Defining Gift Giving

Giving gifts. We all know there are so many kinds of gifts to give. You could give a money or go buy an item with your money to give to someone. Then there are the things you do that are gifts. Giving of your time and talent. You can give kind words, a smile, a helping hand of some sort etc etc.

So, here's what I have been pondering lately. If you do it habitually, is it still a gift you are giving? If you make coffee every morning, is that a gift you give albeit daily to those who drink it? Or does a gift have to be something more than what you would normally do? Maybe your normal is a gift for someone else? What you think is simply trite, daily, habitual behavior is in fact a gift for those around you. You simply need to be more aware and mindful of these actions and how they are offerings that you give.

I don't know the answers to these (and so many other) questions but it's what I have been thinking about lately. All because of the book I am reading, 29 Gifts from the website I mentioned the other day.

Gifts & Moms

This past weekend was Mother's Day. I read the best article about what a mom really wants here in our local paper.
I think that article hit the nail on the head, at least for me. I don't need you to rack your head trying to find a gift that will fit your budget. I just need to know you are living a good life. This year I got a some really good stuff.

17 bought me a Harry Connick Jr CD. It meant that he was listening and paying attention when I was giving my undivided attention to AI this past week when he was the shows mentor for the singers. I love his voice. It was very thoughtful. In addition to that he gave me the go ahead to register him (and pay for-duh!) his college orientation. Why is that a gift because it's a decision. He has been waffling for the past 2 months and he finally decided. I was thrilled with both of his gifts.

20 is away at school and so he couldn't spend the day with us and the extended family. First, he sent me a text. "Hey, mom ru up? Happy Mother's Day!" It was 11am- the middle of the morning, of course I was up. I was getting ready to head out the door for the day's activities but he's in college and still sleeps in - a nice luxury most of us don't have anymore. Once I assured him I was up he called and we chatted for about 1/2 an hour. In that conversation he gave me what I think was the real gift (other than an uninterrupted and unrushed conversation). First he made sure that I was sitting down and then he told me that it was official he had declared his major as Political Science. I was so happy and excited that he had finally picked something. Then in true mother form I started inquiring about a second major or a minor perhaps. I could hear him roll his eyes through the phone lines as he said ma, please. But we'll see. I'll keep watering that seed and see if anything pops out. Later in the day he sent me a picture via text of a bunch of mixed flowers that said what I wanted to send you but I'm a broke college student. I told him they were lovely and would last longer this way.

Later as I reflected on the day I felt all warm and fuzzy inside because what they gave me was signs that they are doing what they need to do, taking control of the next steps in their lives and making progress. It felt good and made me smile. Of course, the smile was bittersweet as the first person I wanted to share this all with was my mom and I couldn't the way I wanted to. I did walk over to a picture of us that I have and say out loud to it (her) they're doing good, huh? And I know she was smiling down on us as I was smiling at her.

6 more

The ole groundhog say his shadow and so there will be six more weeks of winter. It really doesn't matter to me here in Miami because normally it just gets cool enough to be able to turn off the A/C but my baby, 20 is in upstate NY as you know and he will be cold for real. Pobrecito!

Plus, hubby just found out he's going on a project for 3 to 4 weeks also in NY. NY is a big state. The project could be anywhere and he is going to be about a mile away from 20! Can you believe it? What are the odds of that? I think its pretty wild.

I am going to have to do some quick cooking this weekend to send a care package with hubby for 20. Plus I am making jambalaya for the big football game on Sunday AND its my nephews birthday on Sunday and I will be scrapping all day on Saturday. OMG I am already tired from the weekend and its not here yet. I need to organize my grocery list tonight to make sure I have everything because all the cooking will be on Friday and Saturday night.

Today is also the birthday of 17s godmother. I'm going by after work to deliver her gift which is a framed senior picture of her godson and a handmade card.

