Okay peeps, tis the season!
Tell us what you are getting your coach for Christmas!
I haven't decided whether I'll stick with last year's gift cards to the wine store or get one coach a bottle of wine and the other a bottle of rum.

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

Smith & Hawken has blanket and booties that you throw in the microwave, warm up and put on after that COLD day at the rink. They are very soft and also aeroma theraputic: the scent is Eucolyptus...very nice! S & H also has a very elegant "skating boot" Christmas Tree onament, so I picked one of those up, too!

I get my coach the same thing every year: Gift certificates to Tim Hortons. I know they will go to good use. I also throw in a smaller gift, last year it was a cute cat ornament.

Primary coach: Gift Card to Albertson's. (Per his request for groceries instead of Starbucks coffee...)

Secondary coach: A thermis, filled with a nice warm Starbucks coffee drink that I suspect she will like...

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

I have been pondering as well. I'm good friends with my hairdresser and give her cash. I give bug boy cash (my exterminator) and I give postman cash. So I was wondering...do I give Coach cash? Or a bottle of Veuve Clicquot? Last year I gave her a bottle of red wine. HELP! She's not a Starbucks person.

one of my coaches is getting a handknit scarf and a selection of specialty teas.

the other one is getting a gift card to a coffee shop near the rink and an insulated beverage cup and a small box of chocolates.

not sure what I'm getting my ex-coach who just moved to NC. Probably some sort of gift card (he was my coach until early Nov of this year).

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American Waltz... Once, Twice, ???? ...

Q: How many coaches does it take to fix Jen's Dance Intro-3 Problems
A: 5 and counting...

I got my coaches (I have a primary coach and another coach that I work with on choreography for my program) the same thing: a bag of ground coffee from Whole Foods (a special "holiday flavor") and a small package of madeleines (the cookie). I put them in holiday-themed gift bags, lined with tissue paper.

I thought about getting them either votive candle sets or bags of potpourri, but the pickings at the store I went to were pretty slim, plus the potpourri had a warning about keeping it away from pets, and my primary coach (and I think secondary too but not sure) has a dog.

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Terri C is a Bronze lady!
Gold Moves, here I come!

Pears from Harry & David. They are very scrumptious.

I was just there tonight, and the line was 1/2 way through the store. They didn't have any of the kind that I wanted in the refrigerated area and the store was quite warm. When I asked the saleslady about all this, she kept referring to the store as being "cool" (and I'm standing there sweating) and was kind of grouchy. But I guess they're busy right now, so the sales people probably get a bit tetchy. And the pears really are tasty, plus they have a buy one get the next 1/2 off deal, plus a deal where you can get free truffles after spending x amount and a discount after spending 2x amount.

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Ask me about becoming a bone marrow donor.
http://www.marrow.org
http://www.nmdp.org

Depending on the coach, you could get them a bottle of each

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Ask me about becoming a bone marrow donor.
http://www.marrow.org
http://www.nmdp.org

Cash is always nice when it comes in a nice gift card--it takes the pressure off and they can get something they like! Last year we purchased gift certificates for a massage at a nice spa near their home (pairs coaches.) The certificates were good for a year and they finally got around to it a few weeks ago, and really enjoyed it!

Last year I gave my coach a pair of cross country ski gloves. They are light and thin, yet warm. As with most coaches he is on the ice for long periods of time and our arenas are unheated.

I was pleased when I noticed him wearing them all the time this year.

Hand knitted with coaches name and lined with towelling, made by a dear friend and popular member of the Forum, she can tell you if she wants you to know, I dont want to tell without her permission. She also made a lovely pair for me for the British which alas I was unable to attend, but never mind, I use them anyway and there's always next year.

My coach is getting a scarf and gloves, plus a jar of Triple Chocolate Cookie mix that I made. I'll top it off with a small rottweiler ornament (she eventually wants to get one)

I found the gloves and put them on--I could only wear them for about five minutes before my hands were sweating off. I figure they will be warm in the rink.

For our primary coach (she teaches me, hubby and daughter) we got her a candle and candle warmer, and blinged up a set of gloves. She said not to get her much as it would not be "appropriate"

For dance coach, I'm not sure-she is into organic stuff and can't have candles....I need to visit the health food store and see what they have

For the skating director, I'm getting coffee (the pods for her Senseo), biscotti, and an insulated mug.

for a few others, my Stinky Feet spray (now in lavender, orange, and spearmint) or blinged gloves

that's it-I've been too busy this year!!!!

