Always Anna

It always entertains me when people complain about how many gifts they have to buy; how they don’t want to deal with the malls; how this time of year is so expensive; how much they HATE buying gifts for everyone they know.  After listening to them rant, I always say, “Really?  I LOVE holiday shopping!”  Reactions range from disbelief to shock to responses of, “Really?  Will you do my shopping for me?”  And let me just say now - if you give me a budget, some info on the person, and money, I will definitely gift shop for you!

For me, gift shopping is more fun than shopping for myself.  When I’m shopping for myself, I get easily frustrated.  Maybe because I have a too specific idea in my head of what I’m looking for - when I can’t find exactly what I want, I get cranky and tired.  (The exception to this is, of course, when I’m just wandering around and happen to find something I love.)  But when I’m present shopping, it’s all different.

I love tooling around online for ideas, looking for the perfect gift in craft bazaars, and stalking the accessories and home goods sections of Marshall’s or TJ Maxx.  I love Secret Santas and Yankee Swaps and online swaps.  I love the look on peoples’ faces when they open their gift and can’t believe they now have something they’ve always wanted.  Or even better, when they realize that you’ve found something that they never even knew they wanted, but now know they can’t live without.  Oh, and when you give a gift that makes some kind of inside joke, and they know exactly what it means?  That’s the BEST.

I love this time of year because it gives me the opportunity to make my friends and family happy.  And it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to know that I can help with that.

Happy Holidays!