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Posted by amethyst on 21-12-2011 at 00:39:
Hiding in plain sight
With the holidays upon us, I thought it would be fun to share some of the funny, outrageous, cruel, obvious places where presents are hidden or wrapped.
It started in my family years ago when my parents put out a big box with no name on but lots of warnings such as "one wrong move and you lose". Turned out to be an Atari for my brother and I.
My hubby still laughs about getting a basketball one year where there was only a note under the tree in a small box that read "look under your bed".
This year, fate is helping me. My daughter is getting an electronic leash, well she thinks it's a cell phone to text her friends (until she runs out of minutes). Anyway, I told her I forgot to order it. Then our bank account got screwed up, and while it will correct itself, it leaves us with very little until it does. So now, I'm telling her that I can't order it, until the account gets cleared. Actually, the thing is sitting under the tree in a huge box that contains a package of socks and camisoles. It's stuffed into the socks. My son is more curious about the big box than my daughter who thinks her present will be coming late.
I'd love to hear more stories about fun wrapping, etc.
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Perspective Alters Reality
Posted by Transmute Jun on 21-12-2011 at 01:39:
When we were kids, my brother was convinced that the biggest boxes were the best presents. He went *nuts* over the big boxes. He was also notorious for sneaking in and 'examining' presents under the tree, because he simply couldn't wait.
Thanks to his impatience, my parents relented after a few years of nagging and began permitting us to open ONE gift on Christmas Eve, while leaving the rest for Christmas morning. And since my brother had been 'examining' all of the gifts and always went for the biggest box, he would always know what he wanted to open.
Well I resented this slightly, because I liked to wait until Christmas morning, but my parents made me open a gift on the 24th as well, to make it 'fair'. Yeah, not much of an issue, but as a kid I had somehow made this out to be a big injury. So one year I decided to 'get' my brother. A couple of days before CHristmas I had been making cookies, and my brother really liked them. So when he wasn't looking, I took 2 cookies and wrapped them in Saran wrap. Then I put them in a box. Then I put that box in a bigger box, and that box in a bigger box... well, you get the idea. I think I had 6 layers of heavily-taped boxes, and then I wrapped the whole thing (which was now giant) with wrapping paper and put it under the tree for him.
Needless to say, on Christmas Eve he was nearly wetting himself with excitement at this huge box that he was completely clueless about. I was grinning from ear to ear as he rushed to unwrap it on Christmas Eve as his ONE present, then became confused by box after box inside, and eventually was disappointed when he pulled out 2 cookies. He had 'wasted' his ONE Christmas Eve gift on my cookies!
Now this may sound cruel. but keep in mind that for nearly a decade I would get my brother a Christmas present and he would never get me anything, so I thought it was fair. 
Another example of how we used to torture each other: we would threaten to get each other horrible presents. One year these incredibly ugly monkey dolls came out called Monchhichi.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od3cNTl40VI
So we were taunting each other 'If you're not nice to me, I'll get you a Monchhichi for Christmas!' We never did, because we couldn't bear to spend any money on these hideous things, but it was one of our jokes as we got older. We were still joking about it when we were in university.
Fast forward to this year, when I was ordering some Angry Birds dolls for my son, and the website had little tiny Monchhichis for sale! For $1, I was able to add a tiny 2" monkey doll to my order. I wrapped it up and sent it off to my brother. This year, on Christmas morning, he'll open up this little doll after it comes out of his stocking, and inside will be a note: 'After all of these years, I finally got you a Monchhichi!'. 
(If it makes you guys feel better, DH and I also already gave my brother a flashy new Android smartphone for Christmas, so he's not being completely shafted. )
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Posted by lborgia88 on 21-12-2011 at 02:21:
Your daughter is going to be surprised, amethyst!
So will your brother, TJ! I remember monchichis -they were creepy little things, weren't they?
My parents never tried to fool us with box shapes or sizes, but then they also didn't put gifts under the tree until Christmas morning so we'd no chance for advance snooping.
However, my mother is one of those frugal souls who insists on saving wrapping paper each year, and also boxes. It became the case, so very often, that one of us would be unwrapping a gift to discover a box... that despite its labels/logos, turned out to bear no relation to what was inside it. "Just ignore the box!" became a Christmas morning mantra. Something I definitely had to say the year I used a tampon box to contain a t-shirt that I'd gift wrapped for my brother!
Posted by Transmute Jun on 21-12-2011 at 02:58:
LOL, LB! My Mom used to save all of the wrapping paper as well. It was pretty sad when the paper was on its third or fourth go-around! As an adult, I splurge and use fresh paper every year (day after Christmas sales at Target are my friend) but I do save the ribbons... the really nice clothy-ribbons. I have some I've saved since DH and I got presents for our wedding!
I'm sure your brother enjoyed the tampon box...
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Posted by clouddancer on 21-12-2011 at 03:25:
Ooooo, my mother is the same way with paper and boxes. Actually I am as well - for the boxes.
And like you, LB ignore the box is something we often hear every Christmas.
