackhawk]

I had the same problem when Michelle moved in. She'd spent years living in the country, while I live on an intersection that is loud as hell at night. Once we turned the AC off she couldn't sleep.

I took an old, otherwise useless Android phone, plugged it into an old set of PC speakers I had lying around, and downloaded a free white noise app. Final cost $0, and since it is coming from speakers sitting in opposite corners, it really fills the room.

[Blackhawk]

I had an idea: One other thing he's always up for is food. He loves his food.

my son is on the spectrum and i've found this is pretty much the ideal gift - i will go to one of the local Asian or import markets around here (there are many) and give him a shopping bag of 'foreign snacks' (as he calls them). uncharacteristically, he is pretty adventurous palate-wise and appreciates odd or unusual food items. instant ramen is always a hit, and i think i'm going to get him some major-burn hot sauce this year.

Hah, that would actually be a great option, except that we do essentially that every week all summer, and every month or so during school (we have one ethnic store, an Asian grocery, in the town we shop in.)

If you want something different, we've got a number of ethnic markets from Mexican to Russian and everything in between. I'd be happy to put together a box of stuff and send it out if he'd like that.

I don't hate that idea. I like the idea of making a half-dozen boxes of snacks, one for each of several nations, giving them all to him sealed, and then once a month having him draw a slip of paper from a hat with a nation on it. A different country every month! And it just so happens that Amazon has a variety of ethnic 'snack packs' that aren't horribly expensive. Thanks for the idea - even if I don't have you running around doing the legwork!

[AWS260]

Are there any of these that aren't complete scams?

We did one right before the pandemic that was focused on snacks and candy from different parts of the world. It was interesting, but really expensive for what you get. .

We do one like this called Universal Yums. Not a scam, but yeah, it's pricey for a box of snacks and cookies.

They package it well, with a bit of background on the country and a scorecard for grading that month's items. We've turned it into a family activity, watching a movie while we all sample and grade the snacks.

[Jaymon]

So, the holidays are upon us. I thought a shared thread where we could bounce ideas around might be handy. It's a bit earlier than usual, but with the shipping issues this year I want to get 90% of my shopping done in the next couple of weeks.

Between bird medications and a new cage, I'm starting off deep in the hole this year.

Luckily, my youngest is already (mostly) taken care of.

Michelle will probably have to forego a 'big' present this year, and I won't be getting myself anything (I've spent some money on myself recently, so I'm OK with this.)

For our oldest, though, it's more difficult. He's one of the pickiest gift receivers you'll ever meet - probably 90% of everything I've ever gotten him has never been used. For those who remember, he's autistic. That means that he has his personal 'special interests', and anything that doesn't fit within those is likely to be completely ignored. His interests, for the most part, include pigeons, a small selection of Nintendo games, plus watching YouTube videos related to those games. The problem is that he has essentially everything related to them already. I mean, if you're life's passion is one video game series, once you have all of the games, the system, and any art books, that's pretty much all there is. And he already has a selection of pigeon books, and it is unlikely you'll see him wearing a shirt that doesn't have a pigeon on it.

So far, all I have for him is two T-shirts (yes, with pigeons on them) and a new set of headphones. I want to pad that out a bit. I had an idea: One other thing he's always up for is food. He loves his food. We normally get him restaurant gift certificates, but that's not such a hot idea this year. But I was thinking of getting him some sort of subscription box related to food. He's a sucker for sweets and junk food. Are there any of these that aren't complete scams?

Something we got ours in his focus areas - personalized coffee mugs. upload photos of his favorite, and add a name or phrase. because not all his focus area has authentic merch available.

Also, storage for his previously collected merch. Maybe he doesn't need any more Pidgeon plushies or figurines , but a curio cabinet with a Pidgeon woodburned into the side ?

[Isgrimnur]

Custom embossed notebooks

[Jaymon]

OK, so this is not "budget"

https://misaky.tokyo/

But its a really fancy gift idea. Consumable, clearly luxury. I got these last year for the Mrs, and it was a hit. They really do look just like the pictures. Gemstones you can eat. They don't taste like seaweed. They taste like herb tea in whatever flavor. Lavender, strawberry, goji, etc.

[Jaymon]

This is a german christmas candy/cookie called Domino

its a little chocolate square filled with jelly, marzipan, and gingerbread. if you want to have a go at something unusual in the stocking.

[Jeff V]

Surprisingly, my wife suggested getting the kids a Playstation, but they hardly use their Xbox so I don't think think this would be all that useful a gift. Walmart has some $65 Chromebooks....my son things that would serve his purpose (playing browser-based games such as Roblox) and since my daughter is getting into it as well, I'm thinking to get each of them one. Any comments? My son has a Chromebook for school (Dell) but is limited to what the school allows him to access.

[Smoove_B]

His interests, for the most part, include pigeons,

New book is out as of a few weeks ago. Also on Amazon.

[Blackhawk]

His interests, for the most part, include pigeons,

New book is out as of a few weeks ago. Also on Amazon.

