Can We Talk About the Presents?

I've taken about four billion (possible slight exaggeration) pictures in the last two days. I haven't had time to look at most of them yet. Tomorrow! (Right?) But that's okay, because I've been dying to tell you about the Christmas presents we gave our family this year. Couldn't tell you up until now because, you know, some of them read the blog. Can't have spoilers!

But they have their presents now, so I can tell you!

I started thinking about these presents back in the summer. I wanted to do something a little different this year, and an idea came to me! People are always telling me they think Ryan and I go on the most fun dates. (That may or may not be true, but that's what they say.) So I decided I would create dates for each couple in our family. I took the money I would have spent on gifts and divided it up for each part of the date.

I was so excited about these gifts...until it came time to give them. Then I had a bit of a panic attack about it. What if they hated it? (I consoled myself that if they hated it, they could take the cash and buy whatever they really wanted.)

Here's what I did.

I took each couple and tried to think their likes and dislikes, and then I began crafting the date. I picked places to eat and things to do, arranged them in a day, looked up all the websites, addresses, hours of operation, costs, and any other information they might need to know, and laid it all out in writing. I wrapped each stop in a separate package and then labeled the gifts in numerical order:

The couples could open the gifts together and see their dates! Some of the dates included things we'd done before, so I could speak a bit from experience. Others became dates we'll have to go on, because I had so much fun planning them, I want to try them myself!!

Want to peek at some of the things we came up with?

* One of my sisters likes to vacation near where we got married, so we gave her and her husband a meal cruise around Sarasota Bay. We did the dinner cruise when we got married, and we did the lunch cruise on our fifth anniversary, and we loved them both so much. I didn't think they had ever been on that cruise, so that's what we gave them. (Our family does do a budget, so we really could only afford to send them on the lunch cruise. If they want to do the dinner cruise, we have given them a good down payment on it. Ha!) They'll have to call and make their own reservations whenever works best for them when they go there next, but the date is otherwise planned!

* Since my other sister lives in a small town, I planned her date with her husband to take her into Kansas City. I figured they'll need a getaway at some point! Their date started with dinner at Noodles and Company. They can pick from the menu whatever kind of noodles they want, and they don't have to want the same thing! Next up? Dessert at the Waffle Bar, which is a place Ryan and I intended to visit this summer during our night in Kansas City, but we were too full to go. Sadness. Then they can walk along the canal and look at the pretty fountains, which we really enjoyed! We didn't have money to cover their lodging that night, but the date picks up again the next morning with a donut breakfast at Donutology. (Haven't been there but it looked fun.) Then they can take a tour at the Hallmark Visitor's Center and end their date at the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures.

* My niece and her husband became parents this year, so they probably deserve a date more than anyone! I planned theirs for Wichita, which would allow them a day's break from parenting. (I also presumed that my sister would want to watch the baby for them. Ha!) I learned when they stayed with us that my niece's husband likes donuts, so I started their date at a cool-looking donut place called The Donut Whole. Since the theme of the date was an escape, I thought an escape room would be fun. But I wasn't sure they'd have as much fun being stuck in a group with strangers. THEN I learned there's an escape room place there that actually lets you be in a party of anywhere from 2-8. So you really can just work with people you know! If the weather is nice, they can walk along the Arkansas River Trail when they're done - enjoy the fresh air! And their date concludes with dinner at River City Brewery.

* I didn't want to send my parents on a wild good chase, so I kept their date closer to home. I sent them over to Muncie for lunch at Cammack Station. We ate there on a county date and loved it. (And it's the kind of food my dad would really like, so win-win!) Then they'll go to Concannon's Bakery to get donuts to save for the next day. (We went there on the same county date. Loved it too.) Since my mom loves making homemade candies, their next stop is a candy shop in Anderson that gives tours! And then, a visit to the World's Largest Ball of Paint. Yes. It's a real thing. (And one we haven't seen!)

* And finally, I planned a train ride for Ryan's dad and step-mom! Their date starts in Connersville, Indiana, where they can eat at a little bistro. Then we gave them money to buy train tickets to ride to a little town called Metamora. There's a grist mill there they can tour, and they can learn a little history while they're there! They can stop at a little ice cream shop for a snack - and see the world's largest collection of cookie jars! Then they can ride the train back to Connersville and come home! (We haven't done any of these things ourselves, but this is a date I want to do!)

* We didn't do a date for Ryan's mom and step-dad, since that doesn't really fit their life right now. Instead, we gave them the photo shoot with the family.

It was so much fun to give these dates, and they were really well-received. I hope everyone has a great time on their dates!

**

OH! And for Ryan's siblings, we do a low-key gift, and this time we gave them dinner in a basket. Everything they needed for chicken tortilla soup. Two of his siblings are moving this week, and the other one keeps a busy schedule, so I thought it would be good to just cover dinner one night!