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What are you getting your parents for Christmas?
What did you get them last year?
what was the best gift so far?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9UZqlz2sQ4[/youtube]

IDK, possibly nothing at all. That'd be the safest choice.

But I'll probably go all soft and buy my dad some cookbook targeted for men who haven't much spent time in the kitchen (since my mom's in too bad shape to cook him), a nice mens' shirt, and a small bottle of fine brandy, and for my mom I'll probably buy some knitting stuff and a diary perhaps. Or a years subscription of some childrens comic book. And chocolate, of course.

Last year I didn't even get to travel and see them, nor the year before, I spent the holidays with my children and ex wife (who all get the creeps from my über Christian parents). But I sent my parents some neutral easy reading books (on elderly well being, for mom, and about old cars for my dad); also, bought diaries for both, acoustic guitar strings for my dad, chocolate, and framed pictures of their grandchildren.

Typically, all the finer gifts I've given them have been stashed away. Sometimes even trashed, which I'm not very happy about. Like, when they had trashed an original lithography by a new local artist in frames, after deciding that a unicorn and a maid (all decent and fine in my opinion) was "possibly not proper art for a Christian home". I saw it as a symbol of beauty, purity and strength. Could have bought them just as well a black metal poster for the same reaction. Same as with books about the history of the Bible and the gospel music I so carefully tried to pick them (the book was too hard to read and/or lies, and the band not Christian enough or something).

Yes, our different religious and philosophical views just don't meet - they crash. And some holidays tend to be like balancing on a tight rope. Happily enough not always, and not all the time, and I'm trying to understand and I'm willing to forgive them a lot. And I honestly love and respect them, never pushing them anything that has anything to do with my philosophical/ spiritual/religious values. Neither are they, not any more.

I'll be getting my dad a CD or two that I think he'll like, and my mum a book probably, same as every year. Nothing interesting here, move along! I dunno, I'm not good at big original ideas, and I know they'll enjoy that stuff, so why do something different?

EDIT: Just got my dad a Songs Ohia CD and the latest Jason Isbell. It's nice (if slightly cheeky) that I can buy my dad music that I want to surreptitiously rip to my computer on boxing day.

I never know what to get my dad because he doesn't ever want anything and isn't interested in a whole lot. I think my wife said she was going to make him something.
I'm making my mom a pillow, I drew out a flower on it and I'm going to use screen printing ink to paint on it.
Not sure what to get my stepdad but I think I'm going to make him a Vikings ornament since he likes the vikings a lot

Mom & step-dad: gift card to an awesome restaurant.

Step-mom: oils for her candle thing, a scarf or two, maybe something else, iunno.

My dad: he asked for this Grateful Dead vinyl reissue but it was like $70 at my local shop.
Got him the CD set used for $13. Sorry dad

It's always super hard to know what to get my dad & step-mom. I did the restaurant gift card for them last year.

It's good to know no one has an easy time at this!

the best gift I ever got my mom was a tiffany lamp. She liked it very much and put it on the piano in the living room.
In the spring my dad bought 2 similar lamps and the one I got my mom ended up in a back room downstairs because it didn't match the other ones my dad bought... sheesh dad.

I've also gotten my mom a nice pocket sized digital camera that she uses all the time. She was really pleased about how simple it was to remove the SD card and put it into the computer to save the pictures. I think she likes me showing her things on the computer but nothing too complicated. I like that I got her into the habit of taking a picture of people with things she lends them - she could never remember what she lent to who...

I never successfully got my dad anything nice for christmas, last year he mentioned he wanted a tripod, but my brother & my sister and I all got him a tripod for his star gazing (yes he had three). I think he re-gifted two of them. sheesh dad.

For the last six years, we've always given my folks framed photos of our son - they love having photos around, and he's a real ham, so there's plenty of fodder. I also make a calendar of pictures of him with his whacky quotes (he's a non sequitur machine, churning out crazy stuff from who knows where). This year my mom requested a photo of my wife and I with him, so now we have to find someone to take the picture.

I'll also probably pick up some cool kitchen stuff for my mom from the shop down the street from us - they've got all sorts of nice stuff. Another local shop carries lots of funky stocking-stuffer-worthy stuff. I have made my father mix CDs before, and I think he digs them (he says he does). A few years back I did a whole lot of research on modern electric blues (actually got a bunch of great suggestions here) and made him a two-CD set. Plus maybe books? And DVDs?

Thanks for reminding me that my mom's birthday is tomorrow.

I'm getting my mom some wine glasses (assuming she doesn't get them for her birthday this weekend) and I'm getting my dad a new electric carving knife (weird, I know, but it's what he wants....).

I used to get my dad a bunch of expensive bourbon, scotch, and his favorite gin etc until he got a DUI. Now he gets nothing.

My presence If I had the change; my dad has this really nice Gretch acoustic from the (I think) 40s or 50s that needs some serious professional tlc. My mom would get books and a day at the fancy spa up the road.

I have no fucking clue yet. My parents are damn hard to shop for. I'll figure something out though.

Nora Billy wrote:I used to get my dad a bunch of expensive bourbon, scotch, and his favorite gin etc until he got a DUI. Now he gets nothing.

I can be your father this holiday season

Usually I don't have too hard of a time figuring things out for my parents, but this year is an exception.

Last year I got my dad a bunch of cooking stuff. Can't remember what I got my mother. Probably a purse or something. Her birthday is in early January so its always hard to find stuff for both.

This year, who knows. Neither one really gives ideas. Was going to give my mom a bread machine, but her mother gave one to her before thanksgiving (kind of annoyed about that ).
Might just give my dad some strings since he plays guitar. Tried giving him pedals in the past but he never uses them. Maybe a cool strap? Could get both parents some Couch gear possibly. Would love to give them something special, but they are tough to buy for.

Would be funny to give my dad a bottle of that Fender wine as a gag, but I don't want Fender to get the idea I support that. Bourbon would be an option if it were actually special. Being in Kentucky kind of ruins the charm. Fuck if I know.

It used to be pretty easy.

Mom: Michael Bolton CDs
Dad: Incense and other such hippie shit that reminded him of living in San Francisco during the late 60s

Now that my mom has the entire Michael Bolton catalog and I fucking hate incense, I dunno.