Teachers, In-laws, Assistants, Bosses - Where Does the Christmas List End?!

go to a bookstore or online and get the "gifts in a jar" book. it has the stuff to make ... soup, cookies, brownies etc. comes with little recipe gift cards and the ribbon to make the jars. everyone I have ever given one to loved them. they would be perfect for the teachers (who don't have time to cook), etc.

I would make a mini(personal loaf) of aweet bread wrapped in a decorative wrap and ribbon with an appreciative note. One batch can do about 5 mini loaves. This is a quick gift for you,. Not something that hangs around for a long time to store, you don't have to worry that it fits their decore or personal style and gives the receivers something personal and the feeling they were remembered. My total Christmas budget this year is 300.00 and I have 3 kids.

Last year for my work assistants/helpers ... I got them an ornament. If they celebrate with a tree ... you can really never have too many ornaments. A nice, unique option ... about $5-$7 each.

We make small jars of homemade hot sauce.
We attach the recipe.

My husband made his Spaghetti sauce one year.. people loved it.

Homemade Trash.. Spicy..

Homemade seasoned salt.. http://www.food.com/recipe/homemade-seasoned-salt-166264

Assorted cookies, but we only give 1 or 2 dozen of assorted cookies.

Please, Please remember teachers do NOT need any more mugs, candles, soaps, lotions, apple themed things, school themed things, photo albums... They have tons and usually do not ever use it.

A card written by your child is wonderful. A small gift card is appreciated.

You would give a candle, a gift card and something from Thirty-One, or just a candle or gift card or Thirty-One to non-family? If it's all three things to one person, one of those items would be enough. If it is just one, cut out Thirty-One, there stuff is nice, but can be pricey. Also, at least when I worked in the DC area, and it was always my understanding, that you never bought up in the work place (don't buy for boss). And since I was an assistant, it was more about the recognition than the gift, so a small token of a gift card to somewhere I liked was always appreciated. At our school, the parents each buy a gift card with no minimum money amount and make a wreath out of them. This way the teacher gets a bunch of gift cards, but doesn't know who bought the $5 gift card and who bought the $25 gift card.

I found most of these on 'family fun' magazine's website - gifts for the teacher:

Lunch Delivered to School
Just before Christmas break, we send a card to the teachers telling them that our gift to them will be lunch in January. They pick out what they'd like to eat from a short menu of my best recipes. Then we choose a school day in January to deliver a home-cooked lunch. My kids help make the dessert and take it to their teachers that morning. Then I deliver the rest of the lunch at noon. The response from the teachers is always wonderful. After months of brown-bag lunches and cafeteria food, they are delighted to have some home cooking!

Notepads
If your child is just beginning to write, this teacher gift is very special. Have your child write out "From the Desk of" at the top of a sheet of paper and the teacher's name at the bottom. Then ask him to draw something simple like the sun or a flower next to the teacher's name. Use a black felt-tip pen and a plain sheet of white paper. Then take the masterpiece to a copy shop and have it made into note pads! If it doesn't all fit on two lines, just make copies and cut and paste in place. We had ours reduced so that the pads were smaller and less expensive. The copy shop can help you with this. The teachers loved it!
Variation: As an early-childhood educator, my all-time favorite gift was a notepad from a student. Her mother had encouraged her to draw a picture of herself and me, then took the drawing to a local copy shop and had it reduced in size and placed in the corner of a 5x7 notepad. Along the bottom, the pad was inscribed with "A note from Mrs. Murphy ..." I've already told the mom that I hope her son (who is in my class this year) will draw me another picture for a new notepad!

I think this is just adorable http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/colorful-crayon-letter-101...
Made out of broken crayons, plus a picture frame.

You said you're not crafty, but I think a simple tote bag with her name ironed on would be nice. I had one that said my name on it and used it to keep homework to grade in it. Nice easy way to stay organized. The bag cost less than $2 I think and the gal stenciled my name (cheaper than buying the iron ons)

A Christmas card stating your heartfelt appreciation would suffice for anyone who isn't parents or immediate family. Personally, I give gifts to husband, kids and parents. Cards to everyone else and a nice donation to the local food bank. Showy gifts aren't necessary or expected. I wouldn't worry yourself too much about it. People are happy to know you thought of them no matter how small your gift may be. I try to keep the perspective off of stressing over money and shopping! It kind of misses the point of the holiday. I also try to remember that making a Christmas gift list is a luxury period. Many people can't afford to give anything. We have even done years where we adopted a family and only gave to them. Great lesson for the kids! Whatever you do, keep it simple and do it with love! And if you want something cheap and made from the heart try some homemade applebutter and have fun canning it with the kids and making cute labels! Super cheap and very appreciated by everyone who slathers it on toast.