As for strangely wrapped presents we have seen that in my family. Try disguising tennis rackets, that was a fun one. A couple of years ago it was snow shoes for my mother. There are some gift shapes you start to recognize, I remember LP records and knowing, before I opened it that it must be the album I requested. Eventually those became wrapped in a different shaped box or with something else to disguise it.
Our family (my father especially) has always been good a writing hints on the packages to give a clue but not tell what the gift is. I wish I could remember some, but after 30 years of doing this I can't remember the good ones. Maybe some will come to me if I continue to think about it.
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Posted by Transmute Jun on 21-12-2011 at 03:42:
LOL, CD! Your story of gifts that are hard to wrap reminds me of this old Happy Days episode...
at 3:42...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H07qVjBSii8&feature=related
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Posted by amethyst on 21-12-2011 at 04:30:
We always got pajamas Christmas Eve.
We recycled boxes and bows, but not the paper, but if there was a usable amount left on the role, it got saved.
I must admit, this year I got very lazy: no bows, no tags. Just red or green sharpie with the name of the person it is for. Not even a from.
TJ, loved what you did to your brother, both then and now. Mine will likely get a book written by a former teacher from our high school. Though, he'll probably get it closer to New Years. He'll be okay with that, I think.
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Perspective Alters Reality
Posted by Transmute Jun on 21-12-2011 at 04:53:
Oh yes, unused paper on the roll always gets used next year!
Tags are easy.. pick up a pile of the sticky ones at Target for $1 (50 cents if you get them the year before) and slap them on. That's if you're not reusing the paper, of course. I like the red and green sharpie, though! I use regular pen, but 'Santa' uses a red pen.
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Posted by amethyst on 21-12-2011 at 05:03:
Santa doesn't leave the big presents anymore at our house.
This kids have grown up enough that they'd rather go shopping or get money to save for something they've been wanting but Santa can't get.
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Perspective Alters Reality
Posted by gatchamarie on 21-12-2011 at 09:37:
I'm chuckling at hearing so many cheeky gift related stories!
My parents never brought us up with the tradition of putting any type of parcel under the Christmas Tree (they gave us lovely, useful presents, but never used to wrap them up since, many a time, they'd have taken us with them when shopping for presents!) So, either because of this past lack of acitivity, or because of my own childish nature, I made it adamant to turn the tables over in my family and make things as special as they could be, especially for my kids!
My children, since they're both still young, until now still believe in Santa, and special presents at our home are strictly not found under our Christmas Tree before Christmas morning, after Santa would allegedly have gone down through our fireplace, eaten the cookies and drank the glass of milk my kids would have left him, and left the parcels underneath the tree! The presents would be their own wished-for items, after my DH and I would have taken our time over the previous months to extract as much possible of information from the kids themselves! When making sure that the kids would be fast asleep at Christmas Eve, I silently pop more small gifts and goodies into the individual stockings which usually hang above their heads, attached to their respective wardrobe knobs, always telling the kids that the magic won't happen if they'd be trying to keep awake to see Santa! The parcels already found under the tree before Christmas would be those already received from family members and friends, and which would have already been opened in front of the same givers as per required courtesy!
We do tend to disguise gifts for our children, but mostly not these Christmas gifts since they'd be already thrilled to find them under the tree because Santa would have left them, but those given from us as parents throughout the year! It's between me and my DH that we like to play tricks with presents, but the most important present that I remember being tricked into is the first ring my DH, at that time boyfriend, had given me! He told me that he was short of money, and that he couldn't give me a decent present that second Christmas together ... something which I believed since we were saving money for our future together ... and, whilst telling me to pop a simple popper he'd given me, out fell a golden ring from it ... all this happening on a plane which was taking us to Frankfurt!
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Posted by Daniella T on 21-12-2011 at 10:09:
Hey guys, what lovely stories!
My mother usually did not disguise the presents, but I still remember nostalgically of all the wrapped parcels under the tree! I usually got a big Lego set every Christmas, and she still gets me a Lego even now every year, it's a tradition!
Now that my sister and I live in different countries we send each other gifts by mail, which is even better, as I looooove receiving packages in the mail! Then we promise not to open them until Christmas, but of course we do!
Happy Christmas to you all, and may you enjoy all your presents under the tree! 
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They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Naturally, they became heroes -- Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan.
Posted by littlewolf on 21-12-2011 at 12:16:
One of my older sisters (bless her) was obsessed with knowing what was in her presents, then she moved on to other peoples.
(she still does it now, even in her 50s, and must drop very obvious hints about what she has for other people ( we can't tell her important secrets, cause she can't cope with not telling, I knew what she had for my birthday a week before and she would not let me play with it)
Anyway, we would wrap all the presents in layers of tape, so she could not open them or not put the present in her boxes, hiding them was no good, as she would systematically search all our houses
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May the bad things get lost on the way to you door!
Posted by Transmute Jun on 21-12-2011 at 15:43:
Your sister actually sounds worse than my brother, LW! Oh my!!!
Marie, what a wonderful engagement story, an what a special memory being on that plane and receiving the ring!