During lunch I am going book shopping for the nephew who is crazed about WWII planes. I'm thinking that shouldn't be to hard to find books on. I am hoping for something about the Tuskegee (sp?) airmen. We shall see. Those are the first two birthdays of the month. This weekend I will make cards for Valentines Day and the birthdays that are later in the month. So far I am on schedule with my gift making.

Lots to do but its all good....

Vanilla excitement

I am so very very excited. I ordered vanilla beans online. I have been reading reviews for a sundry of places to order from and finally picked one and placed my first order today. I am starting small I only ordered 10 beans but I'm still excited.

Why am I so excited about getting vanilla beans? Well, I'll tell you because I am going to make vanilla extract. From everything I have read it is super simple and one of those things that I have read once you do it you can't go back to store bought extract. We shall see. I hope so because if this succeeds then I will also be gifting homemade extract in the near future. How cool is that? Well, I'm excited and if your not and you see me live and in person then you may want to make a comment or two in that vein because you made well be a recipient of said extract.

I can't wait to get it and I can't wait to make it and I can't wait to try it.

Calendaring

I am going though and updating my calendar which is now on my phone. I have spent time entering birthdays, anniversaries, and upcoming events. I'm getting all organized and know what's coming up when and now all I have to do is refer to the calendar and make plans accordingly. It sounds simple enough but I forget to do that sometimes. If my gift giving plan has any chance of working I need to make sure I refer to it and plan, plan, plan!

I was happy to see that there is only one anniversary in January and well I think they are going to get a phone call and a card because its just way too soon. The other thing that occurred to me was maybe having them over for dinner on the weekend. That would be nice. I gotta check to see if we are all available this weekend.

I do need to look ahead to next month. As far as I know I have two birthdays. I need to start thinking about what I am going to make them. Hmmm...I think I have some good pictures of one person with different family members. I could do some sort of collage or something and frame it. That's what I will do tonight is look for pictures. Right now I am clueless for the other person. This is going to be hard.

Gift giving

I know, I know we just got over the big gift giving season but I have already started thinking about gift giving for the coming year.

Here's what I am thinking. I want my gifts to be mostly handmade. Yes, I know I have been fighting with the sewing machine but they don't have to all be sewn. I can hand stitch without a problem, cook, paper craft and other crafting too. The trick here, I think, is to plan ahead because it will require time to make the gifts.

There will be exceptions. I can buy books; giving book is always good. Also, I can buy handmade items made by others, its still handmade just not from my hands. Also, I like giving tickets to things like events, shows and other outings. So, maybe its not a handmade thing but its not a big box store purchase. I think that's more the idea. I don't want to give someone another shirt unless I put a design on it myself. I guess the other exception will be my kids and other little kids. My kids invariably get clothes (and they need to keep updating the wardrobe) and little kids it may be more appropriate to give toys. Oh, this is sounding like it won't work. Well, it's an idea and I am going to try it out.

We'll see how far in the year I make it.

What?!

I can't hear you over the cacophony of thoughts in my head. The loop de loop that is the list of things I want to do. It's as if there was a scratch in the record and it just keeps replaying the same part over and over again. It pretty much sounds like this: clean this, bake/make that, wrap something, clean this, bake/make that, wrap something....

Gratefully, friends came over on Sunday and even though I know I talked about baking I didn't. I truly disconnected for a while at least. I sat, talked and laughed. Imagine, I enjoyed some downtime with a friend. How awesome is that? Of course, as soon as they left I cleaned something, wrapped something and planned the next day's baking (all the making is done!). To give you a clue as to exactly how much this has taken over my brain. I found myself (I think I was sleep walking) in the kitchen at 2:45 standing in front of the open refrigerator. I don't know why exactly but this morning when I actually woke up I felt a compelling urge to check the supply of milk on hand. Who knows.