Ooh, thanks! I'll add that to the list, even if I don't get it for him this year. He gets out and walks five days a week, and every walk involves going past the few places in town where the pigeons regularly hang out. The town has a flock of somewhere between twenty and thirty (minus Pippin, who now lives with us.) This year he's getting a book of art by Adele Renault who does some amazing pigeon work:

Spoiler:

The main thing ended up being the ethnic snack idea, though, which was brilliant. I picked snack/candy packs from four different nations (Russia, Britain, Mexico, Turkey.) I'll let him grab one for Christmas (or I may start him with the British pack, as it's mostly chocolate), and then pick another one each month after that for three months.

[Anonymous Bosch]

The main thing ended up being the ethnic snack idea, though, which was brilliant. I picked snack/candy packs from four different nations (Russia, Britain, Mexico, Turkey.) I'll let him grab one for Christmas (or I may start him with the British pack, as it's mostly chocolate), and then pick another one each month after that for three months.

While there's certainly plenty of terrific British chocolate bars to choose from, if you can afford to do so, I recommend treating your son to some authentic Bassetts Jelly Babies. In my humble British opinion, they're vastly superior than any other form of gummy candy, and who could argue with the best Doctor Who?

[Blackhawk]

The main thing ended up being the ethnic snack idea, though, which was brilliant. I picked snack/candy packs from four different nations (Russia, Britain, Mexico, Turkey.) I'll let him grab one for Christmas (or I may start him with the British pack, as it's mostly chocolate), and then pick another one each month after that for three months.

While there's certainly plenty of terrific British chocolate bars to choose from, if you can afford to do so, I recommend treating your son to some authentic Bassetts Jelly Babies. In my humble British opinion, they're vastly superior than any other form of gummy candy, and who could argue with the best Doctor Who?

He's been making me want to try Jelly Babies for years. And yes, he is the best Doctor.

[Daehawk]

He's been making me want to try Jelly Babies for years. And yes, he is the best Doctor

Both points are way valid.

[Jeff V]

So while pondering what to get the wife for her birthday (it was this past Saturday and we rented an expensive condo at a water park for 2 nights and hosted 2 families of her friends there), my daughter, being deluged with advertisements for the local Broadway production of Frozen, declared she wanted to see it. I know my wife likes the movie, has been wanting a date night, so I bought tickets for the whole family. Now she would like to spend the night downtown..,methinks that'll be her Xmas gift. The tickets are for January 10.

[YellowKing]

All the adults this year decided to not get each other "stuff", as our houses are already filled with crap we don't need. So we are going to try to focus more on experiences and consumables.

The kids' big gift this year will be musical instruments.

My son just started taking piano lessons and is doing really well. He absolutely loves it. So we're going to get him a nice 88-key keyboard with bench, and if he continues with lessons we'll look at getting him a proper piano a year or two down the road.

My daughter became very interested in drums after visiting a buddy of mine who's a drummer. He gave her an impromptu lesson in the basics and said she had a real talent for it and was picking up his lessons extremely fast.

With both kids seemingly musically inclined, I at least want to give them the shot I never really had growing up.

Needless to say, my house might be pretty noisy come January.

[Jeff V]

My kids were already told they are getting nothing this year as money is being saved for a trip to Ratworld next summer. My daughter has still been combing through the catalogs we've received, point out things she wants for next Xmas.

Walmart has some cheap Chromebooks for $65. I'm thinking of getting those for them...it might be a little less limited than their Kindles. My son has one provided by the school, but it's pretty locked down.

[Jeff V]

So while pondering what to get the wife for her birthday (it was this past Saturday and we rented an expensive condo at a water park for 2 nights and hosted 2 families of her friends there), my daughter, being deluged with advertisements for the local Broadway production of Frozen, declared she wanted to see it. I know my wife likes the movie, has been wanting a date night, so I bought tickets for the whole family. Now she would like to spend the night downtown..,methinks that'll be her Xmas gift. The tickets are for January 10.

So this was last night. The show was pretty damn impressive. For all but a few characters, the singing was opera quality. The special effects were incredible. It makes my top 3 live-action shows, alongside the Broadway production of The Who's Tommy and the Robert Altman-produced opera The Voyage of Edgar Allen Poe.

Covid did it's best to ruin the night for us. The day before, I got a call that my daughter was exposed at school (she is fully vaccinated). Wife has had numerous coworkers and patients contract it, and she just got her booster on Friday but was complaining that she wasn't feeling well yesterday, the day of the show (she was fine when we went for dinner before the show though). A brother and my sister's two kids (those three live together and I've not seen them in forever) contracted Covid in the past week.

We stayed at the Club Quarters Hotel downtown on Wacker between Wabash and Michigan. We reserved a room for 4 -- but there was no pillows or bedding for the sofabed. Worse though was the fitted sheet on the sofa bed was dirty and had hair on it. That put in question all other sanitary efforts, any my wife declared we will never stay there again.

[hitbyambulance]

got my mom and dad a bottle of Ritual Zero Proof Tequila since my mom had a liver transplant two years ago and dad ... well, drinks too much. yes, alcohol-free "tequila" substitute:

https://www.ritualzeroproof.com/product ... lternative

(they also have "gin", "rum" and "whiskey", which i have now purchased for them as a joint birthday present)

i tried some of this and thought it interesting. mom said the flavor was good, but somewhat weak. she didn't get to try much more of it, since dad guzzled up the rest (asking later 'what flavor is this?")


and imo Patrick Troughton was the best doctor. i do enjoy the William Hartnell episodes because they were so different from the entire rest of the series.