From the gal pal:
The Shaman & Ayahuasca - Don Jose Campos
The complete Dead Sea Scrolls translated
A book on the philosophy of Tantra
and the Folio Societies Illustrated edition of Einsteins Relativity theory(awesome edition)
Also she made me a photo album with all of the scrapbook style trimmings that almost made me cry. It was probably the best phsyical gift that i received.

I really had the best christmas of my life just being able to spend it with her, aria, and my family. It was busy, hectic, crazy at times, but absolutely wonderful!

Also.... my gf, who is the sweetest, most thoughtful, tender, amazing woman i have ever met received a gift for us and her daughter that was pretty cool. Her parents are sending us to disney in 2013 with the little one. i've never been there and i probably would have never went otherwise. I absolutely adore her child and i'm super excited to see her reaction. I think it will be fun for us as well, but mostly we are happy for the opportunity to take Aria there.

oh, and i got the little Keurig coffee maker. its my new favorite device. ADORE IT. Thanks grandparents! : )

And you guys want to talk about insane consumerism? This was my first christmas with my GF's family and they bought gifts for my GF/Daughter and my GF's Brother/his daughter. I am not kidding when i say that they spent upwards of $20,000 on gifts for 4-6 people. Her folks live in a gigantic mansion(well to me its a mansion) and even have an indoor basketball/racketball court. Dude is loaded. He owned a couple of nursing homes, a medical supply company, and did some public service work. Anyways, it was alot to take in because i've never experienced anything like it. I watched both my GF and her brother each open a shoebox that was stuffed to the BRIM with gift cards. There had to be $5000 in gift cards in each box. CrAzY! The pile of gift boxes reminded me of how scrooge mcduck goes swimming in his money on that cartoon. Goodness gracious....

They bought me sweatpants, a few fast food gift cards, a bill oreilly book(frickin hilarious), and some hot sauces. And of course i'm included in the disney vacation. i'm just like wow... i certainly can't complain, and i'm grateful, but the whole thing just seemed absolutely insane to me. I couldn't beleive my eyes. And thats coming from a DMT enthusiast!

Personally I love Christmas. I love sharing the time with family and loved ones, and I love the way that hundreds of millions of others are doing the same - this strikes me as being an amazing thing. I also love the tradition of giving and receiving gifts. And while like others I find the obscene level of consumerism repulsive, this doesn't define or affect my experience of Christmas, in the same way that other people abusing and overindulging in food, drugs, sex, alcohol etc doesn't affect my enjoyment of these things.

I received some home-made wine, a yoga mat handmade in the Himalayas and some high quality incense, and these things have brought me a little extra happiness.

Of course I am aware as I enjoy this time that there are millions who will be hungry or suffering or unhappy, and that my enjoyment of these few trinkets is shallow and will pass, but in the same way all joys in this life are fleeting and tinged with sadness, but such is the condition of our beautiful, miraculous, amazing human lives.

Or maybe I've just had too much of the home-made wine

But anyway, peace on earth and goodwill to all

xxxx

I gotta lump of coal.....

When i were a lad we"d get a clip round the ear and were damn grateful for it

Some undies,pyjamas, socks, wallet, backpack, journal, a workout book and some money which is dedicated for some near future travels.Every year everyone gets scratchies and a lotto ticket, i've never won lol. I just asked for small things i might need as i am looking to throw out or sell a whole lot of junk soon. I want too be able to carry most if not all my belongings in one backpack.

I figured out one way to stop the presents, my family doesn't know my address and I don't tell them. No gifts!

My professor and roomates gf gave me some gifts though. (both books oddly enough, surely you must be joking mr feynman and notes of a dirty old man)

I was able to have two Christmas consecutive with my girlfriend and her wonderful family, sure gifts are cool, but It's a nice change to have such a warm time with loved ones for the season.

nothin i got nothin, i was sleeping the whole day , in the evening when i woke up i did'nt realize it was christmas till 11:00 pm in the night , then i did and smoked a joint

oh if only i could have gotten up a bit early , gone to see my parents , hang out with my friends , i would have gotten something but all i did was lazily sleep away christmas

Six decks of cards and a pair of fire poi.
That's all I wanted.

I empathize with the reaction against the consumerism of the holidays, but don't let that get you down! Take the season as an opportunity to spend time with family, cook wholesome food that might offset the crap people often indulge in, and MAKE thoughtful gifts that will outlast gadgets and consumer goods. I brewed beer for my dad and made my mom a wire-wrapped crystal ornament for her christmas tree, for example (I am usually pretty critical of the way she accumulates junk to put on that tree).

On one side of the family, most are aging hippies, we stopped doing gifts all together.

Now we pool money and donate it to The Heifer Project.

Basically, the money helps people in tough situations have a sustainable means of food. i.e. a dairy cow keeps on giving.

The Heifer Project

Heifer Project Expense Review



Otherwise, a new pair of glasses was gifted to me.

Time with family and friends is what I value most BUT I have to say the the 6 wee Echinopsis Peruviana babies I got were just a lovely gift. My lady also got me this killer book...

http://www.amazon.com/Th...a+of+psychoactive+plants

I opened it and it took my breath away... oh I have so much beautiful reading to do!

What a Merry Christmas! I wish you all all the love and beauty you can absorb this holiday season!

For Christmas, I got what I asked for. Nothing.

I don't need anything else other than my family.

I must say I received some money..I'll be able to buy food with it!

Ohh and I bought myself this very good reference book: http://www.amazon.com/Ps...r-Stafford/dp/0914171518

Cheers

Lots of STUFF, moneyz, food, family, beer and good times.

One of my cards was packed with herbs

Tihkal and Pikal! My wife is not into this stuff at all yet she still supports me and got me those books... its one of the best presents I've ever got partially because of that. I always looked when we went to bookstores for years now and didn't want to order them online... seems she didn't have that reservation! I'm very happy to have them though, lots of good reading ahead!

Haven't really done gifts in a while, but it was my daughters first Christmas so she got a few things and she enjoyed the bow from the wrapping the most if that doesn't about sum it up eh?

I did gift myself a lb of confusia goodness so more merryness to come. Also, my folks bought us tickets to see them mid January which is the best gift I could have gotten! All in all... no work, hanging with my wife and kid and one heck of a delicious meal... perfection.

I got a new tablet, a kindle fire hd, which I`m currently using to type this post with, definitely interesting to type without lifting a finger... still getting used to the user interface

My girlfriend was also nice enough to get me a set of Irish linen handkerchiefs with my name embroidered onto them, as well as a beer making kit

Hash.

I enjoy the gift exchange of non-religious Winter holidays. BUT, I am old fashioned as are many around me. When I say gift exchange I'm talking about home baked, home sewed, home crocheted goods, where the primary ingredient is love, not money. Either that or something that is very old from our personal collections goes to the kids in our lives - at times when we know they can appreciate it.

i agree with the attitudes of there are better places these resources could go but i absolutely love the microscope and compound bow i got