Small but nice gifts?

[annaelise]

Hi everyone,

My husband and I are on a pretty tight budget this Christmas...we recently had a baby and I left my job to stay home with her.

I'm wondering if anyone has ideas for something nice and inexpensive I can give to my aunts and uncles this christmas. Not a knick-knack and not homebaked food - my cousin is the baker of the family and she always gives beautiful homemade baked goods as gifts so I don't want to do that too.

Thoughts I had were a picture frame with a picture of our new baby (but last year I gave them a picture frame with a picture of us on our wedding day - we were newlyweds), a jar or two of nice jam (from stonewall kitchen).

Any ideas?

[annaelise]

I forgot to say my budget is 20 or under preferably close to 10. Since I posted this I I found these really cute le creuset silicone "Pinch bowls". Do you think that would be a good gift? What would you think if you received that?

[boolady]

Originally Posted by annaelise

I forgot to say my budget is 20 or under preferably close to 10. Since I posted this I I found these really cute le creuset silicone "Pinch bowls". Do you think that would be a good gift? What would you think if you received that?

I would like them, but I love to cook. I would only give them to people I know enjoy cooking, because other than letting your kid use them to put ketchup or ranch dressing in, the only other thing I use mine for is food prep.

[MoJo]

I think you're very generous to want to give gifts to your aunts and uncles! I don't think I know anyone who continues that after they've had kids.

Do you have any skills? One cousin's the baker. . . maybe you are the calligrapher? Or the knitter?

If not, maybe a small frame ornament with baby's picture for their trees? That's a little different than last year and would probably be well-received.

[Canna]

There are some really nice and really affordable scarves and outerwear this time of year. I just bought a couple of pretty (okay, they're polyester, but they feel nice and look nice) pashminas at Walgreens for $5.99. I'd be happy to get one as a gift (I'm keeping them!). Target also has scarves around $10. These could be good gifts because you don't have to worry about sizes, people can always use more, in fact it's generally fun to have different styles. Other practical ideas: umbrella - I gave a 60-something female family member one for the holidays a couple of years ago and she seemed genuinely delighted. For men, warm hats, "box of socks".

[marge234]

Originally Posted by MoJo

maybe a small frame ornament with baby's picture for their trees?

Think that's a great idea and wouldn't care about being similar to last year. I'd make that your tradition, and plan to do it for aunts and uncles every year.

[kijip]

What about something from where you live? Or do they live the same place? We are the satellite pod of my dad's family, my parents having moved us 1/2 the country away when I was 4 years old. So we send smoked salmon or similar.

What about homemade cranberry sauce or jelly? Inexpensive, easy to do and different from baking.

Homemade lotions? My friends do this and it is cheap and well received. Tons of recipes online.