August 25-31 - OVERTIME and Neighbor Gifts

Announcement: I didn't make it. I've gotten a bunch of Christmas shopping done, but I have not finished. Bummer! It couldn't be helped. There were other projects going on simultaneously as well as unexpected travel and difficulty this month. I just need more time.

NEW DEADLINE FOR 2013: SEPTEMBER 15

Last year, my wonderful neighbors got mini leg lamp nightlights and Christmas kitchen towels. This year, they're all getting a loaf of fabulous cream cheese pound cake. I make this every year for my own family, and it's the best pound cake ever. I bought some extra loaf pans to go with the ones I already have for faster baking.

THE SCRAPBOOK

Here's what I've done with the big scrapbook project in the last few days. Found some cute embellishments at the craft store, and finished two more pages. I'm showing just enough of the pages to give you an idea of what I'm doing.

 

I stalled on my nieces' charm necklaces because the jump rings (you jewelry makers know what these are) I had were so small they were difficult to work with. I bought some bigger ones, a little case to keep them in, and some key rings...because why couldn't I make key ring charms for stocking stuffers??!!

I've bought enough for my nieces, but I saw these chunky notebooks with 3-D-ish butterfly covers, and couldn't resist.

Finally, I found two new rolls of wrapping paper that I loved! I know I'm trying to use up the stuff in the basement, but these were just beautiful. I can imagine a red satin ribbon with that navy and white chevron pattern. Gorgeous!

TALLY 
5 gifts for Hubby, 1 wrapped, 4 in bags
1 gift for Dad, wrapped
3 gifts for Mom, 1 wrapped, 2 in bags
2 gifts for Father-in-law, still in the bag
2 gifts for 1 brother-in-law, wrapped
3 gifts for 1 sister-in-law, wrapped
1 gift for other brother-in-law, wrapped 
5 gifts for nieces, new jump rings bought for charm necklaces. (Little problem. For the life of me I can't remember what these five gifts are. I can only remember three.)
2 gifts for sister, wrapped
1 gift for brother, wrapped
1 gift for other sister-in-law, wrapped
3 gifts for 1 son, 1 wrapped, 2 ordered
5 gifts for 1 son, wrapped
3 gifts for 1 girl, 2 wrapped, 1 still in the bag to be returned
Photo prints for scrapbook, delivered
Scrapbook - 4 pages done; new embellishments bought
Neighbors and friends - cream cheese pound cakes. Gift bags bought.
Gifts for some of the dogs in the 'hood - still in the bag
Stockings - 2 things for everyone + keyring idea

August 22-24 - Not. Enough. Time.

 You guys, I need more time! I'm playing catch up today. So far I've wrapped four presents, finished two more pages of the scrapbook, and purchased another gift for each of my nieces.

I'm not even going to spend more time blogging now, because it's Saturday, and I'm just going to get back to scrapbooking for Mom's book.

Oh, I also had second thoughts about one of the gifts I bought for a young lady. It's too old-looking for her. Back to the drawing board.

TALLY 
5 gifts for Hubby, still in the bags
1 gift for Dad, delivered and wrapped
3 gifts for Mom, still in bags
2 gifts for Father-in-law, still in the bag
2 gifts for 1 brother-in-law, wrapped
3 gifts for 1 sister-in-law, wrapped
1 gift for other brother-in-law, wrapped
4 gifts for nieces, charms for one necklace finished
2 gifts for sister, wrapped
1 gift for brother, delivered, not wrapped
1 gift for other sister-in-law, delivered, not wrapped
3 gifts for 1 son, 1 wrapped, 2 settled upon
5 gifts for 1 son, wrapped
3 gifts for 1 girl, 2 wrapped, 1 still in the bag to be returned
Photo prints for scrapbook, delivered - Better start the book! 
Scrapbook - 4 pages done.
Oodles of gift bags for neighbors and friends 
Gifts for some of the dogs in the 'hood - still in the bag
Stockings - 2 things for everyone

August 17-21 - Catching up!