I am a teacher and have never been given a gift -perhaps b/c I always have worked in very high poverty schools. I have been given holiday cards and thank you notes and I've very much appreciated those. -I have to admit I wouldn't mind a very small coffee gift card if someone felt really motivated and had some resources for that kind of thing.

Hit the dollar store for containers/bags, etc and bake. I don't think bosses expect a gift, but a nice thing of baked goods would surely be appreciated. Family should understand budget concerns. A big hit with my dad and sis is Omaha Steaks. You can send tasty food they can eat any time for a reasonable cost. It's an extended gift :)

You have so many awesome responses that I didn't even get through all of them just yet. BUT, I wanted to tell you, we are on the same page as you. We took the Dave Ramsey class last year and are doing awesome, Dave said sometimes you have to cut this kind of stuff out, and with regard to distant relatives, I spoke to all of them, and explained that we were not going to exchange gifts anymore, we were still getting together, etc., but not gifts. My younger relatives agreed and were so happy and were glad that I brought this up, maybe we all were kind of in the same boat financially. My older relatives were not happy about this, and gave us a hard time, but as the second year is approaching, I think it may be a little easier, perhaps the first year is hardest for them to accept. So, with regard to the others, I just do gift cards to Target for Teachers between $10 - $15 each, done, and than we only exchange gifts with immediate family, my dad, brother and my kids, and we put a small cap on that as well. My kids are young, so I go to resale shops, garage sales and school resales to find their Christmas gifts. They are too young to know they are not getting something new. Again, love all the below ideas! What great responses :) Good luck! PS I have a friend who keeps a little notebook in her purse, and when someone says to her, I wish I had this, etc., she notes it down, and when it is time to get a gift for that person, she refers back to it... :)

For my DD's teachers we have a cookie party with some of the other kids from her class and make the teachers plates of cookies. The kids love decorating the cookies and you can find some cute inexpensive plates at dollar stores or even Michael's. Last year we made "stained glass" window pictures.
For family we have candy night: we all get together to make homemade candy together. We make it potluck and pull names for gifts (just the adults) and set limits on price.

Good luck!!!

Coming from the teacher standpoint, gifts are wonderful, but when you have 20-25 students giving you basically the same thing, it gets to be a little much. (Please....no more apple figurines!) It is awesome when a student gives me a picture they drew or colored for me, a personal note, or something of that nature. Those are things that I can hang up in my room and I don't have to dust.

Take a look at your list and see where you can cut back. Yes, teachers work hard and you should show your appreciation, but you do not need to get them a gift. You can have your child make them a card and you can write them a thoughtful note.

If you have friends that you exchange gift with, have a chat with them and tell them that this year you do not wish to exchange gifts.

Homemade baked goodies make wonderful gifts. Buy some inexpensive containers and fill them up with cookies.

I give only to the kids, that is where my list starts and stops. Now, if you MUST give gifts to others I think for your assistant a nice bottle of wine or spirits (depends on their preference and how you are as a boss) in a nice basket, many liquor stores have them ready made for a few dollars more than the price of the bottle. You can also give to the teachers coffee mugs that the kids made at a "color me mine" or a vase from the same place.

I bought some cute felt Christmas bags on clearance after the holidays last year and will be filling them with my homemade peppermint bark and giving them to teachers, bus driver and daycare ladies.

I think this has all gotten out of control. We're not on a tight budget so for me it's the running around and management of all these gifts that get to me. When I hear of people on a tight budget stressing, it makes me mad. Christmas is supposed to be for kids! For time's sake, we've eliminated gifts for adults in our families. Sometimes we pick one person from a hat etc but often don't even do that. So I would talk to your families and see if you can skip the grandparents. And I certainly don't get my boss a present! My assistant doesn't get me one either (she did for a bit but we both stopped). And my boss doesn't give me anything. (We all get along well though so it's not like it's a hostile environment at all.) I know my mom never gave my teachers anything either... We do give to our daughter's teachers bc that's the norm now but we're not on a tight budget. Since you are, I'd have your kids make a card maybe with their photo on it so the teacher can remember. You shouldn't have to stress over this. Christmas is for kids!

