I hate to brag, but I’m done with my holiday shopping! Woot! 
Now I have to confess that except for a few actual physical gifts that I bought because it suited the person, most of my shopping was done via gift cards. :SmallSanta: I don’t like to resort to giving gift cards, but sometimes, when you just can’t find that perfect gift for a certain someone, it’s better and wiser (I think), to give a gift card to a store they love to shop at instead of giving them something they’ll never use.
Case in point, my dad and my father-in-law. Two men who have EVERYTHING they want or need. 
They are the toughest to shop for, but they both LOVE Home Depot. They can always find a tool or gadget there that they don’t have, and that’s why a gift card works well for them. Same for my nieces (ages l6, 20, & 21). They all have very different taste and styles, but they LOVE Victoria’s Secret. Gift cards, check! 
My Nephews are always at Best Buy buying music or computer games, and with a gift card they can get exactly what they want. 
Don’s grandmother (who just turned a very young 95!), absolutely loves to read, but I never know what kind of books to buy her. Voila, a gift card to Barnes & Noble so she can choose her own reading material. 
The list goes on, but I’m a believer that if you can’t find a gift for a certain person, that a gift card is okay.
How do you feel about gift cards? Do you give them often? Do you like receiving gift cards as a gift, or do you feel it’s a cop out and you’d rather open a REAL present?
Janelle Denison finds it hard to believe that it’s been nearly 20 years since she first started writing romance novels. At first, it was a way to pass idle time while her husband worked swing shift, but before long it became an obsession to get published. Luckily, she kept at it (it took her over 5 years to get that first book published!) and is now a Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and USA Today Bestselling author! Now, after selling over 40 plus novels, she finds that her Plotmonkey pals help to keep her stories fresh and unique, and she can’t imagine writing a story without their input. Janelle lives in Oregon with her husband, Don, along with two teenage daughters that keep life interesting.
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Janelle, its great that you have all your Christmas shopping done. Its a horrible feeling getting close to the day and still not being finished.
In terms of gifts to others, I think that gift cards are a great option – especially when they are given to someone who regularly buys music or books. Its just too hard to know what they do and don’t have. This year I’m making gifts for most of my family – but I will likely give my aunt and uncle a gift card for my newborn cousin because I can’t figure out what would be a good idea.
I like receiving gift cards – and in fact have resorted to asking my family for gift cards or cash for my birthday and Christmas (which about a week apart). That’s my preference simply because I found that I was getting too many presents that were “stuff”. I also found that when I asked for a specific item (eg a certain album, I’d end up with a different album by the same artist – just imagine the problems if that happened with a book I’d asked for since knowing my family I’d end up with a title I already owned). I do like actual presents so long as they don’t cause an accumulation of clutter in my home.
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Clutter — that’s exactly what I don’t want to inflict on anyone, LOL! :bigtree:
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I do both. I have no problem giving (or getting) gift cards, but usually find a small something to wrap to put with it just because I like to have something under the tree besides envelopes.
I love gift cards. I am hard enough to buy for and have enough stuff around the house now and I don’t need more dust catchers. On top of which, my husbands kids (some of them) have no idea what I like, nor do they care to find out. eh.
On the other hand, I hate when they get us a joint gift card to LLBean or something equally stupid. I never see it cause hubby gloms onto it. (But I do get even with the credit card). A card to a restaurant we both like is one thing, but a clothing store? fail.
:meepcold:
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I agree, Ev — if you give a joint gift card, then BOTH people should be able to enjoy it equally! :SmallSanta:
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:meepcold: Brrrr….we’re below the freezing mark for the first time!! And I don’t like it. LOL
I love gift cards. Not only do I like to give them (for all the reasons you mentioned – and a lot of the same ones to the same people as you), but I love to get them. This year, I’m telling everyone I want Best Buy gift cards. If I pool them all together, then I hope to have enough for the new Sony eReader Touch. If not…I’ll make up the difference and just get it myself!