On August 18, I made major headway with my Christmas list. I had driven to Charleston, WV, to be with family after my cousin passed away. On the way home, I stopped at Tamarack. I found three little gifts for my mom, two for a sister-in-law, one for my sister, two for my hubby, and five stocking stuffers! Here are some pictures of cool things I saw there.

A couple of days before, I found this large wicker-framed mirror at T.J. Maxx. I may go back and get this for a certain mirror-lover.

Today, I started Mom's scrapbook. I only finished two pages, but it's started. I've dealt with 12 of the 284 pictures so far. Argh!!

TALLY 
5 gifts for Hubby, still in the bags
1 gift for Dad, delivered and wrapped
3 gifts for Mom, still in bags
2 gifts for Father-in-law, still in the bag
2 gifts for 1 brother-in-law, wrapped
2 gifts for 1 sister-in-law, still in bags
1 gift for other brother-in-law, wrapped
3 gifts for nieces, charms for one necklace finished
2 gifts for sister, 1 wrapped, 1 not
1 gift for brother, delivered, not wrapped
1 gift for other sister-in-law, delivered, not wrapped
3 gifts for 1 son, 1 wrapped, 2 settled upon
5 gifts for 1 son, 4 wrapped, 1 not
3 gifts for 1 girl, 2 wrapped, 1 still in the bag
Photo prints for scrapbook, delivered - Better start the book! 
Scrapbook & some supplies, bought; still in the bag
Oodles of gift bags for neighbors and friends 
Gifts for some of the dogs in the 'hood - still in the bag
Stockings - 2 things for everyone

August 16 - Two More Relatives Checked Off!

My brother and sister-in-law in LA came through and gave me ideas of what they would like. I took care of these two in a snap today!

TALLY 
1 gift for brother, ordered
1 gift for sister-in-law, ordered
3 gifts for Hubby, still in the bag
1 gift for Dad, delivered and wrapped
2 gifts for Father-in-law, still in the bag
2 gifts for 1 brother-in-law, delivered, picked up, wrapped
1 gift for other brother-in-law, delivered and wrapped
3 gifts for nieces, charms for one necklace finished
1 gift for sister, delivered and wrapped
3 gifts for 1 son, 1 wrapped, 2 settled upon
4 gifts for 1 son, all delivered and wrapped
3 gifts for 1 girl, 2 wrapped, 1 still in the bag
Photo prints for scrapbook, delivered - Better start the book! 
Scrapbook & some supplies, bought; still in the bag
Oodles of gift bags for neighbors and friends 
Gifts for some of the dogs in the 'hood - still in the bag
Stockings - started

August 14, 15 - Soliciting Gift Wishes

All I did to help with Christmas today and yesterday was to contact my brother and sister-in-law in Los Angeles to ask them what they would like. I also collected a few new gift ideas from my hubby. I was busy teaching piano and didn't actually buy or wrap anything. I did go through my T.J. Maxx purchases from August 12 and get them somewhat organized. Will have to do more tomorrow. And I definitely MUST get Mom's scrapbook started!!!

TALLY 
3 gifts for Hubby, still in the bag
1 gift for Dad, delivered and wrapped
2 gifts for Father-in-law, still in the bag
2 gifts for 1 brother-in-law, delivered, picked up, wrapped
1 gift for other brother-in-law, delivered and wrapped
3 gifts for nieces, charms for one necklace finished
1 gift for sister, delivered and wrapped
3 gifts for 1 son, 1 wrapped, 2 settled upon
4 gifts for 1 son, all delivered and wrapped
3 gifts for 1 girl, 2 wrapped, 1 still in the bag
Photo prints for scrapbook, delivered - Better start the book! 
Scrapbook & some supplies, bought; still in the bag
Oodles of gift bags for neighbors and friends 
Gifts for some of the dogs in the 'hood - still in the bag
Stockings - started

August 13 - Piano Student Gifts

Deciding what to give my wonderful piano students is always a difficult challenge. I would love to give them something meaningful and fun, but my decision generally comes down to cost. Last year, I shopped online for things to fill a goody bag and ended up spending about $5 per student.

