Christmas Shopping!

I know it gets a little crazy out there : \ 

But Really? Christmas gifting is one of the best things about Christmas! Besides remembering the birth of my Lord, giving to others really makes the season for me. Christmas' in my family have never felt materialistic, thanks to two fantastic parents. I never remember feeling disappointed over what I did or didn't "get", and that's certainly something I want to pass on to CharlieO. There are plenty to ways to show others you care, without breaking your budget or stressing yourself into a catatonic state over the credit card bills come January! Without further babbling...

Sam's Yearly gift ideas $25 and under for.....

Men 

• Guys love food and booze. Period. They also love gifts they can dig into right away! Grab an old bucket, pail, lunchbox, or a kitchy Chinese takeout box from the container store, or someplace similar. Fill it up with a small assortment of snacks. Think hickory farms! A summer sausage, peanuts, crackers, cheese, or sunflower seeds are all great guy food! Go by your local central market, world market, or whole foods and grab two beers from around the world! If you don't know much about beers, pick a neat looking label! Finish your "boy basket" off with something fun like a scratch off lotto ticket or a five dollar xbox live "points" card. Not only does your gift seem thoughtful, but he will have probably dug in and enjoyed before the season even ends! 

 Ladies

• You girls should be a breeze! From Starbucks gift cards to coffee baskets stuffed with a mug, a blend, and a holiday themed creamer--I'd say it really comes down to the time and effort you want to put in. For your office secret Santa, the former would suffice, but for one of your former bridesmaids? Maybe you could do enough digging to find out her fav latte flavor, and get her the means and mixes to make her own at home! Accessory baggies are always fun, too! Scarves, earrings, anklets, armbands, headpieces, necklaces, and rings all help bring an outfit together. You can gift an entire accessory "look", without busting a $20! Real trendsetters and fashionistas will appreciate anything unique. Hit up local thrift, second hand, and antique stores to find gems for less! Driving through neighborhoods Thurs-Sundays to rummage through garage and estate sales is worth the fashion thinking girls time! 

Just a few thoughts on the subject! Now onto my own Christmas' shopping experiences so far this year:

  Troy- Xbox 360 RAPALA PRO BASS FISHING ROD BUNDLE! My very favorite Wheatheart, Troy, is quite the fisherman. About four years ago, we got into the sport while celebrating the fourth of July at his Uncle and Aunts home, near Lake Whitney. I fished for the first time there, and my "beginners luck" incited a war between us as to who come become the better fisherman. Over time, hes brought in the most catches, but I'm certainly the most patient out there! Since Charlotte O was born, Troy skips his weekend fishing trips, to spend quality "father /daughter" time with her. I pull the night duty alone, because I genuinely want him to get all the rest he needs for work each day. So, on Saturdays and Sundays, he takes over around 6 or 7am, and lets me sleep until a sinful hour! This game will bring the bait cast reel back to him! The reel controller is wireless, and puts on a real fight, like a carp would! I picked this out alone, and I'm hoping its a gland slam!

Charlotte Olivia- At four months old, its time for the tried and true, Johnny Jumper! A lot of moms seem to agree, babies have a ball in this old school toy! Mommy bought her the masculine of the toy fabric choices. My Charlie girl seems to be the type to choose blue with green frogs before hot pink with purple flowers! Daddy bought her a neat toy called a "Bat and Waddle Penguin." The toy is a play on the old blow up buddy that's weighted down at the center, so that no matter how hard you hit, he always pops back up! Its height is about that of a 6 month baby sitting unsupported. That said, it should also be mentioned that this is a 6 month toy. Using a few C batteries, the penguin giggles and laughs every time your baby bats or pushing him over, or actually, even just nudges him! I can see a few parents thinking the noise comes out too easily, but I like the idea of encouraging Charlotte O to keep trying, even if he little arms aren't yet fully in control of where they end up! Lastly, the penguin friend's belly is fully of a few little "ball pit" type balls that roll around inside, visible to baby! We plan on stuffing her stocking with teethers, a few small toys, and maybe a pair of shoes!

• Melissa- My sister is notoriously hard to shop for. She never tries anything on, returns anything, likes anything, hates anything, is indifferent to anything--in short, i can never tell if she likes my gift at all, and I never seem to ever hear anything about it again. Haha. So this year, I got her something I WOULD want. An outfit. A cute tank, that will be a staple piece year round, and a dressy black shrug with gold beading to finish it off! The shrug is comfortable enough for her job, but certainly funky enough to wear on the town. I felt it was a fun purchase. One moms dont make for themselves, often. She deserved something just for HER.

Ben and Kenzie- My brother and sister in law suffer from the same hard-to-shop-for-syndrome that affects my sister and father each year. Really, it runs in the family. I'm always trying to buy them some weird, kitchy appliance. I almost bought them the cupcake maker, today at Target. Six cupcakes baked in a cute purple contraption on your counter, in only ten minutes! Somehow, though, I never see these appliances on the counter, and I eat over there regularly enough to know. So, I finally used some common sense. I decided to get them something they would actually USE. For whatever reason, the street my brother and sister in law's family resides on, isn't serviced for cable or satellite. Its a sad day when there are NO television or Internet options for these people! So this is a family that watches a lot of movies. Lots and lots of movies. It seems like every other day they are buying new movies, or rummaging through the old ones trying to find something new. Merry Christmas!! Family Guy, Seasons 5 and 6. (Hey, this is the real world. Parents like Family Guy too. Real ones.)

• Mike (Our Oldest Nephew, too old for toys)- Hes 16 and too school for cool! 1600 Microsoft Xbox live points. I cannot stress this enough: You can hardly ever go wrong with this gift. Kids, teens, and adults alike NEED xbox live points. Not only do we need these points to buy games and upgrades, but zune is chock full of things like Salute Your Shorts, and the above mentioned, Family Guy! All of this media costs points, and before you know it, you've bought an entire season of a 90s teen comedy/drama set in a fictional summer camp you wish you went to. Microsoft Xbox live points are always a good choice. And if you aren't sure they are on xboxlive? When in doubt, get an itunes gift card instead :)
 

 

Sam and Charlotte Olivia by the tree 12/08

 

And So ends my quick gift overview, of my more notable gifts. Maybe something along these lines could work for a family or friend of yours. I survived Christmas shopping happy this year, because I got gifts my loved ones will use, without breaking the bank. My best advice, friends, is to STAY ON BUDGET! Don't kid yourself into believing you ll figure in new expenses where a budget cant budge. YOU WONT. Christmas will come and go with the worry about bills and making ends meet. Don't put yourself of your family in that position. The holidays are about giving, but more importantly, about love and reflection. I want CharlieO to remember the smell of pine and of my burnt sugar cookies at Christmas, before she remembers how many toys she got that year. I want her to remember how many episodes of Seinfeld her mommy and daddy watched on one of his Holiday vacation days, just to lounge around and have a lazy family day. In short, I want her to remember what Christmas was like in her house. Not what she GOT for Christmas. We are blessed to be able to afford to give to others, and so we do. I just try to remember that after the season, comes January and then February and then March. Time marches on, and our family is saving for a cubbie's college one day! 

 

Sam