Homemade cookies are always appreciated. I make a few batches each of "simple" cookies (snickerdoodles and chocolate crinkles) and one batch of "fancy" cut out, frosted and decorated Christmas cookies. I then arrange the cookies on individual, pretty paper plates, about a dozen or so of the simple cookies with three or four fancy ones on top. Wrap the plates up with saran wrap, secure with tape (under the plate) and add ribbon and a bow. If the gift is for a family I either use bigger plates or a bag or tin. Voila, instant homemade AND inexpensive gifts that make everyone smile!

Those non-essential people get more gifts than my own children do. It's very sad. My kids get maybe 2 $5 gifts a piece. We have to be very choosy and draw the line on a lot of people because we simply do not have the money to spare.

Make a brownie in a jar or something. I had a friend give me cheesecake in a jar and it was heavenly. Tons of 'in a jar' recipes on line.

Or, we make a huge batch of fudge or yummy puppy chow and get cute/cheap little containers. Then I pass out those food gifts.

As for family like in-laws, parents, siblings... we draw names, so we only do one family a year on each my side and husband's side. Siblings usually donate money to go in on a nicer gift for parents.

Haha you forgot the dog!!!!! I bake cookies every year. Thats usually about all I can afford to do for everyone. I always make dozens & dozens of Biscochitos and what ever else sounds good. And if baking isnt your thing there's always the dollar tree or the dollar section at target ( and who knows what you will find)

If you bake, well, then, cookies in a tin is a good solution! Really, I think people appreciate consumables anyway and there is less impact on the environment too. Trader Joe's has amazing chocolate covered everything if you can spend $4-$5, but really, the homemade is always the best if you have the time. Another idea that I've done is to buy empty glass jars and then fill them with all the fixin's for a recipe (pre-measured flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, chips, oats, etc.) and then attach a recipe card..."Blend contents of jar with 1 stick of butter and 2 eggs and bake at 350 for 10 mins to make 48 cookies" or whatever. I've done this with an apple crisp recipe and a cookie one. But, the already baked goods work too! Good luck!

My sister-in-law one year for Valentines day made all of her in-laws platters filled with cookies, brownies and candy. It was definitely the best gift ever going just because she showed the appreciation. And I definitely intend to the do the same. if you'd like to do something like that, go onte to lakesidecollection.com and they have plates or baskets for christmas for cheap, you can load them up with all the bake goods. But be sure you buy the ceram wrap (like easter) to wrap around each one, usually walgreens will have that when it gets closer to the season with the holiday decor. Good luck, we're all pretty much on the same page! ;)

I think baked goods are just fine to give. My sister does this with family and friends. I am not sure about the teachers, assistants or bosses. This is my first year having to get something for a teacher and my hubby takes care of his boss. He works from home so we dont have to worry about assistants or co-workers. I figure everyone likes cookies.

What we have done the last two years for my son's teachers is bake chocolate chip cookies. We end up doing them for the front off and stuff like that too but it's really easy and cheep to make a bunch! The other thing my mom does sometimes for co workers that they love in mini loafs of bannan or pumpkin bread.

Good luck and God Bless!

Looks likei am weighing in kind of late, but thought i would mention a few things i do. Around christmas when kohls sends out their discounts, i usuallt get 30% off, i buy holiday kitchen towels and holiday bowls and big plates. Bath & body usually has their soaps on sale around then too. So for the gifts, i will usually put in 1 soap w/ a kitchen towel, or give the bowl with a bag of candy (like a candy dish), or bake cookies and put them on the platter. If you are watching sales, these gifts cost around $5 each, but are nice items.

Something you can give EVERYONE the same thing, would be divine.
And that it would all cost the same nominal amount.
Sigh.

Maybe, coffee, mugs, chocolates, food, movie tickets, E-bay for something?
Saving the higher budget for your own family/kids.

I like those insulated cups, those double walled insulated cups.
They are great! And they don't perspire on the outside of the cup, so you don't need a coaster under the cup.
I love mine! It was only $9
Starbucks has them too or there are many different brands. Do a Google search.

I love to bake a variety of cookies and then include a mini-serving spatula ($5.50) from Pampered Chef or one of their $1 cookbooks. They get to eat something that is delicious and keep something for their kitchen.
(Yes, I am a Pampered Chef consultant - so it is always easy to find inexpensive gifts in their catalog).
M. Hay