'Tis the season to think about the holidays, whether you celebrate or not, everyone gets some time off right? Mazel tof!! Happy holidays to all -- Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years, Kwanzaa -- whatever you celebrate enjoy it all! Growing up, my family did not celebrate any of the holidays around this time of year except New Years, which consisted of staying up late with Dick Clark! That was pretty awesome for me. While I may have missed the presents my classmates received or the amazing vacations they went on, I really didn't mind so much and enjoyed the time off. And there was always New Year's Rocking Eve waiting for me!
When my husband and I got married, we got to share a lot of family time together with each others families celebrating different things and learning from different cultures. My husband's family celebrates Christmas and there are a lot of new things for me to learn about celebrating with them. The good news is, since my husband has been doing this forever, he takes charge of buying the gifts for his family, which is a relief! I wouldn't even know where to start. I'm in charge of his gifts however, which is always challenging enough. We usually are good at dropping hints and guessing but this year, he sent me a list of stuff to get for him if I didn't have any ideas. My first reaction was "Huh? I don't need this! I always find you great gifts!" That takes all the fun out of it for me to see how surprised he is when he opens his presents! I love surprises but, unfortunately he does not, which always ends up causing trouble because I keep the surprises from him and he always tells me about something I wished was a surprise. D'oh! There is an upside to a list however, it makes it much easier to shop for the person. Then I thought, perhaps if I gave him at least an expansive list of things I was interested in, he can pick from them and I can get good presents and still be somewhat surprised! So I emailed him back a list of things, just in case he didn't have any idea of what I may want this year. While I tried to stay practical, this is also a great time to ask for things I might not be ready to buy myself -- like high end designer sunglasses for example! I might like them, but I don't think I'm ready to spend that much on them just yet.
So my list included 5 things. Here is how I actually wrote them out in my email:
A new puffy coat that's not as bulky as my old one would be an awesome gift for me since I hate the cold but love to be fashionable. I used to think mine was great but after a few years, it's definitely become a more practical, less stylish choice and has been referred to as a sleeping bag. But boy is it warm! Unfortunately when the cold hits, my style goes out the window in efforts to just stay warm and hibernate until the spring!
Also, after wearing the same winter boots for years, mine recently are starting to come apart. Actually, the last time I had worn them, it took two of us to try and pry them off, which never happened before! And the bottom part of the sole started coming off from the rest of the boot shaft. Crazy! I think that means these ones are almost done for. Finding cute ones that fit my aesthetic though will be a challenge because I'm really not into Uggs. Never have been, never will. Hence the specific "non ugly ones" reference in my list! I feel the same way about Uggs as I do about Toms shoes. *Shudder* Hideous!
Some cute lounge wear is always a must since I love to be comfortable at home. Don't those slipper socks and sweats look so cozy? And a sewing machine is great because I've started taking sewing lessons and would love to make clothing in the future. Maybe even for my own boutique retail store someday! Dreaming keeps hope alive!
Anyhoo, that's my list. Short and sweet. What's on yours? Anything special you've been eying for a while? Any special family plans or trips? This was also always a favorite time of year for my family to just get together since we all had time off.
Don't worry, my husband won't read this blog entry until long after Christmas with his work schedule this time of year.
When my husband and I got married, we got to share a lot of family time together with each others families celebrating different things and learning from different cultures. My husband's family celebrates Christmas and there are a lot of new things for me to learn about celebrating with them. The good news is, since my husband has been doing this forever, he takes charge of buying the gifts for his family, which is a relief! I wouldn't even know where to start. I'm in charge of his gifts however, which is always challenging enough. We usually are good at dropping hints and guessing but this year, he sent me a list of stuff to get for him if I didn't have any ideas. My first reaction was "Huh? I don't need this! I always find you great gifts!" That takes all the fun out of it for me to see how surprised he is when he opens his presents! I love surprises but, unfortunately he does not, which always ends up causing trouble because I keep the surprises from him and he always tells me about something I wished was a surprise. D'oh! There is an upside to a list however, it makes it much easier to shop for the person. Then I thought, perhaps if I gave him at least an expansive list of things I was interested in, he can pick from them and I can get good presents and still be somewhat surprised! So I emailed him back a list of things, just in case he didn't have any idea of what I may want this year. While I tried to stay practical, this is also a great time to ask for things I might not be ready to buy myself -- like high end designer sunglasses for example! I might like them, but I don't think I'm ready to spend that much on them just yet.
So my list included 5 things. Here is how I actually wrote them out in my email:
1.
A
sleeker/shorter puffy coat in XS – maybe with a cinched waist/belt
2.
Designer sunglasses
like Chanel or Bulgari
3.
Cold Weather boots
- non ugly ones – size 8
4.
Cute and cozy
lounge wear
5. A sewing machine
A new puffy coat that's not as bulky as my old one would be an awesome gift for me since I hate the cold but love to be fashionable. I used to think mine was great but after a few years, it's definitely become a more practical, less stylish choice and has been referred to as a sleeping bag. But boy is it warm! Unfortunately when the cold hits, my style goes out the window in efforts to just stay warm and hibernate until the spring!
Also, after wearing the same winter boots for years, mine recently are starting to come apart. Actually, the last time I had worn them, it took two of us to try and pry them off, which never happened before! And the bottom part of the sole started coming off from the rest of the boot shaft. Crazy! I think that means these ones are almost done for. Finding cute ones that fit my aesthetic though will be a challenge because I'm really not into Uggs. Never have been, never will. Hence the specific "non ugly ones" reference in my list! I feel the same way about Uggs as I do about Toms shoes. *Shudder* Hideous!
Some cute lounge wear is always a must since I love to be comfortable at home. Don't those slipper socks and sweats look so cozy? And a sewing machine is great because I've started taking sewing lessons and would love to make clothing in the future. Maybe even for my own boutique retail store someday! Dreaming keeps hope alive!
Anyhoo, that's my list. Short and sweet. What's on yours? Anything special you've been eying for a while? Any special family plans or trips? This was also always a favorite time of year for my family to just get together since we all had time off.
Don't worry, my husband won't read this blog entry until long after Christmas with his work schedule this time of year.
