I just finished wrapping the last of my gifts. I’ll probably have more to wrap later because Jay is out shopping as I write this. I don’t mind.
I went a new direction with wrapping this year. I’ve been moving in this direction for a few years now but this year the transformation is complete; only good quality, gorgeous paper.
When we’re young and have little kids, we put our money (what little we have) into the presents themselves. Toys are expensive. Stupidly so, since most kids are only impressed by them for about three minutes, then re&vert to playing with the boxes or their old favorites. I’ve never known a little kid who was more excited about the $70.00 talking Princess doll than the $1.69 version you can pick up at any Goodwill. In fact, most of my kids had more fun with the boxes and the cardboard tubes the wrapping paper came on. Forts and swords and imagination are a lot more fun than a doll that repeats herself.
Anyway, when our kids were little I bought whatever paper was cheapest at Target or Wallgreens.
The trouble with cheap paper is it’s cheap. It’s thin, hard to work with, tears too easily and is ugly.
Newspapers and curly ribbon make a prettier display under the tree and keep the surprise just as well as ugly paper.
I’ve also moved past cutesy paper. No Santas, snowmen or quilt like repeats for me. I just like pretty. Metallics, plaids, red, green, gold and silver, shiny, heavy duty paper.
But the good stuff that won’t tear apart while you’re trying to wrap can be expensive. I went to Marshall’s and TJ Maxx and bought eight rolls of the good stuff.
Sam’s Club had been a good source of really pretty, well priced paper, too. In the last few years I’ve gotten several really nice rolls of gold, shiny red and white polka dot and some really spectacular Christmas plaid metallic there. The best part is the rolls are huge and thick. While most paper has around 30’ on a roll, these ones have about 300 so they last for years.
I was terribly disappointed when I went looking for paper at Sam’s this year. They had a few styles, all cutesy poo and ugly. Maybe the good stuff sold out early; I don’t know. Sam’s Club has been letting me down a lot lately. Over the last few years, they’ve discontinued a lot of the items I went there especially for. First they dropped Wishbone Italian dressing. A two pack of huge bottles for $7.00. Gone. Then they dropped the two lb bags of C&H brown sugar (the only brown sugar worth buying). I’ve been stocking up on that when Lunds has it on sale. Then Sams’ dropped Grey Poupon Dijon mustard.
I think the disappearance of the huge boxes of Bisquick might be the last straw.
I can get gas and milk at Costco, who still carries the things I use.
I baked the last tray of Christmas cookies last night. I really didn’t get going on cookies until about two weeks ago. In the old days, I used to start right after Thanksgiving but in the old days I had a house full of kids who tried to eat them as fast as I pulled them out of the oven. Now its just me and it would be too humiliating to eat that many cookies all by myself.
I’m not saying I couldn’t do it.
I’m glad I have a fridge out in the garage to stash them; out of sight, out of mind.
All the needlepoint is either painted, stitched or finished, wrapped up and labeled. A few gifts won’t be delivered until after Christmas. There’s nothing I can do about that, so no sweat.
The Holiday season comes and goes so fast…so many things we wanted to do but couldn’t find the time! We always hope to do a cookie baking party but that’s only happened once. There just aren’t enough weekends during Advent to squeeze that in. Last year, a bunch of us went to the Holidazzle Bizarre and we loved it! We planned to go again this year but couldn’t find the time. If it weren’t for the Grandparent’s show in the morning, I wouldn’t have been able to see Banana and Punkin’s Christmas concert, which was fabulous and totally worth getting out of the house by 8:30 in the morning.
We have a dusting of snow but not enough for sledding. The lakes and creeks have ice on them but are far from frozen. Winter hasn’t really begun but we can already see the light of spring at the end of the long dark tunnel. Heck, the days are getting longer!
But today and tomorrow are for Jesus, fun, family, food, gift giving, singing and dancing. Rejoice! It’s a Birthday Party!
I’ve got a new pair of turkey eatin’ pants I can wear tonight. I may save those for tomorrow. They’re pretty, fake fancy and have nothing but elastic around the middle. Mmmm…turkey.
Here’s hoping everyone is having a Blessed and Happy Christmas!