Christmas Shopping

9/10/2012

 

Christmas Shopping

Did you know that there are only 106 days until the jolly man visits us once again?  Me either but I was curious enough so I went to the internet (source of all knowledge as well as junk trivia) and there is an actual website devoted to the Christmas countdown.  Seems a bit much to me but to each his own.

I didn’t always start shopping early but I do now  Why?  Because I like it.  I don’t just go to a mall and stroll into a store and casually buy.  Nope, I’m an online shopper and I’m looking for the unique and unusual.  I want to find something that you didn’t know existed.  I love the hunt, always have and probably always will.

I already have a few items purchased and have a pretty good idea what to buy whom, except for adult sons and Jeff.  I suppose anything I gave the boys in the color green would be an appreciated gift but that is taking the easy way out in my mind.  I’ll just have to scratch my head until I come up with something.  Trust me I will. 

I have a list of possible gift items for family and friends.  From there the sky’s the limit.  I search Ebay, Etsy, Craigslist and catalogs looking for just the “right” gift for everybody.  I know that I probably put too much effort into this gift giving business; but, I can’t seem to help myself.

My mother made Christmas a big deal while we kids were at home. There was a scavenger hunt one year for our big gift.  She wrapped things uniquely, liked it when packages rattled (and so did we) and allowed us to paw through the packages under the tree endlessly.  I did the same.  Some nights all of Andy’s gifts would be in the front of the year and the next night it would be Scott or Kenny.  Everybody jockeyed for the front position!

Benjamin is easy to buy for.  He’s 4 years old and everything he opens gives him the WOW factor.  It’s a wonderful age when a simple puzzle causes him to inhale and put his hands to his face and exclaim “oh my goodness.”  Hearts actually expand when he open gifts!

Buying for me is pretty easy too – at least I think so.  I leave trails of evidence everywhere.  I pull out the particular page in a catalog, circle the item with a colored marker and leave it on the refrigerator.  I get those dots real close together for my family.

Jeff has in the past surprised me with very special gifts that produced tears.  One of those gifts was an antique cabinet lined in satin.  A beautiful piece, unexpected and loved it then and still do.

Jeff is very hard to buy for.  He doesn’t want much but the best gift I could give him this year or any year would be a newer and bigger plane.  I think a new plane isn’t in the budget this year; but, Jeff don’t ever give up hope you never know what the future is going to bring.

P