Christmas Wrapped

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.

I’m always surprised by how busy the holiday season is. We keep things simple at my house, so it’s not as if I have lots of baking to do or guests to host. Even so, I’m starting to feel the time crunch.

Last year, my neighbor introduced me to a wonderful way to share the holidays with a large group of friends and family with very little stress: the holiday open house. She invited guests to drop by any time between 4pm and 9pm and asked everyone to bring along a plate of their favorite appetizers or desserts. All she had to do was tidy up the house, turn on the music, and set out some egg nog and a few paper plates and cups. After that, she sat back and enjoyed the steady stream of guests, and her party practically ran itself.

We all had a wonderful time. Families with young kids could come early, eat a few bites, then cut out without feeling like they were offending anyone. Neighbors got reacquainted without the pressure of having to carry on dinner-length conversations. Even the busiest of friends could drop by for a few minutes. Everyone enjoyed sampling the wide array of goodies (the dining room table was laden with delicious contributions), and, best of all, the hosts were relaxed…the key to a fun party.

At the end of the open house, a few hangers-on helped clean up, and everything was washed and put away by 10:30pm. Lots of fun and celebration for very little effort and time.

So, if you’re hankering to host a party but don’t have the time or wherewithal to throw a full-scale holiday event, consider an open house. Let your guests help you celebrate, and everyone will have a great time.

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. 

We’re down to crunch time now, right? All of a sudden, the holidays are staring us dead in the face, and no matter the amount of planning and prep we’ve done there’s bound to be a few last-minute gifts that pop up out of nowhere. The solution is simple: a gift card. With the post-holiday sales, the value of the card will go even farther, and you allow the recipient to get exactly what they want. 

And if you’re worried that a gift card isn’t personal enough, have no fear. There are plenty of ways to add a personal touch to any gift card. Check out what Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching did to add her special touch to this Target gift card:

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.