I have also started thinking about next year because apparently I don't have enough on my plate trying to finish this year that I feel I must start with the next one. What do I want to do next year? Am I happy with what I 'did' this year? Should I set goals or just let the year roll however it wants, as if my goals could actually alter that anyway. But I want to do so much baking before then, hmmm maybe I should start baking for next holiday at the start of the new year. Can I freeze things for a whole year? Will they be any good? Maybe I should research that a little in all my free time? I'd really hate to do the work and freeze the stuff and then it would be bad next December and I would feel even more pressure than I do now. OK, I need to stop thinking about January and focus on the 3 days I have left. Yes, I can do math! I know that Christmas is the 25th but we have our big celebration on the 24th and since I have to work on the 24th, I need to have everything finished before going to bed on the 23rd. So, 3 days left to do whatever is going to be done.

The trick is to get it done I need to shut my brain off so that I stop thinking all these other miscellaneous and assorted rambling thoughts and focus on the day I we are in right this very minute. I don't know how to do this.

So, tonight the kitchen goals are: chocolate crinkle cookies, mix & refrigerate pie crust, mix & bake a batch of sugar cookies and refrigerate another batch, make coconut macaroons, make truffles (maybe), make biscotti (maybe), make a grocery list for hubby to buy final ingredients needed for holiday desserts that I was assigned to take for the 24th plus what I am taking on the 25th.

Tomorrow's goals are: Wrap a bottle of wine, box & tag the final cookie gifts, go to coffee with girlfriends

Wednesday's goals are: Bake 2 desserts for Xmas eve and any remaining cookies.

You will note that I have truffles and biscotti as maybes. I have all the ingredients at home for both. These are both new items that I have never made and been wanting to try. I actually already mixed the truffles and the batch is sitting in the fridge so that has a better chance at getting done albeit maybe not in time for Xmas but for New Year's Eve. We shall see. I have an assortment of things to coat them in such as cocoa powder, confectioner's sugar, Xmas sprinkles, 2 colors of sanding sugar and pecans. Why so many well its simple I couldn't decide so I got them all and figured I'd decide when the time came and its almost here and I still don't know what I'll do. Who knows? not me.

So, like I said lots going on but really its mostly in my head. LOL!

Final Countdown

Only 10 more days 'till Christmas.

I thought I was done with all the shopping. I just needed to wrap and check off the list of names as I went along. That was until I started trashing my sewing gifts. Now I need to either go out and shop or come up with something else to make at this stage of the game. I am leaning towards restaurant gift cards. We shall see.

Last night I won a minor skirmish with the sewing machine but the war is far from over. I was able to produce 2 decent looking items out of 4 that were attempted. I only trashed 2 last night. People that's progress. Truly. They aren't done yet. I need to do some final hand stitching and press them before they are ready to give but I think they may be giftable (yes, I know that's not a word but it should be) and that pleases me to no end. You honestly can not imagine.

I think I am going to give it a rest tonight and finish the Christmas cards so that maybe people will get them before the end of the year. I will feel a sense of accomplishment and then I can go back to the sewing tomorrow. The goal is to be done before the weekend so that I can spend it doing the final baking. I give cakes as gifts to some neighbors and doctor's offices so they can be shared by many. So that's the plan but I always have a plan don't I just like last weekend when I wasn't going out and I didn't get home Sunday until close to 1:30 and lost half a day of doing stuff at home. Oh, well. I can only do what I can do. Gimme patience.

Tempus fugit!

Wow. Time flies when you are having fun. I have been a busy busy girl. I can't believe it's been over a week since I have blogged. So, here's a quick recap to get us back on track.



*19 turned 20. He wasn't here for his birthday. He was having finals but he got here before Thanksgiving. So it's all good. I will admit that the fact that I have a 20 year old makes me feel older.



* Thanksgiving happened of course. I hope everyone had a wonderful one with family/friends. I made a new Cranberry sauce recipe which came out super yummy and I made the sweet potato casserole, and I made an apple pie. I also made a cherry pie but that one stayed home for us to eat.



