Normally by this time every holiday season I am in shear panic mode trying to make sure that we are getting the kids the right gifts both in quantity and quality, and while I have done this to myself, I realized last year that I was kind of over that stress.
As if to assure me that last year I was correct in how the holidays were making me crazy, the same thing already started happening...I ordered the kids what I thought were comparable Advent calendars and once they arrived, CK2's was noticably better, and I don't want CK to be upset and so the parent guilt of keeping kids 'even' continues.
The Advent calendar debacle makes me even more grateful that Mr. P and I came to a decision in August that we put into motion in October. No presents this year. Well, no piles of gifts under the tree this Christmas morn. NO, we haven't gone all Scrooge or hippie or anything. (I don't know why I thought maybe hippies didn't give presents, but it fit in the sentence.)
Instead? We booked a 5 day cruise to Mexico for December 19- 24. We will be home by noon on Christmas Eve all set to do all of our traditional Christmas stuff after having spent 5 days together, the 4 of us, in sunny MEXICO. So that means I don't have to spend the next three weeks scouring the Internet for deals or trolling Best Buy and stacking and restacking and then stacking their gifts just.one.more.time to make sure they are going to be happy.
So, my biggest stress of Christmas? Gone.
But today Mr. P and I are going shopping. We have two Toys for Tots events...tonight a basketball game, and tomorrow the 10K, so we are going to go buy toys. FUN. Plus when we had family dinner at the mall on Wednesday I took a tag off a tree to buy a toy for a baby in need. That was the last thing we did, and we were all walking out of the mall, less one Mr. P.
When he caught up to us, and that crabby, grumpy, delicious Mr. P had a tag from the tree for Seniors that live in a local retirement home. He said, "I nearly teared up when I saw that someone made a tag and had to ask for lotion and a blanket."
This afternoon we will be dining at Olive Garden (DON'T you snicker. CARB loading for the 10K tomorrow), then buying 5 toys and lotion and a kick.ass blanket!
How about you? How do you feel about the shopping part of the holidays?
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8 comments:
Ha! That is funny because we are going to Olive Garden for dinner...FANCY!
I think it's great that you are buying for those in need and giving yourselves the gift of well, yourselves! But seriously, will Santa still fill your kids' stockings? (Which reminds me...I still need to do that!)
I like shopping but I keep it pretty low-key on the spending, which makes it kind of fun, actually.
I generally loathe shopping year-round, but the thought of Toys R Us in December is pretty much my description of hell.
That said, my husband and I always participate in our respective workplaces' Santa's helper thing and buy gifts for needy kids.
Some things are worth putting oneself through hell for!
If you are looking for the most kick ass blanket around, may I suggest this one from Restoration Hardware.
http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1400029&navAction=jump&navCount=3
It may be a little higher than your budget - BUT it is on sale for only $39 right now - and WELL worth every penny.
I received this for my birthday a year ago, and had it with me for my two gall bladder related surgeries this summer. In fact when I came out of the 2nd surgery, it was the first thing I asked for (before asking for my mom!).
When I was alone overnight in the hospital, the weight and softness of this blanket kept me comfortable. Honestly, I would give this blanket to anyone who might be a little lonely, cold, or in pain. It is a bit of a miracle worker.
Anyway, just a total suggestion. :)
i had this comment all planned out, but honestly now i just want to go check out this blanket that Kimmers is talking about. it sounds heavenly.
but yeah: shopping here is done and i kept repeating this while shopping for the kids: "something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read." that about sums up their gifts.
I usually love the shopping part. Sometimes it gets stressful but I do enjoy the frenzy to a certain extent. We love shopping for kids for Christmas, too, and usually get a Salvation Army kiddo from their angel tree. That is so sad about the lotion and blanket--kudos to you guys for taking care of those folks!
I like the shopping, especially now that I can do so much of it online. I really enjoy trying to pick the right gifts for people.
When I was at the drugstore I saw an angel tree for people at a senior citizens' home, and they obviously had certain suggested things they could pick from - lotion, Chapstick, slippers, cookies, dried fruit... I thought I would do that, too, because being old and having to get presents from a stranger would suck.
Well, I think that is just a terrific idea!!! How fun is going to Mexico for Christmas!!!
You guys rock.
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