Christmas: Drawing Names

Nanner22

(I also posted over at Entertaining Ideas) 

My family has been toying around with the idea of "drawing names" for gifts this year. Basically so that people are able to get 1 really nice gift instead of a bunch of smaller ones (that they may or may not really want).

Not we haven't worked our all the details of it - but for you ladies that do this with your family, how do you do it? Kids only, or everyone including mom and dad, do you set a max and min. amount spent?

I have an idea of what we are going to do, but I'd love to hear how other do it since we're new to it. The people potentially involved in the name drawing include 5 kids (age 20-25) and then our parents.

CTRPH

We draw names on my husband's side.  There is a large group of us that includes his mom, his stepdad, one grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, my SIL and her inlaws.  We usually set a $50 limit.  Basically everyone stays pretty close to that  We do not set a minimum.  We do not make wish lists but I always have to do some research with other family members if I draw one of the more difficult people to shop for.  Everyone buys gifts for the kids (1-10 years old) in our families so they are not part of the drawing.  My husband's mom and stepdad are part of it but if we don't draw their names we still get them a Christmas present because they are his parents.  We don't buy for his sister though if we don't draw her name.  I guess it just depends on your family.

EastCoastBride

Both our families do it together (small families).  ALl names go in a pot, we each draw a name, and we buy for just that one person.  $50 limit.  We also each write our own name down along w/ 2 or 3 gift ideas so that whoever gets us has an idea of what we'd like. 

As far as kids go - my DS is the only kid so he isn't included.  Everyone buys for him. 

The "kids" in your group really aren't kids in my book, though.  20 - 25?  They are adults and I would think they should be included like everyone else.  "Kids" not being included to me really are KIDS. 

Originally we didn't buy "on the side" for anyone.  But now that we have DS, we spend x-mas morning at my parents house (DH and his family are Jewish) and as they have gifts for us, we get them something too. 

 

trigal

I am one of six siblings.  Four of us are married, and three have kids (8 kids total).  We pick names.  The 8 kids all pick a name amongst themselves.  Of course, their parents are really buying the gifts, but the hope is that they would continue that tradition as they get older.  Those of us who do not have kids buy them something small, like a board game for the family or gift cards to Target or iTunes.

The six of us and our four spouses all pick names as well.

My parents are not in the mix.  We either pool money for my parents' gift or buy our own things and my parents prefer to buy gifts for everyone.

There is no $ amount specified.  We pick names at Thanksgiving.  My mom is in charge so that no one is picking their spouse's name.  We buy gifts for our spouses separately from the gift exchange.

HereToday09

We do something similar to the above posters for my husband's side.  All the kids birth to college (they are still considered students, unless they don't go) get a gift from everyone.  Once they graduate (high school/college), they are added into the adult draw.  My BIL last year was finishing up his 5 year college program for teaching, but was still a FT student at 23.. he was in with the 'kids'.

mrsilovekeith

We do it on my husband's side. There are no kids, just adult kids, spouses, and parents. My mother in law use to take care of the drawing so no one would get their spouse, but the last 2 years we have used an online program which not only handles the assiging for us, but also has a spot where we can each right our own wish list. Our max. is $100. So we end up either getting 1 big thing, or a few smaller things depending on what was on our list. I think it works!

lilmadison

We do this on my husband's side. There are his parents, H and 2 siblings, 3 spouses, and 5 grandkids (ages 4-17). Last year we drew only adult names and everyone bought the kids gifts. This year, everyone was in the drawing. We have a $50 amount, you're expected to use all or most of this, but not go over. MIL does the drawing to make sure no one gets their spouse or that the grandkids don't get their siblings (they buy each other gifts anyways). His parents are included in the drawing, but we always get them something even if we don't draw them. And they do stockings for everyone. 

Jess9289

We did this with my husbands family. Everyone old enough to participate (the youngest was 17) was put in the drawing hat. Each adult picked one name out of the hat, and then everyone was supposed to get each kid a small gift. (There were 4 kids). Personally, I hated it. I think it really depends on how close your family is. My husband has a huge extended family, and all girlfriends and boyfriends were included as well. Which isn't a problem, but I got Great Aunt Gertrude, and my husband got his oldest cousin which is 15 years older than him. I've met Aunt Gertrude once before, and we only see the cousin at major holiday events. It just kind of ruined Christmas for us, because we would MUCH rather get gifts for the people we are closest to.

