kerravonsen | Christmas Shopping (Reply)

I'm really rather amazed that I managed to do this. But I realized on Thursday night that if The Toe got worse (it is infected again) then the doctor could take a knife to it when I see him next, on the 17th. My previous intentions had been to rest The Toe so as to encourage its recovery, and not try very much Christmas shopping until later, but I realized that I might actually be more mobile on this Friday off than I would be on the next one, so I'd better shop while I could, and shop as quickly as I could, so as to reduce the amount of walking needed. So I brainstormed with my mother, and then on Friday I hit the City.

This year has more presents than usual, because the entire family is going to be here for Christmas, not just one sibling+family, but all the siblings and all their families -- which makes two parents, two aunts, three siblings, three siblings-in-law, three nieces and four nephews to get presents for. Fortunately, I'd gotten the two eldest nieces presents months and months ago, because they were books I'd had to mail-order, so I did it well ahead of time. And I had some Paua shells I'd bought in New Zealand with vague present-y intentions, but I couldn't figure out who in particular I'd give them to, but Mum helped me work that out. Then a further conversation with one brother helped me figure out what to get for him, and for the youngest niece.

Anyway, on Friday afternoon I hit the city with my lists, and went to four different stores and came away with 90% of the presents after about four hours of shopping. (The four stores were The Reject Shop (which failed me this time), The Body Shop (which didn't), Target (the most fruitful store) and Minotaur Books. Two people are going to get dried fruit, so I bought some nice containers for that, and decorated them with pretty stickers this afternoon. I will fill them with the dried fruit later, though I actually have it now, as I ordered it from Coles Online; I'll be making a custom mix from assorted packets (and probably eat the leftovers myself). Two people are getting Lindt chocolate; if I'm going to break down and get something so banal as a box of chocolates, I'm jolly well going to get lucious ones -- especially if they cost less at Target (grin).

There will be two substitutions. The book I'd intended to get at Minotaur cost $55 (!!!!) so I didn't get it. I got another book which I like, but I have a nagging suspicion that I might have given this book already. So I bought another book as well, that I hadn't read but sounded interesting; I will try to read it before Christmas to see if this person would like it, just in case. The other substitution is because I've fallen in love with the present for my youngest nephew, a cuddly floppy black labrador stuffed toy with the softest fur you ever did stroke...
(mine, mine, mine!)
I shall have to go back to Target to see what animals they have left on Monday; or, if that fails, I could get him my original first choice, a penguin from The Australian Geographic Shop. Actually, it might be better to just go with the penguin, because the Australian Geographic Shop is closer to my place of work than Target is, since this would have to be a lunchtime dash. Hmmm.

I wonder when I'm going to wrap them all?

In other news, I have discovered that Candy Corn and cheese is an... interesting combination. 8-P