Hello from Nancy - up here at the North Pole! OK - Really I have just started noticing the Christmas cards and decorations starting to slowly trickle their way into our stores. I have been trying to pre-plan and pick up stocking stuffers because those are always the hardest things to buy and then to top it off my mom asked for my Christmas list yesterday. Let's face it folks, the time to start preparing for the holiday's is approaching quickly.
I was driving home from the parents last night reminiscing about some of the gifts
from Christmas past and thought I would share to get us in the merry mood. There was the I-Pod fiasco of 2006, turns out if you whine enough you get what you want... and I whined a lot! So I got two I-pods, it was a fiasco because my mom asked what Leiha got me and you could tell by her face that she had also gotten me an I-Pod and was disappointed. Luckily my parents had more memory so I ended up giving the second one to my brother for his 30th birthday and all was well.
The fluke best gift of 2005 was the wind up flashlight. You know the kind that doesn't need batteries, you just wind it up and shazam - you have light. (Why don't they have vibrators like that?) This was the surprise hit of the year because that was when my car fell apart. Every time I drove through a puddle my car would break down -- usually in the dark. Then there is the constant overheating - I had to keep a gallon of water in the car to refill at every stop. This obviously lead to frequent use of the flashlight. Now I keep it in the house because my new car runs... but I still highly recommend this as a gift for everybody.
Whining for a gift made me think of a gift I worked really hard for... a remote control car track for the Christmas of 1980. I was so excited when I opened the box. I ran straight to the basement, set it up and started racing! That is when I found our if your back molars are covered in stainless steel crowns you can conduct electricity. It was like shock therapy, I wanted to play so badly, but it was so uncomfortable... I would play, get zapped, quit for a while and repeat. You know the whole pleasure pain thing LOL
I will have you know that whining didn't always work for me... there was one Christmas I was angling for a bathrobe. A big box that was soft and squishy showed up under the tree for me and I KNEW it was my bathrobe. My mom kept asking what I thought it was but I wouldn't tell her because I would be able to tell from her face what it was. Can you imagine my face when I opened up my box on Christmas morning and instead of the snugly terry cloth robe I was expecting there was a bath mat? LOL We still laugh about the shock on my face that day.
One favorite thing we have every year is the stocking. At our house everyone is in charge of helping Santa and stuffing them. It is such a treasure trove of goodies, and Edgar and I look forward to them every year. There are practical items like underwear, razors and toothpaste; and then the fun things like candy, wind up toys, pens, jewelry, you just never know and I love that!Now that I have lulled you into the Christmas spirit way to early tell me about what your unexpected favorite gift was. What is the can't miss gift we could give one of our family members? And then let's get with the American Christmas way and shop our little hearts out!!
5 Mannions Speak :
Last year it was our deck, it was super expensive so unexpectedly it turned out our gift to each other. LOL! It was groovy though, being able to sit out there all summer. Gorgeous!
Every year I go and buy books for Steve so he has a huge pile next to the bed for the summer holidays, it is always nice to see them there...makes me feel like summer, holidays and relaxing.
I love how you guys have your stockings. It is not such a huge thing for use but I am thinking that this might be the year to start a new tradition!
Sarah! I cant imagine Christmas without stockings - you should definatly start that tradition! It is so funny to read that you buy Christmas stuff with summer break in mind. We buy christmas stuff with winter break in mind - things like jackets and ski's :)
Nance, you wanted a train set???
That's unique for a female (I think).
Your stocking tradition is great. We normally just put fruit & nuts in ours, but I like yours better.
To this day, my favorite Christmas gift was my Pogo-Pony I got when I was 5. It was the closest thing I was going to get to a real pony.
This year we're going on a cruise for my parents' 50th anniversary, so I don't have to rack my brains for the perfect gift. WooHoo!
LOL, Ben has had a pillow case on the odd occasion, not quite the same as a proper stocking poor kid! Useless parents!
LOL I remember the ipod story. My favourite present is always my next present. I love presents and it really doesn't matter what it is, just that it comes in pretty paper and has MY name on it. Life these days is a tad predictible in that I get vodka, choccies and money for books (they've all learned not to buy for me by now and that I DONT like bad endings so gift cards are better). This year I am holding out for a laptop or an itouch (we can all dream huh?).
Post a Comment