Glad you’re shopping is done. Now you can enjoy the rest of the holiday season, rather than stressing about it!! :santalights:
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That’s a great idea — asking for gift cards all to one place to save up for one big item! I like that idea! :treecut:
It’s sunny and in the 20’s here. Definitely a COLD :freezeman: but gorgeous day!
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I have barely started my Christmas shopping. I have a gift for my editor–that’s pretty much it.
Gift cards can be a great gift, I think–and if you choose the right store for the right person, it can feel just as personal as if you chose a particular item and wrapped it up.
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Louisa — Luckily you still have 18 more days to shop! :decor:
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:meepcold: It’s 4 degrees here.
I love gift cards especially gift cards to a book store.
And I like giving gift cards which we do each year, especially the teens in the family. Either that or a check. They love getting money too. :ccane:
Have a great day,
Cher :santalights:
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I’ve done money with the nieces and nephews, too — which they love. But if I know that they like to shop at a particular store, then I think a gift card is better. :lights:
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Personally, I love getting gift cards. I usually give my 2 older nieces gift cards each year. Had it all planned out unitl they both told me they wanted specific movies and books.
Congrats on finishing up all your shopping! I only have to go get copies of some pictures made and buy the new Harry Potter movie tomorrow for my dad and I’m finished.
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Oh, yeah, the Harry Potter movie comes out tomorrow! I’ll have to pick that up, too! :snowman:
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Julie & Leslie, I just finished More Blazing Bedtime Stories and wanted to tell you both how much I loved each story!
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I love, love, love gift cards (provided it’s to a store that I love…which I am pretty vocal about what stores I love…case in point, I put before thanksgiving on my FB page that I am thankful for the ability to read…hoping my sil will buy from my mil a book). Gift cards to random places are just weird (see ev’s comment). I got a gift card (very generous one, might I add) to Land’s End (love Land’s End, but had just placed a huge order). Good thing the boys needed a coat and then we fenagled the money to me…LOL!
I love giving gift cards to my in laws. We don’t live nearby and I am not Carnac the Magnificent and don’t know what they need/want (nor have I seen where they live, so I couldn’t pick out something for their apts). I also don’t like getting a toaster when I already have a toaster (yes, this has happened to me…my mil decided I needed a four slice toaster, instead of my trusty two slice that worked perfectly fine). There are always awesome sales after the holidays, so people can buy what they like.
My in laws complain it’s ‘not personal’….I love it because I can buy what I want and don’t have to stress out about it (also awesome sales!). I always tell the giver, ‘thank you for the gift card and this is what I bought :). My mil likes to have a physical item under the tree. Problem is, stores have been so picky about returns (she also doesn’t do gift receipts), so we get pennies on the dollar for it.
Also, a couple of my sils have been having $$ trouble, so we get a gift card to a place like Target and they can get food or something for their house, or a book, etc.
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I think gift cards are great. I love receiving them.
However, I’m shy about giving them away. I just can’t determine what is the proper amount!?!
$20, $25 or $50? Or more?
How do you determine the amount?
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For me, it’s just a budget thing…we give XXX for siblings, XXX for teachers, XXX for whatever….
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I’m with Katie — it all depends on the person and your budget. :treecut:
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I’ve done gift cards for birthdays, but I don’t like doing them for christmas. I like spending the morning with family opening gifts. We even do an exchange of sorts with both sides of my parents families.
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I have found this cute little gift bags and then the person can unwrap the gift card….plus, if you have to mail it, it goes flat.
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Well since I hardly ever get anything for Christmas or even my Birthday I wouldn’t know what it would be like to get a gift card.
But if I did I’d tell you I’d love it!!!!! It would be the best gift ever for me. It’s better than getting a gift that you don’t want.
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:bigtree: I love giving and receiving them! I put bubblewrap around them and then put them into boxes and wrap. The grand/greatgrandkids do the shaking and guessing thing – even though they know what they’re getting – and love popping the bubbles.
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LOL. Sounds like a fun way to wrap the gift cards! :bigxmas:
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I feel gift cards are great if you know the person will use them for something they want at the store or itunes.
