Good gifts for a whole family?

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

My dad got remarried this year - his beautiful new wife has 5 children (all between the ages of 5 and 22).

This has made my Christmas shopping a little more difficult than usual... and, because I'm all grown up and don't have a lot of contact with my dad's new step-children, I don't want to get them anything big... I was thinking a $10 gift certificate for each of the children... but, I would also like to give a gift for the whole family...

Any ideas?

 

[GlassJaw]

Get them gift certificates or passes to a museum or zoo or an aquarium, etc. Something they can do together and somewhat educational.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

Oh! Good one!

Thanks!

 

[Torm]

One of the bigger George Foreman grills would be a nice family gift if they don't already have one - they really DO get out a LOT of grease and fat, which makes it a nice gift for the palate (sp?) and their heart health.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

I want to be sure the gifts are pleasing for the adults, as well as the children...

I have found that I can purchase a Family membership to the San Francisco zoo for $70... I don't know how high quality the SF zoo is, but I do know that, no matter how old I get, I will *never* stop loving the zoo.

Goodness I adore monkeys!!!

 

[Vorith]

Goodness I adore monkeys!!!

you're kidding right?

 

[der_kluge]

Do yourself a favor, and do what my wife and my family did - agree that the siblings don't buy for each other. My wife has a brother and a sister, and I have two sisters. They are all married. So, that's immediately 8 people of adult age we'd have to buy for every year. We all agreed that siblings just would not get each other anything. We have 9 nieces and nephews to buy for, and an MR foster son that my parents have live with them, and 5 parents (a step-mom on my Mom's side), and a grandad (my wife's). That doesn't count us buying for each other, and our own child, and any friends we want to get stuff for. I'm sure others have way more people to buy for, but we eliminated a whole bunch of folks by agreeing to that simple rule.

It also lets us get nicer gifts for all the kids.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

you're kidding right?

No way! The monkey house is my favorite part of the zoo.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

Do yourself a favor, and do what my wife and my family did - agree that the siblings don't buy for each other. My wife has a brother and a sister, and I have two sisters. They are all married. So, that's immediately 8 people of adult age we'd have to buy for every year. We all agreed that siblings just would not get each other anything. We have 9 nieces and nephews to buy for, and an MR foster son that my parents have live with them, and 5 parents (a step-mom on my Mom's side), and a grandad (my wife's). That doesn't count us buying for each other, and our own child, and any friends we want to get stuff for. I'm sure others have way more people to buy for, but we eliminated a whole bunch of folks by agreeing to that simple rule.

It also lets us get nicer gifts for all the kids.

If the husband and I had children, I would worry about that. But, we don't (going to wait at least 5 years for that - or at least, that's the plan... ).

They live really far away from us and so, I'd like to let them know that - despite the fact that we don't see each other - this mystical new step-sister of theirs actually would like to have a relationship with them.

Maybe some day when the majority of them are older (they are 5, 9, 11, 16, and 22 + dad and wife), we can have an agreement like that. But, even then, I just like giving presents!

 

[Captain Howdy]

Get them a monkey...