All those in the US, sign here...

[mamama]

I see all these threads for Aussie people and thought we should have our own thread too. Not sure why, I just felt the need to make us feel special too!

So, who's stateside and where are you?

I'll start:

Mamama - in Chicago

Oh no Califrau - what a nightmare. AAA is definitely worth it. And, if you remember, you can use it to get discounts at various places like theme parks and hotels (apparently)

Best xmas pressies for me when I was teaching in the US were homemade biscuits (ginger) or fudge (with recipe) - both stuck on a nice plate with cellophane & a ribbon. Otherwise, books, vouchers etc

Make the dough & freeze it Califrau - then you can just bake it the night before you give them. Food is always a good gift. As is wine

I think the Oxfam unwrapped is a really good idea but the recipient does need to appreciate it - I would much prefer something like that to the piles of tat lovingly chosen gifts that I used to get.

Didn't mean to sound so ungrateful - I did appreciate any gift from the kids. And they gave me some really thoughtful things bought with their own money. It always made me feel guilty.

I asked a cousin of mine (who generally gives inapproprate age group gifts) to give a gift to charity for my dd's birthday this year as she is really into that kind of thing. She bought a Heifer Intl www.heifer.org gift card for dd and it was perfect. It has a picture of a load of different farm animals and the recipient gets to pick one and then one of those animals is donated to a person in the 3rd world (or something along those lines). It's nice because the recipient gets to participate in the gift. Dd (5) loved it and along with her Glow-in-the-dark Care Bear, it was one of her favorite gifts (she picked a pig).
Generally for ds' teachers so far I have just given gift certificates to Barnes & Noble. To his really lovely Teacher's Aide in nursery in the UK (who ended up taking over the class when the teacher abruptly went back to australia) I gave some of the text books that she needed to get her qualifications to be a full fledged teacher (she was working towards that). Last year, dd had a wonderful nursery teacher that I gave a certificate for a massage to and a vase for end of year.
This year, dd has such a lovely teacher and both children have such lovely after school care, that I really want to do something more personal than gift certificates, so I am thinking hard, but so far haven't come up with anything.

SA, I don't think there is anything wrong with gift vouchers. Some people like home-made food but others - like my mailman - find tens of plates of cookies a bit much.

I'm here to stick up for gift vocuhers/certificates.

I think the right voucher is thoughtful - yours for a massage or B&N are clearly judged carefully to suit the person.

This year I'm giving a small gift to my two babysitters but a mall card also - the young one can go to American Eagle and the older lady will head to Hobby Lobby. My step-daughter is getting a mall card, she always needs clothes, and PIL love eating out so they're getting Chessecake Factory. Everyone loves them. I've also in the past bought them for a nearby nursery for MIL. You can be creative with them.

I had a house-warming party when we moved here and I am still working through the scented candles they all brought. As a result I never buy them, I think they are the ultimate lazy present!

Gift cards give the gift of SHOPPING people. I love them, and agree with ccc that the right gift card can be very thoughtful. Although I do see that not everyone sees shopping as a gift. Now if I could only convert DH to the idea, as he thinks this is the most impersonal and horrible gift ever created. I keep telling him I would be happy with a Macy's gift card every b-day and X-mas because everything I want can be found there or their home store. Sigh. Maybe this is the year he gets it in his head. Not.

The kids and I ventured to my in-laws this weekend. They gave me the easiest drives ever in both directions. We didn't do much, but both the kids and Grandma and Grandpa were very happy to see each other. Daddy couldn't come as he has to work at least part of the weekend from now till Christmas.

Continuing the scented candle thread, DH's relatives are keen on giving us horrid clothes wihich we never wear and no gift receipt... So I 'regift' - love that word - to Goodwill.

We have converted teh family to drawing names for the adult gifts. It makes the shopping so much easier! And you get one really nice gift instead of a lot of stuff like the Goodwill re-gifting lot.

HAve definitely used gift cards when I draw a difficult person like my nephew. He's into sports so last year I got him an REI card and he seemed really pleased.

So glad you are all on the subject of gifts! I really want to get organised but Im not sure what to buy for who. Do people give gifts to the neighbours or only to ones they are good friends with? Is alcohol a suitible gift or will people think/realise we drink too much? Do kids give their school-mates gifts?

