Happy Holidays!

This is better than any blog post I could ever write. Enjoy.

Am I Supposed To Be Putting Together a Holiday Gift Guide?

So according to a bunch of emails I've received lately, I must be in the throes of putting together my holiday gift guide.

Clearly, I am doing this mom blogger thing all wrong. I mean, I sort of knew that when I wasn't getting free trips to Disney and thousands of hits a day, but I've always attributed that to my lazy streak and penchant for blogging about politics. And all the bitching I do. And the swearing. And the fact that I have never published a recipe. Or a cartoon. Or a craft.

Or, apparently, a gift guide.

Back when I started blogging, no one talked about gift guides. Those were in InStyle Magazine, not on mom blogs. We were so naive back in the aughts. But now that I think about it, why IS some assistant editor at InStyle more qualified to suggest gifts than I am?

I mean, obviously, for stylish gifts, I'm not the one to pick. But I know about toys. And books. And clothes from Lands End and The Children's Place. There's no reason that I couldn't do a gift guide. I like shopping. And when I can't afford to shop, I create extensive online shopping carts that make websites send me reminder emails, as if I was really going to buy $400 worth of stuff at The Children's Place and just forgot to put my credit card info in.

I get a lot of reminder emails.

But I do buy stuff during the holidays.

See the joy? I am really good at buying gifts. 

At least for children. 

I could do a children's gift guide. But is that selling out? I mean, if the list is truly stuff I recommend, not this crap marketing interns keep emailing me about. 

Next thing you know I'll be telling you guys my secrets to making Suddenly Salad pasta salad even better. 

What do you guys think? Do you do gift guides? Will I ruin my cynical bitch "brand" if I do one? 

The Best Gift I Ever Gave

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I love to shop. I can be just as happy at Nordstrom or at a garage sale, as long as I get to buy something. In times of great stress, I may even fill up an online shopping cart without actually ever purchasing anything. Usually that's what really fits my budget. Anyway, my love of shopping means that I generally enjoy buying gifts, even if my budget precludes buying as many gifts as I would like. Or buying them at Nordstrom.

The truth is, though, that when I first read the topic for this post, my mind flashed through all the best gifts I've ever gotten - the Barbie Dream House, the grown up bed (after years on a futon), the ring, the first ornaments made at preschool. It was remembering the first ornaments from preschool that did it, that reminded me of our first Christmas in New Jersey.

Ironflower had just turned 3 and was halfway through her first year of preschool. Lovebug was a few months from 2 and had just discovered Thomas the Tank Engine. Hugmonkey was still a couple of months away form even making me nauseous. Things had been tight, but I was determined. It was the first time we would not be spending the night at one of our parent's houses on Christmas Eve and I wanted the kids' eyes to light up when we came downstairs in our own house.

Which is why Hot Guy spent several hours putting together a train table and a play kitchen. And I do mean hours. Bless him. It would have taken me days.

Anyway, unlike losing your virginity, the first time your kids marvel on Christmas morning never disappoints. I mean, they'd certainly been excited before, but never in their own living room. And never to that extent. I almost cried. In the years since we've had a few more Christmas mornings in our own house and lots more excitement. But I've never been able to match the thrill of giving them presents they hadn't asked for but were absolutely what they dreamed of (thanks, toy commercials).

PS Remember how I'm only doing posts for things I really, really like? This is one of those things.


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