gift giving

in nine days it will be thanksgiving and then in 40 days it will be Christmas. the list of who to purchase for and ideas of what to buy each person has been drafted but still, there's so much to do and so much to consider.

one consideration is the whole gift giving thing. every year, mr. wonderful and i pile in a car and head out of town to meet up with our family on Christmas eve. in tow, we have a ton of things i've purchased for each person, emergency gifts for the unexpected guests and gift wrapping. i guess this year with so many things being different for all of us, i kind of find myself hesitating to what we do all the same way. of c ourse, i want to buy gifts for everyone. it is by far one of mr. wonderful and i's favorite things to do. so to change it up, i'm thinking about making a point to not do the following while giving gifts this holiday season:

-- no gifts that would take up a huge amount of space (unless someone really needs a table or a lamp)
-- nothing similar to what has been given before from other people or me
-- more experiential gifts
-- special and personal over expensive and hollow
-- creative gift wrapping over the usual paper and bow (too much wasted paper)

i enjoy gifts but not as much as i enjoy giving them. as of right now though i do not have the space nor the use for any appliances, clothes or trinkets. it's funny how the same people will never ask you what you could possibly want and they continue to purchase things that neither mr. wonderful nor i have any use for. now don't misunderstand me please. we are extremely grateful for everything but our whole point of being a part of holiday gift giving is NOT for the gifts but for the people.

we truly enjoy seeing everyone and spending time together. what other time of the year does that happen? it's bothered me for years that families in general just simply do not come together unless there's a holiday attached to it which is probably why i create parties and get togethers as often as possible because most people require some kind of special occasion to feel compelled to even attend. but what about all the other days? if only i could express somehow that the real gift is your time, not your money, not the food you made and not your beautifully wrapped gift. the presence of the people i love is a present, the best kind. sometimes, i think about being radical and not accepting any gifts but i would assume that most people buy gifts for the same reason i do. but i do have to ask, "couldn't we all just bake cookies together and play cards or something?" i'm cool with that.

after reading this article by cheryl richardson, i was impressed by several points she made about "reclaiming your holiday" through five steps that will make for a nice holiday season:

-- temper your expectations
-- mine the past
-- set a new intention
-- start planning
-- CELEBRATE!

Take a more mindful, deliberate approach to these next couple of months, you'll reclaim your time to spend with people you love.