Christmas has come and gone, as have the in-laws, the gifts (many of which were returned/exchanged), and now the year itself is coming to a close. I've put away all the holiday decorations, even the tree which stayed up through Grandma and Grandpa's post-Christmas visit despite its dry and drooping branches. The only thing I've left up to ring in the new year is the string of multi-colored Christmas lights on our balcony. I think it will be festive to sit out there with our champagne tonight.
My largest task was sorting, organizing and putting away the Christmas presents - in fact, I have not completed that task, thanks to the second load of presents from Grams and Gramps. I can't bring myself to tackle that pile, so it is shoved in a corner behind the couch. I've found that my anxiety level corresponds exactly to the amount of loot amassed and this year there was a lot.
Last year, instead of getting gifts for each other, my husband and I opted for a single joint gift in the form of a digital camera. It was pleasant. Neither of us missed the gifts and we both appreciated having a camera. We still filled each others stockings and that little element of surprise sufficed.
This year we had no big gift on our wish list, so gifts were back - in abundance. My husband got me everything I asked for, from the locket at Banana Republic, to the water bottle I asked for to help me in my attempt to drink 64 ounces a day. My husband was not so fortunate with his loot. I got him a nice coat, but I also got him a toaster oven. Yes, a shiny red toaster oven from Target with a GO RED FOR WOMEN heart health awareness sticker on it. Needless to say, he promptly returned the offending appliance to Target (did I mention he despises Target). I think we will probably go back to the joint gift + stockings next year for my husbands sake.
Speaking of stockings, my daughter had gift opening burn-out by the time she got to the orange Santa puts at the bottom of her stocking to "keep her healfy." It took serious coaxing to get her through the dozen other presents stashed under the tree for her. The amount of presents we got her was a happy medium for my husband and I. It was more than I ever got, but less that he got at Christmas. Still, my Little Beauty seemed genuinely overwhelmed. By the time she got to the number one thing on her list, what she called the "Big Ariel Thing," actually the Little Mermaid Shimmering Lights Dolphin Chariot, LB could barely manage a smile.
My idea for next year: My husband and I will do the joint gift + stockings. For the kids, one gift from Santa and one from each family member (mom/dad/brother or mom/dad/sister) + stockings. I'm hoping this will alleviate bad gift guilt (toaster oven), spending too much money (everything on my list), and gift opening burn-out (LB's experience). We shall see....
My largest task was sorting, organizing and putting away the Christmas presents - in fact, I have not completed that task, thanks to the second load of presents from Grams and Gramps. I can't bring myself to tackle that pile, so it is shoved in a corner behind the couch. I've found that my anxiety level corresponds exactly to the amount of loot amassed and this year there was a lot.
Last year, instead of getting gifts for each other, my husband and I opted for a single joint gift in the form of a digital camera. It was pleasant. Neither of us missed the gifts and we both appreciated having a camera. We still filled each others stockings and that little element of surprise sufficed.
This year we had no big gift on our wish list, so gifts were back - in abundance. My husband got me everything I asked for, from the locket at Banana Republic, to the water bottle I asked for to help me in my attempt to drink 64 ounces a day. My husband was not so fortunate with his loot. I got him a nice coat, but I also got him a toaster oven. Yes, a shiny red toaster oven from Target with a GO RED FOR WOMEN heart health awareness sticker on it. Needless to say, he promptly returned the offending appliance to Target (did I mention he despises Target). I think we will probably go back to the joint gift + stockings next year for my husbands sake.
Speaking of stockings, my daughter had gift opening burn-out by the time she got to the orange Santa puts at the bottom of her stocking to "keep her healfy." It took serious coaxing to get her through the dozen other presents stashed under the tree for her. The amount of presents we got her was a happy medium for my husband and I. It was more than I ever got, but less that he got at Christmas. Still, my Little Beauty seemed genuinely overwhelmed. By the time she got to the number one thing on her list, what she called the "Big Ariel Thing," actually the Little Mermaid Shimmering Lights Dolphin Chariot, LB could barely manage a smile.
My idea for next year: My husband and I will do the joint gift + stockings. For the kids, one gift from Santa and one from each family member (mom/dad/brother or mom/dad/sister) + stockings. I'm hoping this will alleviate bad gift guilt (toaster oven), spending too much money (everything on my list), and gift opening burn-out (LB's experience). We shall see....
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