So much to do and so little time.  Isn’t it always this way at Christmas time.  Every year I say I’m going to start my shopping, gift making, planning early and I rarely if ever do.  This year is definitely no exception.  I have at minimum 7 presents to make for my immediate family and oh, I’m done with two and barely started on the others.  This is just insane.

The good news is that all the crazy work stuff . . . oh yeah, I’m on top of my game and ready to deliver EVERYTHING that I had due.  *doing the cabbage patch around my office

So tomorrow, I will wrap up the lose ends, drop a few notes to people and then craft like a crazy woman! Did I mention that I LOVE my craft time and that I did take a few minutes out of my night tonight to clean the clutter a bit so I am ready to get busy.  Love this time of year.

I made all my client gifts for the second year in a row, all my siblings birthday gifts and now everyone’s Christmas present.  I think I linked to this before (http://www.drlaurablog.com/2009/12/15/presents-from-the-heart/) but was too lazy to go look it up.  Do you have those hard to buy for people are your list?  Oh, let me count the ways here:

Dad – he can buy anything he wants for himself and frankly he doesn’t seem to want anything except quality time with us

Mom – she wants things but they are all so practical, definitely not what I want to give to her to show just how important and loved she is

Micah – 3 years younger than me and worlds apart in every way.  I stopped buying him presents a couple of years ago and except for the present I am making for all my siblings will continue that way. Now his son and my kids only cousin on my side of the family, he’s a different story – buy Legos.  Easy as that.

Daniel – my crazy middle child brother who is such a globe trotter who can keep up with where he is, let alone what he might want for Christmas.  It doesn’t help that I ‘ve done his birthday/Christmas/gift giving shopping for years now so all my good ideas for the others, well, he gets them (not that I’m complaining, it’s really nice to get to go shopping without worrying about spending my own money.)

Honor – working at Buffalo Wild Wings seems to be her calling for now after 4 years at different colleges, no degree and no clue as to what she wants to be when she ‘grows up.’  The saving grace here is that she does collect elephants so I can always find something cute for her.

Joseph – the spoiled rotten, very, little brother of the family.  He has more technical gadgets than I do and that’s just sad.  While I see glimpses of the man he will become, for the most part he is just a college boy and what in the world am I supposed to get him??

So you see, shopping for Christmas or any other time is way more complicated than just showing up at the mall.  So this year, with all the hoopla, I will continue to strive toward making my unique and personalized gifts and topping them off with a personal note.

So action item for you . . . don’t go buy greeting cards or ones with goofy/religious/whatever sayings printed inside where you just print your name.  Buy some cheapo paper or even use a legal pad and sit down and write.  It doesn’t have to be long, but make it from the heart.  Make it in your own handwriting.  I guarantee, there is nothing in the world your loved ones will value more than this simple, traditional note from the heart telling them what they mean to you. Take my word for it.

~hope