Apparently, gift cards were a very hot item this holiday season. Retailers are counting on getting people into their stores to redeem them -- and to spend even more.

Did you get any gift cards as holiday gifts? Are you going to put them toward anything you can use in your healthy journey -- new cookware? New workout outfits? An MP3 player to use while running? And if someone gave you cash (the gift that's always the right size and color), what will you be spending it on?

Can you tell I'm lookin' for ideas?

I got one Target gift card. I bought a silicone oven mitt and an iTunes download card.

I also received a Barnes and Noble card. I will buy books, but I don't know which ones. I will have to go looking and see what looks inticing at the time.

I love getting gift cards if they are well thought out gift cards. If you know me, you know what I love to do and where I love to shop, so if you get me a book store gift card or a GC from one of my favorite stores, then I feel like you put enough thought into it.

If I get a GC to a generic department store, then I may not feel like you thought much about it.

I got the Target card from MIL. MIL HATES gift cards, but she just didn't have the engergy to shop this year, so she broke down and got the GC. Can I say that this is the first times I have gotten something from her I will actually use?

Dawn

Because of dh's on-call schedule, we haven't been to Tioledo yet for my family's Christmas. That will be the place to get $$$ or GC.

I'm with Cathy. I spend so much thought and time finding "perfect" gifts BUT I would prefer the GC or $$$ to somebody who just gives me something to give me something - I received a boxed set from a "friend" which includes a calendar, a mug, and a bit of raspberry tea. Let any teacher tell you how quickly mugs accumulate - something I definitely DON'T need. And I realize that I may not be easy because I read so much, getting me books has backfired on a couple of occasions - how many copies of one book does one need?

Obviously I don't know if I'll get any GC, but my mom always gives my generation $50. I plan to get some new piano music. One of the gifts dh is getting for me is my piano will be tuned!

Linda

I forgot that I received a $75 Amazon gift card. I LOVE gift cards. I received a few things this year that I will definitely re-gift and as much as I appreciate the time and thought put into these gifts I like the gift card because not only can you pick out what you want but you get to go shopping and spend someone else's money!!! Amazon is a bit of overload for me though. There is TOO much stuff to pick from. I am not even close to deciding what I want. I just bought new books at B&N, most music I buy from iTunes, so I just don't know what to get. But, I don't have to make a decision right now but I look forward to spending that money

Jill

First, I hate Gift Cards! Didn't like Gift Certificates either, I think it stems from my spending the year looking for just the right gift for the person, and the other person walking in and purchasing an arm load of cards without much thought.

That said, we did get many this year, and mainly to a store that we don't shop at...but they have one in the city where the people who gave them to us live. For my son, this was a bust, becase there isn't this store in his area, he has to drive to another state, about 40 miles to use his. I traded him, for a Banana Rep GC. Anyway, we got our first set of all matching bedding...I am so thrilled. Now we can paint, carpet, rearrange and have a new room. AND we have $$ left over to get a couple of DVD's we've been looking at. I also have cash to spend on "Girl" things. Being the only woman in a house of all men, I sometimes forget how fun "girl" things are. So today I am going shopping for pretty things; and things my dh or sons wouldn't buy for me. YIPEE!

I still have a $100 Ann Taylor gift card from my birthday. I am saving it for either a) a new interview suit (assuming I GET any interviews) or b) a weight-goal reward (I'm about 10 pounds away).

I took back some things and bought myself a beautiful Skagen watch with the cash.

My understanding is that the Consumer Electronics Show and Macworld are scheduled for this coming week, so many new electronic products/models will be announced.

I will eventually get a non-iPod MP3 player, but wouldn't use it for my walks in the park. I would rather listen to the birds and the wind.

In the mean time, I will buy some CDs and books on Amazon.com, but don't have anything specific in mind.

I have 2 gift cards to redeem, and have already redeemed a third. The one I redeemed was for a yogurt maker. I love that thing. I'm still tweaking the recipe, but it is soooo much better than the stuff I can buy.

I am thinking about a new workout DVD, and hopefully a lamp or two for the house.

Sheri, I have an iRiver 1 gb mp3 player that I love. It goes everywhere I go when I travel. It's so small that I don't worry about anyone stealing it. Maybe you could look into that?

quote:

Originally posted by SheriaVa:
...and I have read enough stories of people being robbed of their iPods on the street that I wonder if it is the best idea for me.

Sheri,
Have you thought of getting that new tiny iPod that you can clip onto a shirt or pocket? You could easily conceal it. Of course you would still see the headphones and wires but you definitely could hide the iPod itself. I bought dd the iPod mini last year for Christmas and I must say it was a great investment. We both use it a lot. I've also heard that many, many people have had iPods break after about a year but we have had ours a little over a year with no problems at all. I also take the iPod headphones to the gym and plug them into the tvs hooked to the treadmill so they serve a dual purpose.

Jill

I GAVE a few gift cards this year--Sports Authority (for the friend who wants a starter set of weights), Lowes (for the home improvement guy) and Blockbuster (for the movie buff) that I can think of. I think I only got one for Christmas this year--to Kohl's--and I will TRY to find work slacks there but I've shopped there a lot the past several years and haven't had great luck with that particular item (though, Lord knows, I buy a LOT of other stuff at Kohl's!).

I'm always on the fence about whether I want an iPod or not. It seems like so much money for something that I don't know that I'd use for much other than walking...and I have read enough stories of people being robbed of their iPods on the street that I wonder if it is the best idea for me.

The only gift card that I got was for Olive Garden....dh and I will useit for our anniversary.

The cash I got was used to buy an under the counter radio/cd player for the kitchen, and for some Christmas decorating things (new tablecloth/cloth napkins, serving completer set, etc) and something else that I can't remember at the moment

I wish! Usually we get cash from both sides of the family. This year we got very little and with the expenses of the new house, we decided to just put what we did get in the bank.

DD got some gift cards though - an Amazon card, Disney Store and some cash as well. Needless to say, her purchases probably won't help you since she's six : )

Had I gotten cash, I would have bought the new Sony MP3/pedometer/calorie counter in a heart beat - http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/..._mp3players_style_s2