*Thanksgiving would have also been my mother's birthday. That was why I made the apple pie, it was her favorite. She would have been 65, ready to retire. She would have enjoyed retirement because she had so many hobbies and crafts that she loved to do. She finally would have had the free time to do them. But I am sure that she has knit everyone in heaven a sweater and made candles and baskets galore. I thought of her a lot that day and how different my Thanksgivings are compared to growing up but that will get me all misty so I am moving on...



* I went shopping on Friday because I always have and 20 went with me to pick out and try on his gifts. We had a good time and found some good deals. There will be more stories about that later.



* Over the weekend, we put the lights up outside, brought out all our Christmas decorations, bought the Christmas tree, put the lights on, decorated it and started decorating the house. Aside from all the regular boring laundry and grocery stuff.



* This year the gift for the in-laws was a group gift from us and my SIL. We gave them tickets to go see Andrea Bocelli. The concert was over the weekend so we had to give it to them at Thanksgiving. They had a fabulous time. She called us when they got to the venue, she called when they got to their seats and she called the next morning to tell me all about it. They had such a wonderful time.



* We also got together with friends to just hang out and chat. I made Paula Deen's Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Cake. It was pretty good even though I overcooked it. We had a nice time.



*I made batches of egg nog and bottled it. The bottles are all in my fridge waiting to be gifted. I still have one more batch to go but I ran out of eggs so that's the thing to do today. I need to make it early because it needs to sit and the flavors need to combine and mellow. Yumm!



* During the week I want to get the Christmas cards done, address and mailed. That's the goal. We shall see.



So, I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. I know that I have many many things to be thankful for and that I am one lucky girl.

I did it!

Please give me a moment while I pat myself on the back.

I finished 2 pañales last night! I am so happy and proud of myself. They aren't perfect but they aren't horrible either. They look homemade- what can I say. Tonight I will iron them and wrap them up for delivery. I am so happy!

Lessons learned:
* Working with clear thread is very very hard.
* If I want to provide pañales for my grandchildren who should not be coming along for many many years yet, I need to start them now!

I will try to take a picture of them tonight and post them here for all (who am I kidding- both of you) to see.

Comfort and joy baby! Comfort and joy!

I got...

I never told you what I got for Christmas...
My boys did real good this year, they covered ALL of my hobbies. 18 got me the Readers Digest Complete Step-by-Step Book of Sewing. It's awesome. 15 got me a clear drawer storage center for all of my scrapping goodies. It has wheels so I can take it from room to room wherever I set up to scrap. Can't wait to fill it. Hubby got me a pocket pedometer. yes, I wanted one. The idea is to exercise more in 08 by adding more steps to my day. He also got me a subscription to Cooks Illustrated magazine. Oh, yeah and 18 also got me the book March, which was on my list of books I wanted. My dad got me a bunch of sewing notions: a cute pin cushion, pretty pins, a bobbin case, small scissors, a seam ripper gadget, extra needles for the sewing machine, a tape measure etc. My SIL gave me a beautiful scrapbook the cover is a gorgeous red silk. I will make that book themed of Christmas through the years. My MIL gave me a gift card which I promptly spent on new bed linens. A friend gave us a new board game which I hope to break out and play on the 1st and start the new year playing games with friends eating leftovers from the party the night before and of course watching the Bowl games. That sounds good to me.

Here I am!

I guess I fell off the blogshpere for a while. I was busy being busy with the holidays. I hadn't even read another blog until today. I have quite a bit of catching up to do. Not that I'm not busy anymore, I mean. New Year's Eve is at my house and well, it's not ready at all!

I had a lovely Christmas...Eve was spend with the family at my in-laws... good food...good company...good fun! and Christmas day we spent a lazy morning at home and then headed to my SILs and visited my dad too as he lives near her. The nephews got a Wii, so we spent hours playing guitar hero and boxing and tennis and and I knocked out my 18 playing the boxing. It really is quite a workout! Lots of fun.

18 and SIL both bought my hubby the SAME pullover shirt. We thought that was a hoot because with ALL the stores in S.FLA. and all the pullovers how did the 2 of them pick the same one. But then SIL and I both bought her boys the same book, her 6 year old was very confused that Santa would duplicate like that but we told him that he's really old and sometimes old people forget stuff and make mistakes. He said it was ok, that he forgave him because he brought lots of other cool things.

