31things: Shopping approach

Inspired by my attempt last December and from my friend Stephanie, I’m going to try blogging each day in December — holiday themes, of course! I’m calling it “31things.” Click here for more details. Read below for today’s post.

 

This post: Approach to holiday shopping

For me, I start with a budget sheet in Apple’s Numbers program. Each person I buy for has their own colorful block where I place items I plan to buy and offer an estimated price. There’s a separate column for the actual price. There also are blocks for other items such as postage stamps, paper for my Christmas cards, etc.

There are seven individual people blocks and then an additional one for the other items, which also can include gifts for others.

The estimated and actual total lines from each block then are listed at the bottom of the page and are added up, giving me a grand total of estimated and actual spending.

It’s pretty cool, and it also helps me to recall what I spent/purchased the previous year.

As for actual gifts … I try to either theme a gift, buy local stuff or get a gift card they’ll like. I used to be anti-gift cards, but it’s fun knowing you can give somebody the gift for them to get what they’d like.

Though, for some gifts, I do spend quite a bit of time thinking about. For instance, my mom and two best friends gifts have been quite difficult. Though I have nothing yet for anybody else, I sort of *know* what they’ll get. But I seem to put a lot of pressure on my mom and two pals’ gifts.

And as much as I love Christmas, I don’t finish shopping until Christmas Eve. Why? I don’t buy into the hype of planning your list and shopping like a nut in the fall or on one certain day. Gifting the *right* thing takes time. A lot of thought goes into gifts, and I hate just rushing through a store with a list. Where is the love in that?

Plus, I hate the material meaning that people put on Christmas. I buy things out of love, not just for somebody to open.

31things: Favorite seasonal story or book

Inspired by my attempt last December and from my friend Stephanie, I’m going to try blogging each day in December — holiday themes, of course! I’m calling it “31things.” Click here for more details. Read below for today’s post.

 

Two stories come to mind for the Christmas season: “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “The Polar Express.”

Each of these stories exudes the spirit of what Christmas and the holiday season is supposed to be.

In “Grinch,” we follow the story of the Grinch who tries stealing Christmas from others only because he does not have Christmas. But as we come to learn, even the Grinch understands the true meaning of Christmas — family, friends, love and togetherness. Such a truly simplistic story that so many people should really take to heart.

“The Polar Express” has been a favorite of mine long before it became a movie. The story, as you might know, follows one central theme — believe.

It’s the idea of believing in Santa and that there is good in us all. I wish more people could hear that bell ring. But the true reality is that so many people get caught up in what they think life is meant to be and eventually lose out on hearing the bell.

The book ends with one of the most powerful thoughts:

At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I’ve grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.

I still hear the bell ring. Do you?

31things: Favorite year-end donations/charities

Inspired by my attempt last December and from my friend Stephanie, I’m going to try blogging each day in December — holiday themes, of course! I’m calling it “31things.” Click here for more details. Read below for today’s post.

If you know me, you know this answer is pretty easy! Though, over the past several years, I’ve added another charity to year-end thoughts.

I spend much of my life volunteering with the American Cancer Society, as you might know. So it goes without saying that I hope everybody can find a few dollars to offer toward patient services and research because too many people and their families are suffering from the effects of cancer.

But, I’ve added the Toys for Tots program to my list of nonprofits I think of at this time of year. Thanks to my good pals Mike and Bob at Pittsburgh’s 96.1 Kiss FM, I’ve realized something I’ve always known — every kid deserves a gift at Christmas.

The economy sucks, it really doesn’t seem to be getting better and more people are suffering. Lost in that shuffle are kids, whose parents are doing everything they can just to pay for food and rent. Mike and Bob and the fine folks at Clear Channel Pittsburgh have, for eight years now, hosted Stuff-A-Bus — a weeklong event geared at raising awareness, money and donations for the Pittsburgh area Marines Toys for Tots program.

Their efforts prompted me to write a story last year for the Trib’s community newspapers and to suggest that for this December, my newspaper, the Sewickley Herald, take on the Beaver County Toys for Tots program for our annual holiday project. The Beaver County chapter does not reap the benefits of the 96.1 FM Stuff-A-Bus event.

Please read my story and consider donating to the Beaver County Toys for Tots or your local chapter because no child should wonder why Santa skipped their house.

31things: Shopping

Inspired by my attempt last December and from my friend Stephanie, I’m going to try blogging each day in December — holiday themes, of course! I’m calling it “31things.” Click here for more details. Read below for today’s post.

 

I love the holiday season.

But I could do without the rage-filled Christmas shoppers.

I’m not sure how or when Christmas became this season that elicits such increased hateful rage at stores.

The throngs of people at stores and malls are OK to deal with, but only if people aren’t pushing and shoving.

Look at the mass chaos that is Black Friday. Shootings, pepper spray incidents, people being stomped to death (sometimes literally!).

It’s disheartening people think that gifts from a store are important enough to push shove and kill others.

I’m not certain where (maybe California?) it happened, but the woman who pepper sprayed others so she could hav a video game console this year was just awful. She taught her children that it’s OK to allow material items to become more important than love.

Christmas is NOT about crap from a store. Nothing made in China or Indonesia or even America is going to make me love somebody more. It won’t even make me love the holidays more.

I’d sooner receive no gifts and be able to spend time with friends and family. And I’m serious! I honestly do not need gifts. People ask me for a list and I make one, but I don’t need any of that stuff.

I just wish others could see that, too.