This year, I decided to ask a couple of students for suggestions. One of them said she thinks candy is always good and she also enjoyed the personalized music labels I gave as gifts several years ago. The other student came up with a rather brilliant idea: design a special charm for 2013 and make these as gifts.

I already make charms that my students can earn by memorizing and playing various scales on the piano. This one would be a "limited edition" charm that would simply be a gift.

I loved the ideas both of these students gave me, and I believe I'll go with exactly what they suggested:

1. Candy
2. Personalized music labels
3. 2013 collectible charm

TALLY 
Piano Student Gifts - decision made
3 gifts for Hubby, still in the bag
1 gift for Dad, delivered and wrapped
2 gifts for Father-in-law, still in the bag
2 gifts for 1 brother-in-law, delivered, picked up, wrapped
1 gift for other brother-in-law, delivered and wrapped
3 gifts for nieces, charms for one necklace finished
1 gift for sister, delivered and wrapped
3 gifts for 1 son, 1 wrapped, 2 settled upon
4 gifts for 1 son, all delivered and wrapped
3 gifts for 1 girl, 2 wrapped, 1 still in the bag
Photo prints for scrapbook, delivered - Better start the book! 
Scrapbook & some supplies, bought; still in the bag
Oodles of gift bags for neighbors and friends 
Gifts for some of the dogs in the 'hood - still in the bag
Stockings - started

August 11, 12 - Lots of Progress!

Yesterday, the only thing I accomplished was finding out that Son #2 has nailed down the two items on his wish list and determining what this was going to cost Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

Today, on the other hand, I bought so many gifts that my debit card suffered severe trauma. Where did I shop? T.J. Maxx! It was amazing. I found two items for my father-in-law, one for a certain girl, three for my hubby, four for neighborhood dogs (I can't believe I did that), supplies for Mom's scrapbook, and a few stocking stuffers. I bought so much stuff that I can't remember what all there was. I'll go through the bags tomorrow and get it straight.

TALLY 
3 gifts for Hubby, still in the bag
1 gift for Dad, delivered and wrapped
2 gifts for Father-in-law, still in the bag
2 gifts for 1 brother-in-law, delivered, picked up, wrapped
1 gift for other brother-in-law, delivered and wrapped
3 gifts for nieces, charms for one necklace finished
1 gift for sister, delivered and wrapped
3 gifts for 1 son, 1 wrapped, 2 settled upon
4 gifts for 1 son, all delivered and wrapped
3 gifts for 1 girl, 2 wrapped, 1 still in the bag
Photo prints for scrapbook, delivered - Better start the book! 
Scrapbook & some supplies, bought; still in the bag
Oodles of gift bags for neighbors and friends 
Gifts for some of the dogs in the 'hood - still in the bag
Stockings - started

August 10 - Handmade Charms and Wrapping

I wrapped several small presents today and used up one of those rolls of wrapping paper I showed you from my basement. I love it when that happens. I've wiped out two rolls so far. Remember, I'm waiting until December to add ribbons and trim. For now, I just want things to stack and store nicely.

The coolest thing I did today was finish one of my nieces' charm necklaces. I started with Sarah's, because I know how to spell her name best. The charms are reversible, so on one side she has her name, and on the other side, little pictures.

I added the charms next to the fastener and heart on purpose. I think those will look cute in front!

TALLY 
1 gift for Dad, delivered and wrapped
2 gifts for 1 brother-in-law, delivered, picked up, wrapped
1 gift for other brother-in-law, delivered and wrapped
3 gifts for nieces, charms for one necklace finished
1 gift for sister, delivered and wrapped
1 gift for 1 son, delivered and wrapped
4 gifts for 1 son, all delivered and wrapped
2 gifts for 1 girl, delivered and wrapped
Photo prints for scrapbook, delivered - Better start the book!
Oodles of gift bags for neighbors and friends

August 9 - Money Laundering

Catchy title, isn't it?

Today I did two things.

1. Money Checkup
2. Laundering

Not my actual credit cards and cash.