One year my daughter was given a $50 gift card to office depot. She was seven years old. That gift card was nearly wasted. I gave her $50 and used the gift card to buy school supplies. I would normally get supplies at Walmart or Target.
That is why I only buy gift cards if I know it is for something someone really likes. :bigtree:
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Yeah, a fifty dollar gift card to Office Depot for a seven year old is really strange!
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I’m a gift card/$$ kind of gal. Unless it’s on the list I gave *you*, DON’T buy it for me as a present! I hate returning clothes, etc. to the store because they seldom fit. The one exception is the beautiful turquoise jewelry my DH buys.
I tend to give GC/$$ to my family for the same reason and they often ask for such, specifying the name of the store. Lazy? Maybe. Wrapping them so they don’t look like gift cards? FUN!
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I’ve never given gift cards, but I’ve received them. Gift cards for a specific specialty store are appreciated. If you know I love books and buy me a giftcard for B&N, then you took time to think about me. If you buy me a generic card for Walmart (even though it’s one of my favorite places to shop) or Macy’s or some other such department store, I think you just wanted to get it over with.
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I only buy giftcards when I can not figure out what to get someone. I do not mind them, but my sister is a pain about them… she has a whole mess of them for different places and always forgets to use them… I am a late shopper this year… I barely did my shopping so far… tick tock… :santalights:
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I use gift cards in addition to gifts. My favorite gift card is Border’s. It is the kind of card that never goes out of style.
:snowfight: We have a foot of snow so far and it is still falling.
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Snow – FUN! :walksnowman:
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I love getting and giving gift cards. I started a gift card swap with some of the Mom’s from school. If we get a gift card to a place we don’t think we will use we post it on a list for trade. Often we can swap with someone else to a store we prefer.
:santalights:
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Now that’s an AWESOME idea! :Han1:
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:santabag:
Love this guy!
I love to get giftcards. I love them for Borders, Catherines, Target , and of course food.
However, everyone in my family know I do not shop at Wal-mart. ever. And I have that one SIL that gives me, and the kids one every.single.year.
I have not gotten one gift and we do the 12 days of Christmas which starts on the 13th.
*sigh*
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1 This emoticon is only a red X for me I have no idea what it is!!!
Someone please tell me, pretty please. 
I love receiving or giving Gift Cards because then the person that has one can shop for whatever is right for them. If you are giving a Gift Card I think you have to put thought into it just as you would for any gift, make sure it is a card to somewhere that person would enjoy shopping. Years ago, before GC’s, I talked my mom into giving me money for my birthday or Christmas as she had a wonderful knack for buying the wrong thing! She just couldn’t seem to get the fact that we had different taste in clothes, jewlery, etc. In the beginning she felt it wasn’t really a gift or personal until I explained to her that as a single mom struggling financially it was lovely to be able to spend money on me without wondering if we would make it until the next payday!! As for GC’s not being a surprise part of the fun is disguising the gift a trick I learned from my ex-husband. For him the fun was not so much the gift itself as having the person receiving it be totally surprised! That was me! It is a habit I now have, not with everything but with some gifts. My granddaughters shirt is going in a sparkly, take-out food box. My younger grandson is getting Brain which is being disguised in a box that might be a shirt!! All the more fun when they are really surprised. :bigxmas: :bigtree: :SmallSanta: :reindeer:
:hanstar: :hann2: :hanstar: :happychan:
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Donna — even I can’t figure out what that 1 box is so I can FIX it! :wreath:
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Thanks Janelle, I’ve been curious ever since these new emoticons were put in! It is so much having all the holiday ones to play with. Thanks.
:SmallSanta:
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I love gift cards. I think they are a fabulous option. They are easy to mail and your receivers always have the option to capitalize on the great after-Christmas sales!
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Gift cards are great if you can get them in the amount you want. I tend to find that if I only want to spend $15-$20 I can’t always find cards for that amount. (Lots of $25, $50 and up….:) ) We buy gift cards for some friends and family, but for most I like to buy or make gifts. I like to find a bargain, and usually start early enough that I can find a nice gift for much less than its original price.
