The Friday Five This Week Is Dumb, So Just An Update

[jmfargo]

I'm visiting my parent's home this weekend in order to celebrate Christmas with the family. Maria picked out a nice present for my parents, and I'm pretty sure they'll like it this year. They're always hard to buy for, but this year my dad actually just said they wanted some nice towels because the old ones (which I'm pretty sure are as old as I am) are actually fraying in half and that he's "never owned a matching set of towels." Pretty strong recommendation on what to buy for them, I think.

Now I have to figure out if I'm buying anything for my siblings. Is it anti-holiday spirit to say that they haven't gotten me anything in the past 10 years so why should I bother getting them things? My parents took me aside when I started a job and said "Now that you have money, don't you think it's time you started getting things for your brothers and sisters on Christmas?" I kind of resent that they obviously haven't had the same talk with my siblings beyond "It'd be nice to get your brother Jeremiah a birthday card."

But really, I know that's "not what the holiday is about," and I've been told that kind of attitude is much to mercenary for the season. What's a good middle ground, I wonder? A card and some scratchy tickets? It's what I did for their birthdays this year for the same reason of "Why should I bother when I have for ten years and you guys do absolutely nothing for me on my birthday except, if I'm really lucky, a card that you randomly (trust me, it's obvious) chose from the rack. My favorite was the "Hey There Girl, Here's A Hot Stud for Your Birthday" card from a few years ago.

I know, though, that I'm going to regret it if I don't get them anything, even if they don't notice. If I don't get them anything, I lose the moral high-ground next year, and I wouldn't want that!

So what should I do? Get my siblings something cheap but useful like movie tickets from a local place? Scratchy tickets in a card? Absolutely nothing this year in hopes that they'll "get it?" They won't, but hopes are good.

Help me out here? I'm stumped.

((EDIT: I really could use some help on this. I need to know by tomorrow. Please, this really is quite a quandry for me and any opinions are better than none.))

Comments

Re: Some Ideas

[akdidge.livejournal.com]

Or if you want to go traditionally:

Cookies are also a good way of giving a gift without having to put forward a great deal of money.

It shows you thought about them, invested time, and this way you take the moral high ground AND don't have to spend anything but a small bit of money (for the ingredients) and time.

If you were a cruel man, you could alter the recipe just enough so that the cookies taste, 'different'. Nothing harmful, mind you, but something like adding clove to the recipe would give it an awkward taste. Then deliver them and ask them what they think, insisting they try them immediately. If they tell you they're horrible, then act offended. If they smile and try to be polite, but eat it anyway, smile back. You've gotten them to eat something bad, and you can feel a little guilty about it, but it'll be just desserts for them. I truly think this is how fruitcakes came about.

Re: Some Ideas

[jfargo.livejournal.com]

You know, I do have some cookies that I baked yesterday, already sealed up and ready to go. That's really a pretty good idea and I think I might take them as a gift. They already kind of taste a little funny, but not enough that it's a bad thing, just kind of metallic. Strange.

So, yeah. Thanks for your help! You gave me some great future present ideas, and a thought of "here's something for this holiday" as well. This way, if I'm wrong and they did get me something I can at least say "Here's your cookies," and if they didn't get me anything at all (as I expect) I can say "Here's your cookies, choke on 'em!"

Maybe not.