The money checkup involved planning how I will pay for remaining gifts and assessing the payment methods I have used so far. Your basic personal accounting. Christmas shopping adds up, you know.

The laundering involved taking dirty clothes from various rooms of the house to the washroom where I washed and dried them.

If that doesn't get one in the Christmas spirit, I don't know what on earth would.

August 8 - Six Gifts in Six Minutes

Gift cards are my friend. I love to receive them, and I love to give them! Just ordered six for a few people who may be reading this blog, so let's be vague and leave it at that. So. Easy.

 TALLY 
1 gift for Dad, ordered
2 gifts for 1 brother-in-law, delivered, picked up, wrapped
1 gift for other brother-in-law, ordered
3 gifts for nieces, all delivered and/or picked up
1 gift for sister, delivered today
1 gift for 1 son, ordered
4 gifts for 1 son, 1 delivered and wrapped, 3 ordered
2 gifts for 1 girl, ordered
Photo prints for scrapbook, delivered
Oodles of gift bags for neighbors and friends

August 7 - Awesome Deliveries

Oh the weather outside is tropical,
But the air inside's delightful!
And since we don't care to get dressed,
UPS, UPS, UPS!

The necklaces I ordered for my nieces are PERFECT! The UPS man brought these as well as Crankee Doodle and sister's gift today.

 

As if that weren't exciting enough, the U.S. Postal Service delivered my 284 Snapfish prints!

TALLY 
1 gift for Dad, ordered
2 gifts for 1 brother-in-law, delivered, picked up, wrapped
1 gift for other brother-in-law, ordered
3 gifts for nieces, all delivered and/or picked up
1 gift for sister, delivered today
1 gift for 1 son, delivered, wrapped
Photo prints for scrapbook, delivered
Oodles of gift bags for neighbors and friends

August 6 - Didn't do much

Today, Son #2 and I spent many hours going through old family photos and other miscellanea in the basement. It took forever. I didn't do anything concrete with Christmas in August, but I got a great idea for a girl on my list. Here's a souvenir from today's excavation.

My grandmother, age 18

August 5 - UPS Deliveries and Wrapping

The packages have started arriving! The UPS man brought two today.

Between piano lessons this afternoon, I went back to Kirkland's to fetch those big zebra pillows I picked out for my nieces. Each one is slightly different, so they'll be able to know which one belongs to whom - a big deal with these girls.

This evening, I asked my dad what he wanted for Christmas, and he eventually gave me a decent answer. His gift has been ordered!

Wanna know something I love about shopping at amazon? You don't need to keep the receipts. You can return or exchange things without them by just printing out a new one from their site. The thing I don't like is that I would rather find everything at local mom and pop shops, but I'm just too busy, and amazon is just too easy.

G I F T    W R A P

Last year for Christmas in August, I had a gift wrap color scheme going on. It was lovely. I used any combination of red, white, and black. This year's theme is not about color. It's about clutter. It's called, "Use up all that wrap in the basement." 

I wrapped one big and two tiny packages today. I'll hold off on ribbon until December so things will stack nicely. Here's what the basement hearth looks like today.

That's not a fire in the background. It's a see-through fireplace, and those are lamps on a table.

In other developments, Son #2 has started compiling his list. It will be short. He's into high-dollar musical instrument items. Last year I was worried about his not having many things to open, but he said he loved it that way and wants to do the same thing this year.

TALLY 
1 gift for Dad
2 gifts for 1 brother-in-law
1 gift for other brother-in-law
3 gifts for nieces
1 gift for sister
1 gift for 1 son
Photo prints for scrapbook have been shipped
Oodles of gift bags for neighbors and friends

August 4 - Zebras, Charms, Thermometers

It's 9:00 p.m., and I just barely fit in some Christmas shopping and planning today! I called my sister up and found out that the cool zebra pillows I spotted at Kirkland's on August 1 would actually be great for my nieces. My sister's family will be driving up from Florida and joining us this year, but I was worried about giving them bulky gifts that might be difficult to store in the car. No problem, according to Sis. They are driving up in a big vehicle with plenty of storage space. So, I'm going to go back to Kirkland's and grab three of those zebra pillows right away...if they haven't all sold out.