AGsWife

My husband's father's side draws names (he has a HUGE family.) They do it on Thanksgiving day. The limit is usually around $30, though some members of the family go over (some parts of the family are more well-off than others and no one gets mad/offended if you go over the limit.) Last year was the first year I was involved. His cousin got me a $50 Gap gift card (which I loved because we have VERY different tastes and she knew where I liked to shop but instead of picking out something specific, she gave me the power to get what I want.) My husband's other cousin got him a beverage holder with our last name engraved on it. I had another one of his cousin's last year. She had just gotten married and I bought stuff from her registry that hadn't been fulfilled, which apparently she loved (I was not at Christmas with them last year, but will be this year.)

Good luck trying it out! 

amandanoelle12

We draw names on Thanksgiving and exchange pollyanna gifts before Christmas.  We don't include the younger kids, because everyone still buys for them.  We also set a limit of about $30, but since it's family we always end up going over the limit.  

completelyundefinable

We draw names in my family. We have a $50 spending limit for one person. The kids get a gift from everyone.

_JRG_

http://www.elfster.com/

kac831

We do this on both sides of the family

One side is $100 and the other is $75

Also it is not just a limit, but you are expected to spend that amount.. so if you find something they want for a deal and it costs $75, you still have to spend $25 on something else

We use elfster.com that makes it really easy and people can link their wishes right there

Its fun this way, you don't have to worry about getting everyone a bunch of small things and you actually get nice gifts with that limit  

sarges05girl

Sorry, double post.

sarges05girl

We do this on all sides of the family (my mom's, my dad's, his family).

 My mom's side and my dad's side are pretty similar: Everyone who wants to participate (we have some Scrooges) puts their names into a hat and then we each draw a name. If you draw your own name or the name of an immediate family member you draw again. And immediate family means person who lives with you, is your sibling, or gave you life; so if I drew my H, my mom/dad/sis, I'd have to draw again. All kids over the age of 10 go into a hat. Younger than 10 and most families get them a gift.

 

We recently started doing this in my husband's family 2 years ago. We all still buy niece/nephew a gift, and the ILs get a joint gift from us/SIL/BIL. It's the 6 of us "siblings" that draw names. 

ETA: Forgot about spending limits. $30 all around unless otherwise stated. Last year was $25 on my mom's side. So that bit changes from year to year.

mrsilovekeith

we used elfster too.

Ready4theParty

We used to draw names on my dad's side.  Everyone was in the box, and the limit always changed and was anywhere between $20 to 50.

dbone31

EastCoastBride:

The "kids" in your group really aren't kids in my book, though.  20 - 25?  They are adults and I would think they should be included like everyone else.  "Kids" not being included to me really are KIDS. 

 It doesn't matter how OLD the "kids" are, if they have parents, they are "kids"!  In my family, there is my mom, dad, sister and BIL, me and DH, and brother and GF (age range of the kids is 18-29)  There are no grandchildren yet, so we are still the "kids".  Not every family has a bunch of little ones running around.

@Nanner22- I totally get it- we do an exchange between us siblings/in-laws, and we each get something separate for our parents.  My brother's GF is included this year because she has been around for about 3 years and we love her

LMandCJ

We draw names. We have a $50 max. Mom and dad and kids 12 and under everyone shops for. Makes it so much easier and more fun!

flowerpower3

We draw names in my family.  Once you're out of college, you're in the drawing.  Till then, you get gifts from everyone.  The spending amount per person in the draw for Christmas is $75.  We also do it for birthdays, but the amount there is $50. We pick names on Christmas Eve for the following year, because my family likes to start shopping early.  Plus, I have an uncle with a January birthday, so the names need to be drawn before then.

Morgan209

I have four sisters, so the five of us draw names for each other.  The girls who make the most money usually rig the draw to get each other so they get more expensive presents, which kind of stinks, but it makes it easier on everyone to get one sister present instead of four.

I like the idea of present draws for people of the same age group and who all know each other, like all the siblings from one family. 

Usually my sisters will go in for a little gift for my husband together  (I tell them to get him coffee cards or other little things, but not to worry about anything big).  Boyfriends of the sisters get presents if they're there for christmas.  Last year my husband and one of the boyfriends came to my family's home for christmas, so my sister (with the boyfriend) and I each bought stocking stuffers for both guys, so they had stockings to go through while our family went through theirs, and there's not a tonne of extra stuff for the parents to buy.