I did lots of baking all season, lots of shopping, lots of wrapping, lots of visiting, lots of cooking, some scrapping and other things too. I can't write about it all now.

Oh, another fun thing happened. When we got home from MILs on Xmas eve, there was a white envelope sticking out of out mailbox. I asked 18 to get it since it had been raining off and on so that it wouldn't get wet. He pulled it out and I see that its a big 8x10 envelope.
ME: Where's it from?
18: Loyola
Me: Congratulations!
18: How do you know I got in? It could be a rejection letter.
Me: Rejections are short and sweet; acceptances are think with information.
He goes inside and opens it. He was accepted to Loyola in New Orleans.
Hubby: So Santa came by and you don't even believe!

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays with their families. I will get back into the swing of things and post regularly. Many stories to tell...

Getting there...

I'm almost done with my shopping. But I have been steadily working on this since mid-November. I have shopped online and on Black Friday. 15 happily gave me a list which is fabulous. Since his list is quite substantial, I asked him yesterday what his top 5 items would be; I happen to have all 5! Yeah, I'm so happy with myself! Plus, I thought of something that he didn't put on his list that he's going to flip for when he opens it. 18 didn't give me a list. I know he wants clothes so I asked him can you please just sit and write down what sizes please. Did he tell you? Cuz I'm still waiting. He has told me a few things and I did buy some clothes but I'm just not as excited about what I got him. I guess because I don't know if it's going to fit right, if he'll like it etc... I do have a couple of things that I KNOW he's going to flip for. Then there's the hardest person of all my hubby. Ask him what he wants, he tells you nothing. So very helpful. I did get him something but it's not enough. I have to get him something else. Everyone else is pretty much done. I am going to get my dad's gift today. I know what it is, I just have to go to the specialty store and get it. Then I have one more pre-teen boy to buy for, a cousin. He's tough because I do think he has everything and I refuse to give a gift certificate. We'll see what I do. But I am almost done! Yeah me. Now, this weekend I start my baking gifts. I have more Crema de vie to make and cookies and I will make some cakes, one for the school office and one for my eye Dr. (he's also family) for their offices to share. Also, on the Xmas horizon this weekend is Christmas cards and of course, to start wrapping gifts.

I won't go into that my house is not decorated yet because that's a hot spot with me and hubby right now and I am taking the high road and choosing not to fight or kvetch about it. Aren't you proud of me? If you knew me, you would be.

Crafts & Gifts

I like crafts. I can crochet. I can embroider. I can do various paper crafts. I can do VERY basic painting. I have made candles. I have painted candles. I have painted glass. I now scrapbook. I have made dried flower arrangements. I can decoupage. I like crafts.

There are a few things I don't know how to do that I have always wanted to learn. I don't sew. I don't know calligraphy. I don't knit.

So yesterday, I got home and announced that I bought myself my Christmas present from the family. 16 thought that was great. 18 was all like so we don't have to get you anything? and hubby just laughed because many years I have bought myself a little something and wrapped it myself and opened it on the 25th. So, he figured par for the course. So, I told them to guess. They tried. We played 20 questions and they couldn't figure it out. So I finally said. A Sewing machine. They almost choked on their dinner. 16 just laughed and said oh, yeah that was on the top of our list? When did you learn to sew? Hubby was shocked and had some basic questions like, Where are we going to put it. I haven't really figured that out yet. What are you going to make? Do you know how to sew? When I answered no, that I would learn all 3 laughed and said well I guess we'll get you "Sewing for Dummies".
So, there you have it. I've been wanting to learn how to sew, I saw a deal, I went for it. I have visions of curtains, tablecloths, pillows, tops for me, being able to do alterations to my clothes. It will be lovely!
I ordered it online and so it will be delivered in a few days. I will probably not open it and not look at it or play with it. I will tell them to wrap it and put it under the tree and I will "see" it for the first time on the 25th when I open it. I'm really looking forward to it.
I'm thinking 2008 will be my year of Crafts. It used to give me a lot of pleasure and I let it go when me-time was scarce. It's been coming back slowly in the past few years but I think 2008 crafting is coming back full force. That's the plan anyway.

