Christmas Wrapped

My mom used to say that an evening bag need only be large enough for a hundred dollar bill and a lipstick. By now, you’ve secured your little black dress, but you may still need a place to stash your mad money.

Consider these clutches. With one fun exception, they’re under $20 a bag, which makes it far more likely that you’ll have enough cash leftover to fund your evening. Excellent.

Happy New Year, Sweets! You look smashing.

Angie and Lola Clutch with Zippers

$34.99

Target Velvet Large Bow Clutch

$15

Moss Sup Co Black Port Hole Frame

$17

Merona Split Box Clutch

$13

Xhilaration Patent Hinge Clutch Black

$10

Leather Checkbook Clutch

$14

Target Cinched Clutch

$17

Time’s just about out — hopefully the shopping is done, the presents are wrapped, the cookies are baked and the cards are in the mail.

Ha!

Sure, ideally, you’re sitting pretty, sipping rum while enjoying the satisfaction of a perfectly organized and executed holiday. But, really, how many of us are there? I would wager that most of us are still wracking our brains over a last-minute gift or lamenting some other holiday detail we’ve overlooked. 

You know what? It’s okay. You have official “Christmas Wrapped” permission to let go of the stress and the worry that sneak into the season. No one will mind if the cookies come from the bakery. Or some if your presents are lovingly-worded IOUs. Or if your holiday party turns into a holiday potluck. Or if you send New Year’s (or Valentine’s or electronic) cards.

You do not have to sacrifice the next two days to the illusion of holiday perfection. Banish the Norman Rockwell (and Pottery Barn) images from your mind and remember that the holidays are about celebration, not presentation. You deserve to enjoy this time with your friends and family, or with your dog, or your Netflix, or whatever else fills you with joy and peace at this time of year.

I just had the wonderful and eye-opening experience of talking to a long-distance family member who I haven’t spoken to in a long time. Her family’s going through a rough patch right now, and, after we caught up on all that has happened in our lives, she told me that the best gift I could have given her was my phone call. So simple. I felt the same way.

So, if you’re considering spending the next couple days on a marathon shopping/cooking/wrapping/crafting/worrying session — unless that’s what you enjoy — try this instead: warm up a mug of egg nog, stoke the fire, grab and/or call your favorite person, and look around at all that you have to be grateful for.

Once again I’ve put off my final shopping until now. Literally. Right now. I’m about to head out to pick up a few small things for Jon, and I can guarantee that I will make at least one shopping trip early next week. Christmas shopping is an assignment, and like every deadline I avoid it until it was due yesterday. I’ll have Jon tell you about that one time I didn’t finish a presentation until the hour before I gave it, and because I hadn’t printed out my notes beforehand we had to pay over $40 to rent a computer. He thinks my procrastination is causing wasteful spending. I like to call it “incidentals.”

This year, I wanted to be more proactive, better prepared and more price savvy in my shopping, but I’ve failed miserably. Instead of taking the time to get or make  somebody a really nice, throughtful gift, they are getting gift cards and awkwardly intimate hugs.

Jon gave me his list, but since it didn’t include this I’m just going to go ahead and throw one in as a surprise extra. Being pregnant means NO TOUCHING, so he’s going to need options, and our dog already sleeps on the couch.

Leta is not going to get anything related to or branded Hannah Montana. She’s just starting to notice, thanks to her evil older cousins. I’m fine to have another few princess-based holidays, although I’m pretty sure this may be one of the last ones where the over riding theme is PINK PINK PINK. Recently we took her to a toy store to get an idea of what she wants, and I’m not kidding, she panicked because she didn’t see “the pink aisle.” Someone please assure me that she will graduate to other colors, preferably one that is not neon.

None of this is because I’m a soot-covered grinch, it’s just that I don’t like to shop. And then when I do I always wait until the only things left are a few pine-scented candles in the dollar bin.

The weather outside has been frightful here in Portland, and it’s time to start panicking about our Christmas gifts. I helped the boys write their letters to Santa Claus this week and was suddenly struck tonight, as we sent them off toward the North Pole, that I had to make good on at least some of their wishes.