She also gave me a gift idea for her grill-out-loving husband. Apparently, he's always breaking meat thermometers (haha), so I found him a nice one on amazon.com. This one was rated highly.

While I was talking to sister, I remembered that I know how to make very cool charms. Why not buy my three nieces charm necklaces and hook unique charms on each one? They wouldn't fight over which one was theirs because I could make sure the charms have their initial on one side. Pretty cool, huh? Here's the necklace I picked out.

TALLY
2 gifts for 1 brother-in-law
1 gift for other brother-in-law
2 gifts for nieces + new idea
1 gift for sister
1 gift for 1 son
Photo prints for scrapbook ordered
Oodles of gift bags for neighbors and friends

August 3 - Crankee Doodle and the Secret Scrapbook

Today I spent quite a long time finishing up the edits that I needed to make on our Estrogen Week photos so that I could upload them to Snapfish and order prints. Even after I thinned out the collection, I still ended up with 284 pictures! I won't necessarily include all of these in Mom's scrapbook (one of her Christmas gifts), but there will be a whole bunch of photos to use nonetheless. It's going to take a while.

While the photos were uploading, I did a little online shopping. I took a closer look at some of the jewelry I saw yesterday at Sam's Club and did comparison shopping at a few other sites.

This week's People magazine featured several of the best new books for kids on page 67, and I ordered their absolute favorite one, Crankee Doodle, for my nieces. People didn't actually say it was their favorite one, but you know it was, because it was at the tippy-top of their list. See?

 

Here is a link to the actual book. Imagine my surprise when I realized it was written and illustrated by my friends, Tom Angleberger and Cece Bell! What a conincidence!

After that exciting find, I ordered an amazon gift card in a cute little box for one of my brothers-in-law (the same one that I found a tiny gift for yesterday at Marshalls). I don't think he knows about my blog, so this shouldn't spoil any surprises.

I also ordered a little something cool for my sister. She might read this, so I better not say what it is.

TALLY
2 gifts for 1 brother-in-law
1 gift for nieces
1 gift for sister
1 gift for 1 son
Photo prints for scrapbook ordered
Oodles of gift bags for neighbors and friends

August 2 - Marshalls, Kirkland's and Sam's Club

Yesterday, I scoured Kirkland's, Marshalls, and Sam's Club. With only people on a list and no particular gifts in mind, it was a bit of a random adventure.

Marshalls yielded one tiny gift for my brother-in-law.

Kirkland's gave me nothing. There were cute zebra pillows my nieces would love, but shipping or stowing these in a car would be impractical.

Sam's Club gave me several ideas. For one thing, I noticed that you can get packages of iTunes gift cards there at a discount. They also had lots of pretty jewelry at a wide range of prices. I snapped a picture of one case as an example.

I found one item I actually wanted to buy on the spot - for myself: a Virginia Tech football jersey with diamonds across the front and a shapely cut. The odd thing about this is that I don't care anything about Virginia Tech football. I don't dislike it, but I don't get into it. I just liked the idea of wearing that glamorous football jersey to impress my football-loving hubby and friends. Maybe I should go back and get it???

I decided to leave the iTunes gift cards there and come back to fetch them later. The lines were unbelievably long on this Friday afternoon.

On Day 3, I need to get started on my handmade gift. Last year, this was a big secret, because my mom was reading the blog and it was for her. This year, I'm just going to say what it is, because it's something I'll probably do every year. My big handmade gift is a giant scrapbook of "Estrogen Week," which is a week-long all-girl vacation at my mom's house near the beach for the ladies in our family. Last year's book took me forever to finish. The year before that, when Christmas in August had not yet occurred to me, I was still working on it on Christmas Eve!  This year I'm hoping to do something with it every single day.

Here are a few pictures of last year's scrapbook:

TALLY:
1 gift for 1 son
1 tiny item for brother-in-law
lots of gift bags for neighbors and friends