Though you'd have to have some real special circumstances to make me feel a housewarming list was appropriate, actually.
I've never actually seen a housewarming list, but it's definitely an event for which I'd just call someone and say, "I want to get you a present; what do you need?" Or I'd just check for the nearest grocery/drugstore/pet food store to their new neighborhood and get them gift cards; if you've got kids and/or animals and a new job and a new bank and everything's totally chaotic and miserable, it's a huge relief just to be able to grab a card and go when you realize you've lost and/or forgotten overnight diapers or allergy meds or the litterbox has a hole in it.
(Note that none of this is anything I've actually done myself anytime in the last five years; between the serious efforts to lower my debt load, the baby having, and the job miseries over the past year, I've had no disposable income to speak of recently. But oh, how I look forward to going gift-and-help-crazy over all my friends when things are steadier again.)
eta: And I'd have no problem at all with a Trudyish list, or a brenda list, or anyone else's--moving is hard and chaotic for everyone, no matter who or what else is or isn't in their lives, and everyone deserves nice stuff that makes them happy!
go spend you amazon money NOW.
My aunts had a "shower" when they bought a house, because they assumed they'd never have a wedding, and dammit, they wanted a shower! (Note: they are, in fact, now married. And they got additional showers, I'm pretty sure.)
I once gave my sister a pair of used shoes not in her size. To my
utter
defense they had previously belonged to Anita Baker and my sister was her biggest fan. It took her years to like the idea--and I'm not even sure she kept them.
My aunts had a "shower" when they bought a house, because they assumed they'd never have a wedding, and dammit, they wanted a shower!
Amen, sisters! I have bought so many wedding/baby shower gifts, it boggles the mind. And I admit there was a part of me going, "Dude! I'll never have my turn!" We decided against a big wedding to-do, but will definitely be making a baby registry when the time comes. Bring it!
previously belonged to Anita Baker
I'd make a fricking shrine! How awesome is that?!
Everybody bought us towels when we got married. Admittedly, we tried to elope and failed, thus having an impromptu wedding, so there wasn't time for a registry. But dude, we had towels for eons. We had so many towels we could have handled a whole gaggle of Ravenous Bugblatter Beasts of Traal. In fact, we only just now bought towels for the first time when we moved in to the house, and we're coming up on our 15th anniversary.
Speaking of which, we are not getting a deep housecleaning for our anniversary, but that would be awesome. Instead we are squiring a rock band around the southwest and appearing in their video as they throw a show for our kiddoes. Okay, it's not actually for my anniversary, but it is on my anniversary and the preceding days, so I'm gonna count it.
Which is awesome, because usually we take a National parks trip for our anniversary, but this one comes with bonus rockers.
no shower or wedding present here -- well the folks did . But we eloped partly to not get involved in all the hoopla.
no housewarming either.
we will probably have an admire our floor party
I'd make a fricking shrine! How awesome is that?!
See? I mean, I really really thought she'd like it, and it's the biggest FAIL I've ever had. If you got me Daley Thompson's sweatsocks, sure I'd put them in a ziplock bag, but I'd pull the bag out and cuddle it from time to time.
I'd like to think I'm the normal one.