For my three-year-old, Thomas trains (the only thing he wants) are on order. My six-year-old asked for a computer (umm, no) and a magic potion to make him a super hero (hmm). My 17-month-old can’t really ask for anything but I’ve deduced he loves balls, dogs, and trains (naturally) best. But it’s becoming crunch time and, honestly, who wants to go shopping in this weather? Here is how I’m planning to get last-minute gifts (which are the only way I get ‘em) this year:

• Plan your route. I try to stay as close to home as possible while shopping, but some things are special-excursion-worthy. I need a toy that can only be purchased at Target, so I’m planning to use the credit union branch near that store next week instead of the downtown one I usually visit. That one-of-a-kind kitchen store is a few blocks away from my favorite yarn store, so I’ll head over there when I get the last few skeins I need for Christmas projects.
• Thrift-stravaganza. Thankfully my family members embrace their budget-savviness and gladly accept used merchandise as gifts. I’m planning to do a run through the Goodwill “bins” outlet to shop for whatever I haven’t already acquired by next Tuesday. Best of all: paying by the pound.
• Involve the kids. Last night we went through my photos looking for candidates for a collage for their teacher’s gifts (farmer’s market tokens along with a list of my favorite vendors). For another project we hand-felted yarn into pretty wool candy-canes. It’s more fun when you’re all working together (especially if you can get messy).
• When all else fails, get crafty. I was wracking my brain trying to figure out how to get the toddler a ball that would be somehow special (we have a wicker basket filled with balls, after all). I had actually visualized myself shopping for basketballs, rubber balls, footballs … when I realized I could knit him some perfectly adorable, special balls, and it wouldn’t even take but a few hours.

 

Sarah Gilbert writes for Being Savvy Portland.

This is the time of year I always get completely blindsided by a person or twenty in my life who is deserving of some sort of holiday gift but I’ve forgotten completely about.

Of course I don’t want them to know I’ve forgotten completely about them.

“Oh your gift! I totally left it at home, darn…I can’t believe it, I mean it was just sitting on the front table and I walked right out the door without it.”

(I know, I know. I’ve just outed myself, haven’t I.)

One year it was my beloved dry cleaner, a jubilant little rolly-polly Korean lady who used to look with mock disapproval at my miniskirts and declare, “This skirt? Too short. I make longer.” One year it was a tree-trimming party guest who thought he’d show up with three friends. Just, you know, for fun. (And, presumably free food.)

Often it’s a local shop owner or a forgotten staff member in my building or the girl who washes my hair at the salon. But generally it’s a collection of neighbors and acquaintances who have, entirely unexpectedly, gotten me a gift.

Which is why now, I always keep a bunch of extra goodies on hand around the holidays, wrapped and ready to go.

The basic rules of thumb for emergency gifts: 1. Not too expensive 2. Not too personal 3. Something you can use yourself should it go unused.

 

My favorites:

-Boxes of gourmet teas with a nice tea ball (adding a little something extra always makes the gift seem more thoughtfully considered)

-A set of coasters wrapped in festive ribbon. Seriously, the ribbon makes all the difference.

-A big christmas cookie cutter tied with ribbon and attached to your favorite cookie recipe

-Pretty ornaments – Buy a multi-pack and then individually wrap them in nice tissue and place in a small gift bag. This is definitely one you can use yourself or in subsequent years if they don’t go used this time around.

-An oversized mug with a packet of gourmet hot chocolate tucked inside

-A pack of scented guest soaps or nicely packaged hand lotion – make sure they’re not too cheap; cheap ones tend to be stinky. And get a few more manly scents like eucalyptus so that you’re not stuck giving your cousin Joe some lavender thingie.

-Little pads with a small box of crayons or glitter pens for kids

-A single homemade gingerbread man or big Christmas star – especially nice if you can add the initial of the recipient in frosting

-Jugs o’ hooch (Never underestimate the happiness of a recipient upon receiving a bottle of wine or aperitif)

Are these gifts fairly generic? Of course. That’s what makes them emergency gifts. Which is why wrapping, ribbons, and cards matter; keep a bunch of teeny gift cards around and a nice calligraphy pen and consider yourself ready for nearly any gift-giving emergency.