Daniella, I'm with you on the Lego! We have 2 massive sets waiting under the tree right now, plus Santa is bringing one.
We have gifts under the tree AND Santa. After all, we give gifts to each other, and those are the ones that are under the tree now. The ones from Santa are much fewer in number, but they are always what the kids ask for in their letters! Those don't appear until Christmas morning...
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Posted by amethyst on 21-12-2011 at 19:41:
LW, I don't know what to say about your sister. I'd have probably got into a lot of trouble growing up with her. I'd have likely told her something false or misleading intentionally just to see her get embarrassed after the fact.
But then again, last night, when the kids asked what was in the big box, I told them the truth, sort of. I told them it was full of plastic bags; I used those instead of tissue or styrofoam for stuffing.
Marie, that is an awesome story. One of my best friends, who parents converted to Jehovah's Witness when she was little. I had a hard time understanding them not celebrating anything. My parents were one step away from being agnostic, and we still celebrated, so I thought everyone did. It took me a long time to learn that everyone has different traditions. I think it is great to go the extra mile for your kids to make the day special.
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Perspective Alters Reality
Posted by Springie on 21-12-2011 at 22:30:
Every year, my brothers come over on Christmas Eve (we have a get together at my house every Christmas Eve) and swipe something from my house. Then they wrap it and put it under the tree for me...the first time they did it, we laughed and laughed...now it is expected. This year, I swiped a pair of my bro's shoes and "re-gifted" them back to him- *grin*
And speaking of crazy gifts...watch this- pretty funny!
Bad Present Prank
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Posted by KT1972 on 22-12-2011 at 00:02:
This is the first year my youngest has not wanted to visit Santa, so Santa has no idea what he wants and will have to work out what he might like based on what he has asked for previous years!!
I'm being prepared for one disappointed 9 year old this christmas morning!!
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Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope. - HELEN KELLER
Posted by Transmute Jun on 22-12-2011 at 00:28:
Oh, poor KT! I told my kids that unless they write a letter to Santa, he won't know what they want and will have to guess. They write letters very quickly, let me tell you!!!!
Springie, what a great video!
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Posted by gatchgirl on 22-12-2011 at 03:44:
I can recall believing in Santa for many years. One year I know my sister found the hiding spot of the gifts, and it upset my mom so much that the following year she got her gifts but told her to wrap them herself. Mom was done with trying to surprise her.
Also it was a family "tradition" to have a steak knife with you while unwrapping your gifts, cause Santa left no area untaped.
Along with using the Sears catalog to let mom know what you wanted, this was in my 5th grade + years, we then would measure our packages under the tree to see what item they matched up with in the catalog.. when mom found this out she started wrapping one sock in a big box, and so on...
Oh the memories of Christmas past... now I can't find the spirit to even decorate anymore.
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Posted by amethyst on 22-12-2011 at 04:30:
I remember the Sears catalogs! We'd get two big ones every year, Spring and Fall, and then mid-November or so, we'd get the Christmas Wishbook.
However, Mom would have a fit if we used her steak knives. Dad worked in the grocery business and kept a box cutter handy, and pocket knives were passed around rather freely. I'm surprised no one ever cut themselves opening up the presents.
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Perspective Alters Reality
Posted by gatchamarie on 22-12-2011 at 09:51:
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My parents were far from atheists since they always were the perfect Catholics ... not obsessive, but always following to the letter what they have been taught about the religion when they were kids! They only weren't much into materialism (the wrapping thing, the surprise aspect, etc!), putting the spiritual aspect before anything else! What my dear Mum did not skimp on were the luscious Christmas dinners, which she used to prepare in order to gather the family! Moreover, even if my brothers and I were given the chance of living our normal childhood, they also pretended us to behave as grownups most of the time, trying to prevent us from behaving silly ... something which I had a hard time to go against since I'm still as silly as a child to this very day, even if RL has hardened me a little, lately!
We still had some of our childhood house partly decorated, though, with the same artificial Christmas Tree every year, with my Dad's precious decorations (which we couldn't touch by any means!) hanging from its branches, and some small decorations scattered here and there! The three most valued items, which were given the most importance, were three antique Baby Jesus in their crib! Also valuable for my father, being items which were passed down to him from generations, were a large amount of figurines which formed an antique nativity set, and which we used to put in a crib ("crib" being a term also used here instead of a "nativity scene" or "presepe" in Italian!)! But, all in all, they were good parents ... for me, the best, even if we had our differences! Growing up I've learnt to decide which good examples I could keep (which were many!), and which ones, such like this subject, I could emiliorate for my own kids! I always say that equilibrium is good in everything, without going to extremes in either way!
For sure, at my present house we do have a cherished Baby Jesus (even more than one now, since my kids are frequently coming back home with small ones, which they receive from school and from their religious centres!), and we do have a crib, which is close to our hearts, but we also tend to decorate every corner and every inch of it with decorations which I only dreamt about! LOL ... my DH would always press down hard the gas pedal whenever we'd be passing in front of any Christmas store since I'd be always tempted to buy more and more decorations!
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To be or not to be a gatchamaniac - that's the dilemma!
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