NaBloPoMo Prompt #25: Gift Giving

NaBloPoMo Prompt:  Do you like to buy presents ahead of time or right when you need to give them?

One year, I decided that I wanted to be done with Christmas shopping early and I started shopping in September - I would just buy things as I saw them for people.  I wanted to buy things people would really, really like.  As the time went on, I kept finding other things. Then I started to question if the first or second or third things were the right things. Ultimately, I ended up spending about 3 times more money than I wanted to because I kept on buying stuff right up until Christmas Eve.  Instead of being smart and spacing the gifts out, I gave them all and it was actually a little embarrassing.  The gigantic pile of gifts really seemed crazy. I loved giving people the gifts but it sort of reset the expectations to quantity when really my goal was quality.

After that experience, I decided that I could start in early December but that was about as good as it gets. If I see something really special, I can buy that, but for the most part, I wait.

As for birthdays and whatnot, I usually wait until close to the event - these days, if you buy something ahead of time that you know someone wants, they usually have purchased it by the time the gift-giving holiday rolls around.  I usually email myself ideas when I see them and then try to check before the holiday to see if they already have the item or not.

Reverb 10 - Day 30: GIFT

December 30 – Gift

Prompt: Gift. This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What’s the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year?(Author: Holly Root)

I'm going to take the cop-out road and list a few things. I know I will forget something, but it isn't intentional. A year is a long time to look back on and remember to include everything.
Gifts in 2010:
improving health
stronger job situation
a supportive and encouraging boss
great colleagues
the opportunity to travel for business and pleasure
good friends
trust in my leadership
improving family relationships
finding the art journaling community
books
the opportunity to meet someone I admire greatly (see Writing Retreat posts in November)


{Future tools: Lifehacker’s Free Tools to Manage New Years Resolutions and Gretchen Rubin’s Questions to Help You Make Effective New Year’s Resolutions.

Has #reverb10 made an impact on your writing, reflecting and life this month? Consider supporting the HQ team with a donation.}

Unexpected Gifts

I went out briefly Friday after calling in overwhelmed. I was just going to the drugstore to pick up a few things and I ended up finishing my Christmas shopping which was a GREAT relief. I didn't want to have to go out again next week.

I decided that I would also loan some money as gifts through http://www.kiva.org/. Basically, you choose someone to loan money to - the range is from around $25 to a few thousand to help people with their businesses or their farms or some subsistence effort they are engaged in. Over time, the people pay back the loan and you are free to reassign the loan to another person. The true meaning of "the gift that keeps on giving". I'm excited to do this - it seems to be my year of doing something for others and I have enjoyed it very much.

I also spent today, unexpectedly, cleaning. I started with a mail pileup on the dining room table and progressed to the living room. I have stacks of books and some other stuff that I am trying to organize. I haven't completed it, but I'm getting tired, so I'm giving up for a while. Found some buried treasures and a book I almost bought a copy of last week because I didn't remember I had it. Nice gift to myself - I didn't spend the extra money and I still had the item. I love that.

Weekend of Accomplishments

Today, I wrapped all the gifts I am donating. I feel so accomplished right now. :)

Today, I made a 16 page journal as per Teesha Moore's instructions.  I actually watched a video of hers on YouTube for making the journal. I bought all the stuff and made it. I also started painting the pages - I have never done this before, so it is very exciting. I'm planning on taking a Visual Journaling class Winter Term, but I couldn't wait once I saw these videos.  I have Shannon at BirdStar to thank for this latest inspiration. 

Teesha Moore's Amazing 16 Page Journal part 1 of 2 - Instructional Video

Teesha Moore's Amazing 16 Page Journal part 2 of 2

I will take some pictures of the before and after of the journal (although I didn't take an photos of the journal-making process with just the paper...). I'm still not used to automatically thinking, "Where's my camera?"  I hope I will get better about that because I really want to be able to take better photos.

Anyway, look for some progress photos here soon-ish.

Black Friday First

I have never been a Black Friday (aka Day after Thanksgiving Sale) person. (I hate that now we don't even call it the Day After Thanksgiving Sales now.) I used to work retail and I had no choice but to be there.  One year, with Roby, he decided we should go to Clackamas Town Center after work and instead, we ended up in a 3 hour traffic jam. When we got through it, we found out there had been a horrible accident with a fatality on I-205.  That night, we found out that his cousin's best friends had been in the car - one died and one suffered a traumatic brain injury.  

So, it is natural that I associate Day After Thanksgiving shopping with pain (the traffic jam and working as a retail clerk) and tragedy (the accident and the aftermath as a result).

This year, I arranged a Toy Drive which has been something of a failure. I was trying to do something good at work because I thought of how privileged we are and how much need there is in the community we work with...but I guess I didn't sell it right or I underestimated charitable feelings at this time of year. So, I decided to do it myself.

Today, at 4:45am, my alarm went off and I got up and went to 2, yes, 2 local stores. I managed to get gifts for 25 kids for approximately $160.  My mother asked if she could participate so a couple of the gifts are from her. The gifts aren't lame or anything - they were just well-priced.  I decided that I felt ok about shopping today if I was getting gifts for kids. 

All in all, I feel good. I wanted to show the people at work how easy it could have been for them to spend $5-10 for one gift. It makes you feel good and it will definitely give a child a little bit of holiday joy. I am still boggled by the lack of interest - it is even a charity that is within our specialized community (Deaf Kids).  I guess it doesn't matter where the gifts come from, as long as they come. Right?

The Joy Diet: Laughter

We are in the home stretch of this journey with "The Joy Diet". I must admit it has been a bit of a struggle for me to keep up, but it is because of the barriers that I continue to perservere. All the things in my life that are pulling me away from this book and practice are the things that tell me I need to be paying attention to this book all the more.

So, for laughter - one of the best things the book says about laughter is, "The more stressful, dangerous, baffling, or unpleasant your situation, the more important it is to laugh at it." I know this is true, but sometimes laughter isn't easy to come by in those situations.

I like the idea of a LPD (laughs per day) Quotient. Seems like it makes sense to take little laugh breaks. There was also a list of ways to ensure that you laugh enough - reading funny books, watching funny TV programs, visiting funny websites, going to comedy clubs, etc.

One of the things I am most proud of is that often, people who I engage with socially will end the evening saying, "I love hanging out with you. I always laugh so hard my stomach/sides/cheeks hurt." It makes me so happy to be able to make people laugh. Their joy makes me laugh. It is infectious and healthy. I consider that one of my greatest talents/gifts. Wow. I just realized that. I have known that in my head, but that was the first time I ever wrote it out like that. Making people laugh is a gift. A gift I love giving. Hmmm. I have to think about this. Maybe this relates to my post for Play...

I think I'm done now...I have to go laugh and think.