Maine Nesties
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Best gift given or received: Name it!
I hope everyone had/is having great celebrations this holiday season. Spill your best gift given or received. For you, LO or anyone else. Or if you have a WHAT? gift, share that too!
Warning
No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
Re: Best gift given or received: Name it!
I got a new camera. That I bought for myself and told DH he got me. He's thankful he doesn't have to shop or surprise me. And I'm happy to get what I want.
Adrian is into his firetruck, fireman outfit, fireman puzzle, fireman book... You get the drift. Here is his reaction to his favorite gift:
http://bornambitous-bornimaginative.blogspot.com/2011/12/merry-christmas-little-fireman.html
And for the WHAT?
DH's cousins/aunt/uncle do a draw name and swap. Limit is $25. My cousin's wife received a gift from her MIL...and she spent the entire limit on a gag gift...a furbaby dog toy because she wants another real dog. How lame is that?
Most useful gift: MH & I received $275 in Lowes gift certificates & $50 cash to go towards a new floor in our kitchen! (It's been plywood/chipboard/ripped up linoleum for over a year now, YUCK!)
Favorite gift of mine: I got a new stand mixer (Not a kitchenaid, but I didn't want one i think they're too hyped up, it's a Hamilton Beach & I Can't wait to use it!!
Layla's best gift, My Sister & her fiance got Layla a toybox from the Mill Store and woodburned her name into the front of it, and they, as well as my brother, filled it with toys, including 2 super cute pillow pets, and a few other things:) She's well loved that's for sure!
Most useful gift: A new computer. Also, DH got "me" the new chair he had been eyeing for a while
Favorite gift: A sweet note from DH
Felix's favorite: I think his new truck, but he also loves the crayons that Santa left in his stocking! Everything he opened he just loved
Best received - Cash that we can put towards new flooring in the baby's room.
Best given - DH's grandmother lives by herself with the exception of her Great Pyrenees. She had talked about having pro photos done in a studio but 1) that's wicked expensive and 2) moving that stubborn dog is no easy feat. So when we were down in October I did a few photos of the dog, we printed an 11x14 and framed it for her for X-Mas. She was really touched by it.
The WHAT!? - MIL annoys the bejeezus out of me pretty much whenever they come up because she goes out and buys things she thinks we needs. Glass cleaner in the brand she uses, wood polish because it "has to be in a spray bottle", Endust when I have Pledge, etc. So I should not have been surprised when she supplied DH and I with enough mouthwash and floss to last us for 3 years. I told DH that this really needs to stop because I find it really rude and hurtful that she doesn't feel we are capable of purchasing these items and making these choices ourselves.
The Best gift - DH got me a new lens for my camera. I absolutely love it.
For the boys - (not that Iike it since it is a noise maker). Their Elmo guitars. Seriously, one opened his before the other, and there was serious fighting going on over it. They have carried the things around since they got them, and if I would let them, they would sleep with them.
Best gift that I got-DH got me so many wonderful things and spoiled me rotten, but(I'm about to sound so corny) the best gift wasn't all the things it was the look on his face and how happy he was to get me them. I think he knew I had a tough year and wanted to make me smile.
Best give we gave-We bought a groupon for my 22 year old BIL for a flying lesson at the Waterville airport. He gets to fly over Belgrade aka near our house(he's living with us) and gets a log book to keep. He was so excited.
We didn't have a What?! gift this year!
Oh man, I can't choose one. I was so so blessed this Christmas. Matt got me a gorgeous pair of earrings among other things:
His parents were so sweet and got me a stocking with my name on it and filled it up with thoughtful goodies including a really generous Christmas check. I was floored.
My parents got me a gift cert. to my salon because it's been 6 months since I had my hair cut and colored - again, floored. Boots and a new yoga mat from my parents, a plush hand knit cowl and new pair of shoes from my siblings.
No "what?!" gifts this year! I loved giving my family their gifts too. My sisters and I each teamed up on each other which was fun. And I can't wait to give the little dude his birthday gift this weekend - a piggy bank and a sack of "monies" to go with it!
