A Christmas Tradition Continues
A few years ago, i started playing a little game with my nieces and nephews at Christmas. They are all old enough so that everything they want costs lots of money, so i just give them money, and they can do with it what they will.
The first year, i bought them all white underwear and hid the money inside the undies. They were pretty disgusted with me, until they figured it out. We all had a good laugh.
Last year, i hid the money inside white socks. But they were on to me and found the money right away.
This year i thought i'd just hand them money, because i was too lazy to come up with another idea. But then i thought - Kleenex! I slit open the side of a practice box, and the game was on! This morning i bought 5 boxes of different sized kleenex, slit open the sides, inserted money and some Christmas bells in each box, and glued them shut again.
Bwah hah aha hahha hah!
Evil aunt meno is evil! I can't wait.
Extra photos of random stuff:
Back lit Pampas Grass:
The high temperature here today was below 0 C (32 F) so everything is covered with a layer of frost that sparkles like diamonds in the sun:
Yesterday at the grocery store i saw this display at an idle check stand. I am assuming that it was for training new cashiers, but it amused me. The manager came over to ask me why i was taking a picture of it. I told him "Because it amuses me." He left, but watched me warily after that:
Brown cat helping with my crocheting:
43 comments:
Kleenex is a great place to hide a gift, I think I'm going to borrow that idea.
Cat's. Is there no end to their skills? Always SO helpful.
Excellent fun! The frost looks very pretty from here.
You'd think they'd have a training room in back for the newbies. Maybe not.
I love this hiding money in underwear/socks idea. Seriously, I might have to borrow this idea for my brother.
vanessa, oh, borrow away! I can't wait for them to throw kleenex all over looking for their $.
brad, especially helpful with crafts involving string and making the bed.
sally, that's because YOU are in the middle of summer! It is pretty though, seen from inside the warm house.
egan, i have never seen that kind of display before. And borrow away. Just let me know what happens.
Well, I'm easy, you don't have to give me kleenex, just send me the $$$ will do ;)
It's cold, isn't it? Brrrrr... it makes me want to hibernate. Btw, Your crochet work looks nice.
I *love* tormenting the children! Great ideas!
Awesome gift giving - they'll presumably have to blow their nose 150 times to get the cash.
Wonderful photo.
That's not that cold. (minus 15 EFFFFFUUUHHHH here today)
Doesn't that remind you of Japanese restaurant windows?
That grocery store thing is funny. Also, that is the saddest looking pepper I've seen in a long time.
One year for my birthday (not too long ago), my mother wrapped a amateurish clay cup that I'd made in grade school, filled with $50 in those gold dollar coins - it was the "pot of gold".
How old are the kids? I have about gotten to the point that I will buy gift certificates as I sure can't pick out what they may want, and then if I actually find something they do want I run the risk that another family member will also buy the same thing. Money or its equivalent sounds pretty good, at least if they are over the age of 8 or so.
I love your gift ideas, and none of the groceries around here lay out free samples of broccoli,jalapenos and candy canes for any reason. It's a great shot!
Money just seems so practical. The only thing more practical is nothing. ;o)
I think that a woman with a camera in a grocery store is suspicious in any case.
mother hen, i am finishing up a queen sized blanket. I like to crochet with a soft cotton string. The texture and the defintion of the stitches. Yum.
RLL, oh, nothing is more fum than tormenting the greedy!
mignon, i hid the $$ well away from the top. Yeah, and quit brsgging about how TOUGH you are with the cold. yes, the parsnip could be in a Japanese restaurant window.
magpie, awww, nice job mom!
dick, they are from 15 to 21. I call cash "The gift Certificate To Anywhere."
hearts, i was unable to resist. This is the reason i carry my camera in my purse.
eve, those who don't send thank you notes get nothing. I call it training.
For sure. I will definitely let you know what happens. I'm always looking for ways to spice up the family gatherings.
You are making blankies... Brown is making bread?
I to am SO using your Kleenex idea! Just don't know on who yet...
I bought my middle daughter a purse this year and am stuffing all her other gifts into it so she will only have one gift under the tree, which will freak her out. Cause I'm like that:)
I like that tradition!
And yes, store personnel can sometimes seem very worried about photos. Guess they think you are doing stealth research for the competitor.
I love your gift idea. I hope I get the chance to use it someday.
That's brilliant! My Grandma used to tape the money on the bottom of a can of veggies and then wrap that. This year I'm either boobytrapping the boys' boxes (like they did to me last year) or I'm buying them some bogus gifts (like the largest grannie panties I can find).
I have been blanket shopping recently, and making my own is starting to seem like a viable option, though I cannot imagine having the stick-to-it-iveness to make a blanket big enough.