Socks

Socks are a problem at my house. There never seems to be enough of them clean and with out holes. Throughout the year I buy WAY too many socks for the 3 males in my house. I on the other hand don't seem to loose socks. They last me years.

To exacerbate this sock problem, the males can now pretty much all wear the same size. So, now we have this -you are wearing my socks!- thing going on. We even went so far as to buy different brands one for each of them. Even that didn't work as I still see the wrong person wearing the wrong socks.

So, I have a plan. Santa is going to bring each of them at least a dozen socks, different brands and we will try to start over. I have taken 3 boxes from work from the cases of paper and I am going to put the socks in there so no one will know what they are and have them open them at the same time. I think it will be a hoot! I need to head over to Kmart or Walmart this weekend to do this.
I wonder are we the only family with sock issues?

happy shopping

I was at the store at 4am. I walked the entire mall. I'm almost done with the Christmas shopping. I am at work now. I will leave early because today's the second round of the playoffs. I am tired. I am blessed but I also must be crazy!
Somebody, save me from myown self!

To shop Black Friday or not to Shop Black Friday

For years I have been getting up at the crack of dawn after studying the sales ads fro days and strategically planning my attack on the stores to get great deals on Black Friday. My planning always served me well. I saved loads of money and got great stuff. The past few years I have been going with 17. We have a blast. We split up in the store to go get great deals and meet in line. We take turn standing in the checkout line while the other one cruises the store looking for additional deals. We save lots of time calling each other on the cell phone (yes, we are in the same store) and many times 17 has brought sale items to others in line so they don't loose their spot. Much fun us had. A typical Black Friday sees us up at 3:30. We drive to the first store and I stand in line while 17 keeps sleeping in the car. I call him to wake him up and join me @20 minutes before the store opens (5am) and we are typically one of the first 100 people in the store, assuring we will get what we want and the available door buster sales.

This year, I don't know if its me or the stores but the sales don't seem to be so hot. Most of the ads can already be found online. As I get email notices every time one is added I have perusing them for a few days now. The things I want to get just aren't that fantabulously on sale this year. What a bummer! I don't know what I am going to do. On top of that I will be on my own this year since 17 has the next playoff game that evening, he will not be crack of dawn bargain shopping with mom. I guess I will keep looking, I have a few more days to decide. I can't imagine NOT going. I usually am 95% done Xmas shopping after that weekend. Actually I would say I am about 40% done now. I'll let you know what I do.

Do you shop Black Friday?

Forgotten gift to the rescue!

So, as predicted about an hour after dinner I started scrounging through the fridge and the pantry. Nuthin! Well, there's fruit but that was really too healthy - not what I wanted. Just as I was about to breakdown and settle for a handful of grapes, I hear 14 get comfy on the sofa with a box of assorted Jelly Bellys. Hey! Where'd you find that! Remember we put it away for the NYE Party? Well, I found it when I got home from school.

I resealed the bag of grapes and I headed to the sofa. We sat together and studied the top of the box which is a map to all the flavors. Some of the sections were already emptied out but there was still plenty to choose from. 17 who was studying in his room grabbed a few when he made an appearance on the pretext of needing water and hubby just mubbled that he didn't like jelly beans. I kept telling him to open his mind and try a new flavor but he wouldn't budge. Oh well, more for us :)

There were a few flavors that just shouldn't be done, like toasted marshmallow- wow! way too sweet. But there were plenty of others that we enjoyed. So, this box of Jelly Bellys that we were given as a Christmas gift saved dessert, at least for the next few days until we get down to just cotton candy and licorice flavor - yuck! Then we will be back to: What do we do now?