Wednesday, June 3, 2009

WYAW: The Gift-Giving One

I'm very glad it's What's Your Answer Wednesday, because my brain apparently is still in sleep mode this morning.

1. When do you start purchasing Christmas gifts?

2. Do you wrap, bag, or just jerk the tags off?

3. What's the worst Christmas gift you've ever received?

4. Have you ever done or have given to you a "donated in your honor" gift? Like when you buy a cow for a family in a foreign country to raise and eat, and the gift to them is donated in your (or someone else's) name?

My answers:

1. I start June 1. That's the first day of Bath and Body Works' semi-annual sale, and that's usually my cue to start the gift-buying. I've already purchased eight Christmas gifts (not all from BBW, mind you).

2. Jerking the tags off is usually my fail safe, but I try to at least put it in a bag. Wrapping rarely happens. I'm a horrible wrapper.

3. My boss gave me a weird iPod holder thing (and at the time, I did not have an iPod -- no one in our office did) and a chocolate candy phone. Ugh.
**EDIT: As Misti reminded me, I actually had a worse gift. Someone (not even saying what category this is in) gave me cheese one time...smelly, soft "cheese" (though the jury's still out) floating in opaque water. And I'm definitely one to try new things, but this was something not even I could muster up.

4. Negative.

For more Fun WYAW, visit Linda!

13 comments:

misti said...

I can't believe you didn't mention the floating cheese gift!!! Or was that not Christmas? Hahaha!

Penny said...

OH MY GOSH, how did I forget that?? Yep, that definitely tops the cake.

Rachel said...

1. Somewhere betwen October & December 23. I do not shop on Decemebr 24th.

2. I used to wrap all the time, Now I prefer to bag, but Depending on the recipeant I am moving closer and closer to just ripping the tags off. Who has time to find all the wrapping paper & Stuff? For the girls b-days I went to the more expensive toy store that wraps for you.

3. My sister in law got me a Cinderella Snow Globe before she really knew me well. It is BEAUTIFUL but completly not me! I think what makes it such an aweful gift is that my husband refuses to let me get rid of it because his sister gave it to me!

4. No.

septembermom said...

1. October and November
2. I wrap everything.
3. I received a fondue pot. Not my kind of snack:)
4. Nope.

I'm impressed that you start shopping so early. It's a good idea.

Brooke said...

1. November - we have birthdays through October

2. wrap if possible, otherwise bag

3. playing secret Santa I got a pair of used, stained panties. seriously.

4. not for christmas. we didn't have wedding favors though and we did a donation to the national park instead (that's where we got married)

Rachel said...

In response to your comment on my blog.

I guess I just assumed everyone knew about Mackinaw Island cuz I have been in Michigan most of my life! Mackinaw Island is an island between the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. If you need more information about the MI peninsulas you can go to this post.
http://fiveofgreen.blogspot.com/2009/01/just-another-day-in.html

(One of my most goofy posts EVER!!!)

sara said...

1. probably november/december, unless I see something just extra special before that.

2. I wrap, because I LOVE to unwrap!!

3. a robe from my husband our 1st xmas together...it was so ugly and I had to act like I liked it!!!

4. This last xmas, we gave each of our kids the $$ we would spend on their gifts and then gave them a month to give it away. On xmas morning, instead of unwrapping the gift, they told how they gave their $$ away and how they were blessed by it....it was incredible!! In going along with that, I donated to Mercy Ships for my dads gift...his favorite charity.

Sara@iSass said...

Someone gave you cheese??? That is so nasty! It wasn't Kreacher was it? Do you have a house elf?
1) When ever I find something I like for a person. I start watching in the summer.
2)I am a wrapper! Bows, ribbon purdy elmbelishments. Don't hate me, or snicker either.
3)worst gift? Did you see that sweater I got last year?? But I do have to say I was MOST disappointed with my 30 birthday gift. His family was going to Hawaii, we decided not to go and to save our money. HE through me a surprise party, everyone was wearing hawaiian shirts, decoartions the whole bit. Even the BABY was in hula gear. He gave me this long skinny box, I thought "HOLY CRAP, we're going to HAWAII!!!!" It looked like it could hold tickets! I opened it up and inside was a Gift Certificate to a spa. ANY other time I would have flipped over this gift but that night I really thought we were going to Hawaii. It was all over my face and I ended up crying in front of everyone. He said that he felt BAD we weren't going and he chose that theme to cheer me up. It backfired. Like I said, I would have LOVED that gift any other time...
4) yes, Rob's work decided one year they donate in each employees name to some "thing". When word got around that THAT was what was going to happen NOBODY rsvp'd to the annual holiday dinner where the "gifts" are presented. So they forgot the donating and went back to doing what they'd also done. Bonuses for the employees based on how long they've been there. I mean shoot people DEPEND on that stuff especially around the holidays. Reminded me of the CHirstmas Vacation movie and how Griswald put a down payment on a pool and got Jam of the month instead!!!!

Amber said...

1. I'm a procrastinator all the way. I don't start shopping until after Thanksgiving, and then whine for a month about busy stores and long lines. Go figure.

2. I'm a wrapper. Unless it is all weird-shaped, or I am running late and am going to see the recipient in the 5 minutes AFTER I bought the gift...then a bag it is.

3. A crystal vase. From my sister-in-law. You don't give a mom of 3 male toddlers crystal anything. I regifted it.

4. Never done a donation. Although I was given a star. By my uncle. That was weird.

Ginger said...

Did that cheese resemble mozzarella? Ha! We vary our shopping, but usually get things done early.

Both bags and wrap WFM! The idea is to be creative.

No idea on the gift.

Ginger

Mari said...

Fun questions!
1) I start as soon as I can, but it usually ends up being in June or July.
2) I wrap, and wrap, and wrap!
3) I can't really think of anything.
4) Yes - last year we gave a goat and 2 chickens in honor of my Dad and we also did it for Bob's Mom. They are both 78 and neither of them ever want anything. They really liked this!

Growin' With It said...

man, that's just wrong to give you an ipod HOLDER and not the real deal! poor thing.

1. usually around thanksgiving.

2. wrap half heartily or bag it.

3. can't think of one...that's a good thing!

4. last year we donated money and bought a goat for a family in a foreign country. it felt GREAT to do that and i hope to move towards giving more important things like that in the future.

Sherry said...

Oh, my! I think you've just won the prize for the strangest gifts!