The mylar balloon is getting away!
The kleenex box idea is awesome.
I bow down to you, that is a GREAT idea.
The food line up cracks me up - is that in case someone doesn't know what a peppermint stick looks like?!
egan, I look forward to the stories. One time i wrapped a ticking clock inside a present.
cheesy, i like to have something to do while watching TV, otherwise it's so boring.
deb, that is wonderful! You are an evil mom. ;-)
em, feel free to borrow the idea. I shop in that store pretty much every day, so they should be getting used to me by now.
marsha, this kind of thing drives the teenagers crazy!
tink, you know those little party favors that look like little champagne bottles and you pull a string and they explode? One time i wrapped one in a present, left the string hanging out, and put a sign on it "Pull string to open." HA!
de, i started this one 3 years ago, if that tells you anything about my sticktoittiveness.
fiwa, i should have asked the manager more questions, he just seemed so grumpy.
i think i still have the boxes that my nano and iphone came in, want me to send them? :)
Our nieces and nephews are all still little so I'll save the kleenix box trick for a few more years. Thanks!
I think I love you Meno. I told my coworkers today about your misguided Google search for "japanese schoolgirl mullet" images. We laughed with you, yes... with you.
i bet he thought you were a vegetable clepto.
what a good idea with the tissue boxes. i bet they still won't be fooled. gotta somehow get the money into unpeeled fruit.
furious, Oh that is EVIL! I love it.
LB, you can start them young with the box inside the box inside the box trick.
egan, you didn't googla that did you? I warned you! Glad i was able to amuse you. I laughed pretty hard too.
franki, unpeeled fruit....unpeeled fruit. I'll be thinking about that all year.
Kleenex this year, feminine hygiene products next year.
patches, i'm thinkin' condoms.
Are you taking order for blankies?
My crocheting sucks. i can't live without my blankies. I even have the yarn in mind for a new one.
The grocery store pic was great, I hate when they have to get the book for the code AND I have to tell them what it is. Like who hasn't seen a yellow crook neck squash. The candy cane was too funny.
Oh and when mom gets better, I am snowbound..it's been years since I've seen a proper snow day.
Love the labeled food! Makes me think of a sort of modern take on Magritte's paintings.
I love your gift giving solutions...the sons in law in my family, for many years, did the box inside the box trick, but each box was wrapped in at least an inch of duct tape....
What, exactly, were they training new cashiers to do? I would have thought identifying candy canes and broccoli to be pretty basic skills.
Nice pic of the pampas grass.
I love this idea! You are evil and clever. Of course, what evil person isn't clever?
I'm going to steal this for my nephews when they are old enough. And next year, my eldest will be getting a box of tissues for Christmas - muahahahah. (Of course I'm only evil wannabe since I'm stealing but oh well, we can't all be Time Magazine's Evil of the Year).
That is such a fun idea! I may have to steal it. I got my kids money soap last year and they had a ball with it. Also, my family passes around a giant pair of pants with presents tucked inside. We're in our 15th year of it.
YES! What Patches said!
clever idea with the kleenex, wouldn't mind getting that myself!
the register thing? too funny. you should have taken a pic of the manager too. just because.
I bet you are the favorite Aunt.
I'm going to steal your idea.
My almost nine (Feb 3) year old grandson, when I asked, said what he wanted for Christmas was $20. So I got him a wallet and put a $20bill in it. It has been wrapped and sent or I might have used one of your clever ploys!
my grandmother...many years ago..actually unwrapped sticks of gum, folded dollar bills the same size, and rewrapped in both layers of wrappers...then slid back in the packs. Anothre year she cracked big nuts in half, took out the nut, folded and stuffrd indollar bills and reglued them together. she gave us a bag of "nuts and a nutracker"...we thought she was pathetic until someone finally cracked one open!
ttq, that blankie took me three years, so i'm thinkin' this might not be a big source of extra income.
irrelephant, i swear to god i thought that too!
qt, duct tape is a tool of the devil! I like this idea.
clowncar, yeah, but there was a parsnip in there. Do you know how many of the cashiers can't identify a parsnip? Or rutabagas!
maggie, read pat's comment below, about her grandmother. I am just a trainee in evil compared to her.
gina, go ahead and steal it. The kids get a huge kick out of it. I like Present In The Traveling Pants too.
crazymumma, nope, i'm sticking to condoms!
robin, he probably would have had me arrested.
lu, well, i may be, because i'm cool. Of course, compared to your own parents, anyone is cool.
luckyzmom, next year!
pat, THAT'S BRILLIANT! I am in awe. Hmmm, maybe next year.
Aren't you the fun one! The food pic amused me, too. :)
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