Have been here for four full weeks now and homesickness has set in full-force. The tears came in meijer yesterday at the sight of maltesers and Typhoo tea in the "ethnic" aisle! Isnt it odd the things you miss? My four yr old ds cried and begged for a box of mini wheatabix in Jungle Jims which we bought even though it was $8 for a very small box.

On the topic of food, can anyone tell me where they are hiding the big bags of pasta? Ive looked everywhere including Sams club and Costco but they only seem to sell 1lb bags. Surely Im not the only bad cook who does pasta at least 3 times a week.

Oh Dodgy you poor thing, the first wave of homesickness is really hard. I have only been here 7 months myself so still get homesick every now and then, I'm sure even the long term expats on here still have waves of homesickness at some points. What always helps me is to have a large glass of wine, remind myself of the fabulous opportunity we have to live abroad, and then send my hubby out to the World Market shop to buy a large bar of Fruit and Nut (sod the cost!). Also when I feel like this I try not to call home because it makes me feel worse, but that's just me. Have you made any friends yet? Perhaps you could catch a movie with someone, kick start your social life and watch a feel good film? You are more than welcome to Cat me if you want to chat off-line.
Big Hugs x

I can't find any big bags of pasta either...
If you have a Trader Joes near you then they sell Weetabix cheaply - probably cheap because it isn't coated in sugar therefore not popular.....

Kroger sell Weetabix. Poor you, Dodgy. I really feel for you.

I would definitely not buy alcohol in Ohio until you know people better! We are god-fearing round here you know.

Home-baked cookies are popular but as you have only just moved in I don't think anyone will expect this. They would love shortbread! People give to teachers when the children are younger. I tip the postman $10.00 cash, he seems to like that!

This is a really hard time of year, isn't it? I too have almost wept at the sight of Ribena or Cadbury's fingers in the supermarket.

I second World Market for some British things (check the sell by dates though) & Trader Joes for cheap pasta. No idea why you can't get big bags of it. And, while we're talking of pasta, I'd like to say I find it irritating to call all pasta noodles. They're not noodles. It's been bugging me for a while and I haven't been able to tell anyone. I feel better for saying that now.

And Trader Joes do a good little gingerbread house making kit.

This is a really hard time of year, isn't it? I too have almost wept at the sight of Ribena or Cadbury's fingers in the supermarket. I've been here for 5 yrs and still get homesick. I think I always will.

I second World Market for some British things (check the sell by dates though) & Trader Joes for cheap pasta. No idea why you can't get big bags of it. And, while we're talking of pasta, I'd like to say I find it irritating to call all pasta noodles. They're not noodles. It's been bugging me for a while and I haven't been able to tell anyone. I feel better for saying that now.

And Trader Joes do a good little gingerbread house making kit.

Didn't mean to post twice.

Hello all

Since I am (I think) now the only mumsnetter in Bermuda I have been invited to join your thread, is that okay?

It would be lovely to find some people still awake in the evenings to chat to!

Really, Cali? The real deal? I'll have to call DH and tell him to bring me some home from work to try them and see what they're like.

Hi anorak. Happy to see you found your way to Bermuda and then our way. You sound really happy where you're at.

well it is rather special to be told you can go and live in Bermuda for three years, as I said to DH I'd have to be some kind of miserable cow not to be happy about it, wouldn't I?

So where do all of you live, anyone within 1000 miles of me?

I just found PG Tips at my local supermarket! WoooHooo!

So excited about the creme eggs - don't think they will make it to the tree though! We are really lucky here because we have Jungle Jims about 45min drive away. It is a huge warehouse of a store that specializes in importing foods from all over the world, including Britain. It is very pricey but they have most of the things I really miss like Cadbury's, IrnBru, Typhoo, Salad Cream, Ribena,...They also have all the European things we are used to seeing in the supermarkets and they use the right names like aubergine, penne pasta (noodles really annoys me too), corriander etc. Definately divided by a common language!

i would gladly walk over hot coals for a shopping spree in an Illuminations candle shop.

k, to go shopping in Flatirons Crossing Mall.

Can anybody help me please? I have American-style washing machine and dishwasher here and they are completely different from the ones we have in the UK.

My washing machine deposits fluff and lint on everything I wash, and I can't figure out how to find any filters and get at them to clean them.

My dishwasher is chucking up food deposits on everything, and I can't see how to clean the filters on that either. I went out shopping looking for soda crystals and dishwasher cleaner and could find neither in the supermarket. Please, what do I do? I don't have manuals for these machines in my rented house.