I'm Practically Done!

Just a few days ago I was mildly freaking out about Christmas shopping. I'm better now. Why? Because I'm almost done! YAY! Between Amazon.com and ornamentshop.com I have about 95% of my Christmas shopping done.

I do feel a bit guilty about buying from big companies rather than smaller, independent stores - but since I have lots of gifts to buy and I have to send everything out of town, the free shipping and the lower prices were impossible to pass up.

I'm really happy with the presents I got, I think the kids will like them. (sigh) I have finally accepted that for the older girls...it's time to buy them gift cards. I know that's what they want - all pre-teens and teens want gift cards, but it seems so impersonal. I realize that as they start to get older that'll be the way to go. But I'm still getting them books and ornaments so they'll have something to unwrap!

Hopefully everything will be in PA by the time we get there next week, then I'll wrap the PA stuff and leave it there, and bring the Texas stuff back to send from here. When we get home I'll only have the gift exchange gift to buy - YAY!

For you 52...

...for me it's even less than that! David and I are going up to PA for Thanksgiving this year, so the plan is to order the gifts for the PA contingent and have them delivered to MIL's house before then, so I can wrap them and leave them there.

We do a gift exchange between the four sibling and the spouses, so rather than get everyone a gift we pick a name and give one nice gift. Then everyone gets gifts for my MIL and FIL and all five children - this time next year there'll be six! (While I wasn't Blogging, David's sister went and got pregnant with her second. )

So if my plan works I'll only have to buy the gift exchangees' gifts and mail the Texas contingents' gifts later.

My in-laws are relatively easyish - but the kids! They're always a project. Granted that's pretty much my fault because I want to give each of them books, a toy or other "fun" thing, and a personalized ornament commemorating something that occurred to them during the year.

Here's the breakdown: In Pennsylvania I have two nieces from one of David's brothers - they're 11 and 9, and David's sister's son who's 1, almost 2 (he's the one that's getting a brother). Then in Texas, David's other brother also has two girls that are 6 and 1½. Look how cute they all are!


Now since I don't live near any of them it's difficult to keep up with what they're into so trying to figure out what to get them and what the ornament should be is stress inducing to say the least. So I am in the throes of figuring out and deciding and picking...GAH!

Have you started your shopping yet?

A Day at the Mall

I went to the mall today!

???

So, where are the 76 trombones and 110 cornets close at hand? (props to Meredith Wilson composer of "The Music Man".)

Oh, wait maybe y'all don't know that I don't *do* malls anymore. So for me to actually go to the mall is HUGE. Ah...that's better I can here the cornets now - the deserved parade has begun. Thank you.

Seriously, I haven't really shopped at a mall in years. Online shopping and catalogs are my method of choice for credit card abuse, usually late at night as most are *open* 24 hours. However if I don't have to actually buy anything, I'll go to Dadeland Mall here in Miami 2 or 3 times a year to just walk around, impulse buy and have lunch.

That's what I did today. It was great. I only had one moment of a semi-panic attack due to the gabillion people - many of them with empty strollers (what is *that* about?) - getting in my way and *milling about*. Other people milling about make me nervous. So I did what anyone having a semi-panic attack would do - I had a shot of Cuban coffee. What? You wouldn't do that? Oh well, whatever.

First I went to JC Penney, a store I hadn't been to in forever. It's nice. I tried on brown capris. I'm experimenting with brown, supposedly the "new black". I usually just go with the *old black*, which is, well, black. They were nice but I didn't buy them.

Still in Penney's I went in search of a new purse for work. I'm one of those women who carries the same purse to work, regardless of what I'm wearing, until it falls apart. My until today work purse is at the falling apart stage. You know how some purses have different sections divided by cloth? Well two of my sections have now merged because the cloth kinda died. So I got a new one - it's really nice and it was on sale! YAY! The sale was in fact so good that I got myself a *second* purse for informal outings when I don't want to carry a tote. Then I bought two pairs of gold-toned hoop earrings - they're not gold, but they're for sensitive ears, we'll see how that goes. They were 50% off so I spent $14 on both pairs - not a major investment risk.

Then walking around I came across one of those in the middle of the mall stalls that sells computer stuff and...the heavens opened and the angels sang...I saw the Dell 3007WFP , a 30 inch wide screen digital monitor! I'm not usally a computer gadget geek, but this was a thing of beauty. And so as to lure me all the more, one of the programs installed was my guilty pleasure - World of Warcraft. Oh how glorious was the Kingdom of Azeroth in 30" digital fabulousness! At this point I called my husband, also a WoW player, and told him all about it and said I really wanted one of these (my birthday *is* coming up after all) - the man actually said no! So what if it costs $1700 including taxes? I ask you, does unmitigated consumerist joy really have a price? Apparently it does for hubby.

I got over my disappointment and went for a late lunch. I tried the food court but there were too many people, it was too loud and I didn't want to deal with it. Instead I went to one of the full-blown restaurants. I'm not sure of the name because they're replacing another restaurant and the old name is still up. Anyway, it was Italian and lovely. I requested the coldest spot in the place (hello perimenopause!), and was seated immediately. Right away the waitress brought an ice cold glass of water, a plate of focaccia with balsamic tomatoes and onions and a basket of crusty bread and butter. I ordered beef carpaccio with arugula, portobello mushrooms and wedges of parmagiano cheese and to drink a glass of prosecco . It was all delicious! While I lunched, I read David Sedaris' "Me Talk Pretty One Day" which is hysterical. Then for dessert I had zabaglione with fresh strawberries served in a caramelized sugar bowl! Beautiful and delicious.

While I waited for hubby to pick me up, I got my mom's birthday present - Julio Iglesias' Greatest Hits - she'll love it.

It's been a great day - I slept in late, exercised, shopped, ate great food and am spending a quiet Saturday night with the hubster. All is right in Hildaland.