I let people know what stores I shop at so if they do want to get me a gift card they have some ideas. (I love the Amazon wishlist also. People know exactly what to buy and if the price is right for them at Amazon, they don’t even have to leave the house to shop.)
Great topice during this season….
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:bigtree:
Gift cards – love to give them and get them! When my two boys and husband give me a gift card, they’re also giving me some time to spend shopping with my mom, a friend or two, or to even just get away by myself for a while. I love it! My boys think they’ve hit the jackpot if someone gives them an iTunes card or a card to a place where they can get a video game. Around here, a gift card for Sonic is HUGE! Best gift for a teacher – I know because I’ve given them to teachers and received them from my students. Nothing says ‘thank you’, ‘Merry Christmas’, or ‘Happy Birthday’ like a free Route 44 Sonic coke! lol
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Hi Janelle
Our family likes to give gift cards & money to the kids now that they are teens.
I do like to hear what they got, as well, I like to tell people what I got with the gift cards they gave me. It personalizes it a little bit that way.
BTW I LOVE LOVE LOVE your books. Too Wilde to Tame is still one of my faves that I reread from time to time(even with a huge TBR pile). I’m new to blogland this year so I hope its okay to say that I look forward to more books from you.
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Thanks, Mary! We always love to hear that a reader has enjoyed one of our books. It’s great to have you here in the jungle!
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Hey Janelle and all my jungle buddies…it is great to see you all again. Congrats on being done Janelle. I am uberjealous, but I will get over it…lol…
I think that gift cards are great when you don’t know what to get someone. For example, gcs are great for me when it comes to books because I tend to just go out and buy what I want as soon as they are out, so giving me books would be a big nono…I am also a very picky person when it comes to many things, so gcs would absolutely wonderful for almost any gift for me. The best thing about them too is that you can give them to someone else if they are for a store you don’t really shop at. Yep, I do that sometimes. Not necessarily a good idea, but I would rather do that than just let the card get wasted, you know what I mean? I hope that everyone had a wonderful day today. The snow is melting, but it was beautiful while it lasted. It is great to catch up with you guys again. Here’s to hoping that this term isn’t as busy and nerve wracking as the last
I really need one of these…if only I as a drinker…
Peace and love,
Paula R.
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1 I notice that that particular emoticon shows up when ever we need to use the #1. I think it is rather enigmatic.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
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I know, Paula! I can’t figure out how to fix it!
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I give gift cards to some people like my step-mom I’d have no idea what to get her besides a gift card she loves books and crafts. I love getting gift cards especially to the book stores my family would never try to buy me a book because I have so many.
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:lights: I just love gift cards! Lot’s of times when I am asked what I want for Christmas, I never know. For me it is best to give me a gift card and then when I am at the store, I will see something that I really want and “WALA” instant money!
It is the gift that keeps on giving in my opinon. Usually the stuff I want is not expensive so I always have money leftover on my card! Score! I can save it for my next shopping trip! Like Barnes & Noble gift cards, oh yeah! Most books are $6.99 or $7.99 so instead of buying a bunch of books, I usually just buy one that I really, really want. Sometimes I get lucky and the book is on sale. Woohoo! That is always fun!
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I do give gift cards. And I do love getting them. It is easier but to be honest opening and watching someone else open an actual gift is certainly more exciting.
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there is absolutely nothing wrong with gift cards…I give some every year…and I receive a lot every year too.(My family knows to give me Hallmark Gift cards because that allows me to go the day after Christmas and buy all the hallmark ornaments I didn’t buy during the year…at Half price..>ROLMFAO!
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I used to not like to give gift cards because I thought it was a cop out on buying a gift fro someone. My thoughts on this have changed a great deal though as I would rather get someone something they are going to use instead of something they put in a box in the back of the closet or have to go stand in line to return.
My favorite gift cards to get are bookstore ones or resturants. I save the resturant ones for those times I am low on cash but still want to go out and enjoy a nice meal with friends say. They have come in handy several times.