Christmas Lists

I am a firm believer of the Christmas List.

I like to make one, and I like to have one when I'm shopping for other people.

I've gotten a lot of nice presents over the years, many that I still have: a nice futon, a bike, barbie dolls and my little ponies, horse back riding boots, lots of good books and music. When I was younger and poorer, making a list was a really big deal because I wanted to make the most of my big opportunity - but it was tough because when I was in school (until the ripe old age of 27), I had a lot on my mind just before Christmas. Sometimes I would totally blow it and then I'd just have to pray that I got some good stuff without the list (and my parents, being devoted fans of mine, were pretty good about this).

The list became even more important when the Studly Hubby came into the picture. He and his family are big on Christmas.

My Studly Hubby introduced me to catalog lists (and online lists too). This is super fun. A lot of places actually let you make a registry for Christmas or your birthday (like a wedding registry) - although that's too complicated for me. Now that I'm not in school I could easily spend all weekend catalog shopping and dreaming about my Christmas list. And then my Studly Hubby introduced me to another important concept: if you make your list really long, then people can still pick what they want and you are still surprised.

Another thing I've discovered: after Christmas is over, if you want to bring back some holiday cheer, you can buy yourself a gift off your Christmas list.