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1. 

   gkid said, 6 months ago

   Yeah, Gramm~ I like this woman~way to go! :)
2. 

   templo SUD said, 6 months ago

   If I had to chose between Alix’s two gifts, I’d go for the magnifying glass.
3. 

   somebodyshort said, 6 months ago

   To put some of it into perspective
   .
   Dampwaffle brought up the smoking and beer by parents and then limiting the kids. A $10 pack a day is $3,650 a year in smokes alone.
   .
   I brought up the $100 angel tree budget for our kids which I don’t think was unreasonable given what was being done.
   .
   Val and Joan have five kids between them plus the five adults. $100 per kid and $50 per adult I really don’t think is extravegant. Add in Christmas dinner all told for under a $1,000 is not outlandish against a pack a day habit.
   .
   Given what a pair of jeans can cost a bigger gift and a few smaller ones for the kids is not bad. You don’t get much for a $100.
   .
   That’s just my two cents worth. Each to their own as the situation demands and allows
4. 

   dkendraf said, 6 months ago

   Go with the magnifying glass; she’s just impatient enough that it’ll be of more use than a microscope right now. Get her the microscope in a couple of years when she wants to know why the beetle has a hard shell and how a bumblebee flies despite its tiny wings.
5. 

   artybee said, 6 months ago

   Get them a decent microscope, but be preared to help then learn what they’re looking at, or they’ll lose interest. Lazy, ignorant parents tied to the TV don’t spark a kid to develop many deep interests.
6. 

   psychlady said, 6 months ago

   Did you really think that one gift per person idea would work??
7. 

   IndyMan said, 6 months ago

   In that household alone, it would mean three gifts per person. If Joan’s family were included at least another four or five for a total of seven or eight gifts person.
8. 

   Rx71Wm29 said, 6 months ago

   Easy solution? Just get a microscope kit that includes a magnifying glass! There are many such on the market!
9. 

   MayKitten said, 6 months ago

   If you want good first microscope, Google Edmund Scientific. They have good microscopes cheap, you can get some nice professional scopes at an amateur price. BEWARE: If a microscope is under € 100 00 it is a cheap toy, and won’t hold up.
10. 

    ossiningaling said, 6 months ago

    Microscope. Magnifying glasses are for birthdays. Duh!
11. 

    bigbeard61 said, 6 months ago

    I’m all for the simplifying Christmas gift-giving… For adults. Kids need a sense of abundance at the darkest time of the year.
12. 

    Elsie Ross said, 6 months ago

    very hard to keep it at 1 gift until they are older. Also they will be getting gifts from Gramas and otheer relatives Right!
13. 

    whmIII said, 6 months ago

    Weakening already…
14. 

    georgiiii said, 6 months ago

    Most people are not going to be able to afford a good microscope. See if there are any youth programs through local schools or businesses that have microscopes (which has the advantage of also giving her access to a knowledgeable mentor). Buy her either a good magnifying glass or a dissecting microscope (good for a really close look at the bugs she loves).
15. 

    Gokie5 said, 6 months ago

    Can’t help remembering that when I was a kid Mom would give me $5.00 to get everyone’s gifts! A necklace and scarf for her, a hankerchief and belt for Dad, some gewgaw for my friend – all done! Of course, Mom made $35.00/week when she started working at Sears.
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