ETA: Whoa, sorry that picture is so huge, I am going to try and re-size it!!
Best gift I got: That's tough- I got spoiled. DH got me the Lovell Jewelry pewter mother-child bird pendant I wanted last year which I love. Then my mom showered me with a bunch of Lia Sophia stuff that I love.
Best gift I gave: Everyone always loves the James calendar, so that's a huge hit, along with the ornaments we made together- yeah, mostly I made. Then I gave DH a shaving scuttle from a local potter that he really wanted and didn't think he'd get on Xmas day since the place he recommended I get it needed orders in really early.
Best gift for James: He ADORES the M&D train set "Santa" brought. He's been playing with it nonstop since he opened it. Worth. Every. Penny.
WHAT?! gifts: Nothing too crazy, but I'm pretty sure the play cellphone James got from MIL and FIL was one of the gifts they got for him but never sent last year. It's totally a baby-type toy! Then DH gave me The Crow soundtrack- which was on his list and isn't something I particularly care for! LOL He thought when he mentioned it that I said I really liked it too... I did not say such things.
Most useful - MIL gave us a Walmart gift card for $225 - That will help out tons with diapers, wipes, food!!!
Best gift for LO - A Raffi Giraffe Rocker by Rockabye. She LOVES it, she knows how to rock on it and laughs the whole time!!
DH and I asked everyone who normally buys us gifts to just get us gift cards for Home Depot so we could buy a new dishwasher! Sooooo flipping excited for this! Our broke a few months ago.
Also DH bought me a charm for my pandora bracelet of a baby carriage. My mom actually ended up buying me the exact same one, but we didn't tell her that. DH and I are going to return his and pick out another baby or dog related one.
DH and I decided not to do gifts for each other we are instead going to Foxwoods in March to see Bob Marley and stay the night (my first time down there) so we will spend the moeny we would have nomrally spent on Christmas down there
Best gift Josh got - he was so excited to open his Rockin' Mickey Doll that he got from "anutie" becky (Rick's parents best friends)
Best gift we got from others was the $125 gift card to Lowes - we want to paint the living room and our bedroom so that will help a TON!
Best gift I received: a phone conversation with my sister and her husband during which they both sounded happy and relaxed. They have faced some pretty awful challenges over the last several months, so it was nice to hear that they were enjoying themselves this weekend. :-)
Best gift I gave: MH loves sausage. I got him the kitchenaid meat grinder and sausage stuffing attachment along with casings. He was thrilled.
WHAT!? gift: MIL gives gag gifts. Usually something recyclable (empty shopping bags, etc.) so we don't have to do anything with it. This year she gave us a lava lamp which is 100% not us. We're going to donate it somewhere.
Best gift received-- tie between DH's earrings/ necklace with S's birthstone or SILs necklace
Best given-- I don't know... I gave SIL a cute picture of a lab smiling with 3 tennis balls in his mouth... made me smile and I know she needs some cheer in her life. Other than that, I don't think I didn't have amazing inspirations this year.
WHAT?! Maybe some of the stocking gifts from my ILs-- they gave me spices which they got in Georgia in March. Sweet but not that fresh after 9 months! Very thoughtful though.
Best Received: DH for the win. The first gift he gave me was the glider I was really lusting after for the baby's room. He had it delivered to his folks house and they even put it together for me. It's already in the baby's room and I've definitely spent a fair amount of time rocking Digby in it. But, while we were on our cruise, DH surprised me with another gift on Christmas. He bought me a second wedding band, which I have wanted since we bought my first one (I wanted another to basically surround my e-ring with). They don't make my original band any more, so he got a fancier one that still looks good with it. He has moments when he feels bad, for some dumb reason, for not being able to "do more" when we got engaged or married, so I think it was also partially a way to make him feel better.
Best Given: The present of the cruise to my DH. Having a week away and being totally disconnected was awesome. And he got to feel the baby move for the first time, which was a bonus.
No WHAT?!?! gifts this year, fortunately.