Jingle Bells.. Shopping Smells.

This weekend starts the first weekend of Christmas shopping. Last year I promised myself that I would start in June with Christmas shopping and I told everyone that. Until I decided to get married and move that month. So, I’m really behind.

I hate Christmas shopping. I love the feeling of going shopping at Christmas time.. the lines.. the chattery people… not a lot of kids because they’re all at home so that the parents can get their stuff. But I hate the actual Christmas shopping. It hurts my brain! I’m standing there in front of an aisle of gloves and hats and scarves thinking.. “ok this girl has a black coat.. this one has a blue one.. but if I could mismatch these ones then they can share but you can’t give a hat without a tag or they’ll think it was used..” Or men. How do you shop for men. See, I’m not one of those girls that try to be sexy and act like I know something about cars or tools or football. No, I don’t know anything. So I go shopping for tools.. I do not know the difference between a flat head and one that has a power cord and shit, I just do not know. Kids are easy. Give them plado or a ball. Done.

And it’s so competitive. You go the family’s house and you hear, “well Bob got ME THIS. Amazing huh?” and everyone is ooohing and aahhhing. So you want to be the person who either got the fantastic gift or you want to be the one that gives it. And people remember that shit. Like in June when someone comes over and their like “oh that is so pretty, where’d you get it?” You reply with, “oh Tom got me that for Christmas.” Tom is now going to go down in history for his awesome gift exchange. That is pressure! I want to be Tom!

CDs use to be the bomb. But no one uses CDs anymore. They’re all about the I-pods and I-phones and other I-things. Kids are wanting Macs, phones, Blackberries… how do you compete with that? Whatever happened to the bikes wrapped up with a bow? NO. You best believe you better get your 4-year old a real motorcycle or all the kids at school will make fun of him.

I love Christmas and I can honestly say I’m one that remembers the REASON for the season. But Christmas shopping, not for me. I’m dreading this.

But one thing that really excites me about the shopping expedition: Christmas place mats, center piece for my dining room table, and new Christmas-y salt and pepper shakers… that all have BLUE in them to match my kitchen/dining area. OH YES.