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Oh what a coincidence, that's what I'm giving our coaches, too!

They usually get a bottle of wine and a potted plant, but not this year.....

And we have bought a tin of biscuits (jar of cookies?) to put in the pros' room to be enjoyed by everybody. And one coach, whose birthday is today, got a pot of hand-made body-scrub, which I know she likes. And any of the others are welcome to a bar of my soap, if they would like it.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

I take pictures for the club shows and competitions to raise a little money for them, therefore I have a host of photos of club members and coaches. My coach also headed up the synchro team last year and was proud of that, so I aimed for a gift along those lines.

For her gift this year I gave her a "personalized" coffee mug with a synchro team picture printed on it:



It was especially poignant because many of the synchro members pictured were her classmates who had graduated last spring and moved away.

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Bill Schneider

Well I ditched the ideas I had and went with Starbucks gift cards.
Rationale: One coach leaves with hubby for Christmas in NY later in the week and they are driving. The other coach will be flying to California with hubby and two kids the day after Christmas. Therefore, I figured they may like Starbucks, whether on the road or in the air.

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Adult Nationals, 2009 "The Time of My Life"

I made afghans for three friends, and was going to make one for my coach as well ---- but I need something nice for her birthday, so got her a fake fur throw...which she loved! She had been talking about how her kids "steal" her watching-TV blanket...so now she has her own.

Someone gave my coach books of photos of all her students, one for the kids, one for the adults, with the student writing something on their specific photo page. That was really nice, and brought tears to my coach's eyes!

As a coach, I've received several things that I really appreciated.

Music gift certificates - For buying music for skating programs.
Blank CD's/Cassettes - To give kids a copy of their program music.
Gloves - Nice warm fleece ones that match my skating jacket(s).
Toasty Toes warmers - these are really nice when I teach outdoors.
Markers and stickers - to be used/given out as rewards during LTS classes.

In the "food" department:

A box of fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate.
Chocolate-covered pretzels.
An assortment of instant soup, tea, coffee.

My penguin addiction is out of the closet again because I'm teaching a Snowplow Sam 1 class. I use a set of penguin bowling pins during the last few minutes of the class, just to keep the 4-to-6 year olds on the ice. As a gift, one of my 11 year old students gave me a potholder, tea towels, and an ornament -- all with penguins on them! So cute.

That's a really wonderful idea.

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Last year, I gave my coach a thick sweater with a huge turtle neck and really long sleeves, because the one she had had holes in it and she kept wearing it anyway! This year, I got CD/DVD cases because she is always making copies of stuff for me. And, some cookies that we like to eat during my lessons!

Another skating friend and I picked out music, choreographed a program and skated a "gift" for her. In tears, she said no one had ever done anything like that for her.

ooo. I was drawing a blank for ideas. Thanks, Isk8NYC...

Only something like this would come from your FAVORITE student, of course!

My coach will be getting gloves too -- high tech ones rated for extreme outdoor sports or people with cold hands. The mittens she's been wearing lately to replace the gloves with holes in the figners still don't look warm enough to me. (And a package of home made Christmas cookies ... )

Rob

This was a girl I taught last year; the family owns a gourmet basket business. The strawberries were an out-of-this-world specialty! The skater changed coaches this season (I think she's on #3), so I know I'm not getting those this year, although I might order a box for Christmas. (My kids love them, too.)

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I get my coach handmade truffles shipped in from a very exclusive chocolatier in France. Its a real delight because it makes them feel special, and you can't find any in stores here. Plus, it's not super pricey either.

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Keep Evolving. "From this moment forward, every voice that told you - You Can't - , has been silenced." - Freedom Writers

Welllll......here it is almost my last lesson before the holiday and I've been so crazed at work (12 hour days, literally, weekends too except for this past Sunday) that the gift will be....cash. I went to three liquor stores and couldn't find a wine I liked or Veuve Clicquot! While buying my work secret santa gift today (at the Borders two blocks from work on my only break this week) I managed to pick up a cute card that says on the front "I want you to get exactly what you want for Christmas" and on the inside it says, "and I want you to get it yourself!" That is SO me.

You all have gotten such thoughtful gifts I feel like a luza! If and when I pass my next test I promise to get a better gift.