I'm Blee-ee-eeding...
Such a softy I am. A very sore, soon to be very broke softy.
*whimper* I just got back from over 11 hours of shopping. 11+ hours. For those of you who are just getting to know me and those who do not know me well, I do not shop for more than three hours without giving out. *sigh* Except at Christmas.
On the positive side, I think "my" four kids are all finished. I may have one or two things left to buy, but I'm pretty sure I'm 99% done with them. My two parents, three sisters, one brother, and three brothers-in-law, however, are a different story. I had a brilliant idea (at least in my mind) of something to get Laynna, but I couldn't find it in the one store I checked (the one that gave me the idea) and I kept forgetting to look in the other stores. I seriously doubt many of them would have had it, though. I shall have to try looking on-line or in a nurse supply store. I'm still mostly stumped on Elflina and her husband, but Ree and her husband are 80% complete. Laynna's husband is almost as much of a pain to shop for as Elflina's husband(!), but I haven't really made a concentrated effort yet. I got a present for my mother, but I haven't decided if it is for her birthday right before Christmas, or for Christmas itself. We shall have to see what else presents itself.
I had an extra brilliant stroke of luck (I hope) for one of my father's presents. *bounces happily in spite of exhaustion* I know he doesn't have it yet, and I'm pretty sure he'll like it. Now I just need to buy him some dirt and he'll be set! *LOL at the family inside joke* Well, okay, maybe I'll buy him a DVD or some pants instead. Ne, Ree, if you read this, can you get with Mama and find out that list of the de-rezzing tapes that need to be replaced so I have something to work from?
*from the tiny crowd* Hey, Raya! If you didn't spend all that much money on your family, why the heck did it take you 11 hours to go shopping?
*hangs head* I was hoping you wouldn't ask. See, that's the softy part. I usually pick up several charity lists (this year: two from work and two from church) and buy as much of their wish list as I can. I have a good paying job, no debts (this year), and I can only spoil nieces and nephews so much before the parents start giving me these weird looks and the grandparents start to gently scold. Therefore, I give away to those who are not so fortunate. It does benefit me some. I tithe, too (that is, give 10% of my monthly paycheck to charity), so I always itemize on my taxes and get a nice payback.
Well, this year, I had a real easy gentlemen from the Advent Tree (church), a so-so family that the choir is sponsoring (same family as last year... With mostly the same gifts listed! *shakes head in disbelief* I think someone may have goofed, except the ages did go up), and a mother/daughter pair from work who were part of a larger family posting. They were the ones who got most of my money.
I believe (and will confirm sometime when I am back in the office) that they are in a halfway house or shelter for women and children fleeing abusers. The mother's list made me shake my head and just demanded that I take it. A deep fryer, pots/pans, blankets, comforters/sheets (3 twins, a full, and a queen), dishes, glasses, toaster, coffee maker... The only thing that wasn't household or kid related was a shirt for herself. I tried to find cheap stuff so that I could buy more (I really should have let a department take her, but she'd already been waiting a while before I remembered to go down and claim an ornament), but I didn't want it to look all that cheap. Let's just say that I feel like I spent too much, yet I wish I could have bought her more.
I got one of her daughters a Bratz doll, a shirt, and a pair of jeans. I think she also got a puzzle. I had to take her ornament, too. She reminded me of Neko-chan with her list! (My younger niece) Except, she's more my older niece's age.
Oh yeah... Puzzles... K*B Toys... The coupon my mother gave me for $5 off of an order of $50 or more... Well, it helped a little, and 80-90% went to the Marines standing outside the door. Including the cute little stuffed dog that I soooo wanted to keep for myself. *pout* Haha, it was only a medium sized bag stuffed pretty full, but that poor Marine looked so surprised by it. That was worth it. *nods* Their box was pretty full already. The three? four? five? toys I gave him would have made it overflow, which is why I handed it to him.
*sigh* Now I have to wrap all this stuff! Especially the stuff I bought for the family the choir is sponsoring. I think it has to be in by next weekend, and I'm going to be on travel all week. I hope to come home on Saturday, but I'm not 100% sure about that yet. Maybe I'll sort it out and go mall trolling for gift wrap stations. That's what I usually do. Then, I can give it up tomorrow afternoon. Maybe.
And since my charities are all out of the way, I have time to concentrate on the rest of my family. *deep breath* Wish me luck!
Time to go cruise quickly through my friends page, then drag myself upstairs to collapse. I might even change into pajamas and wash my face first... We'll see. ^-^
Oyasumi, minna!
*whimper* I just got back from over 11 hours of shopping. 11+ hours. For those of you who are just getting to know me and those who do not know me well, I do not shop for more than three hours without giving out. *sigh* Except at Christmas.
On the positive side, I think "my" four kids are all finished. I may have one or two things left to buy, but I'm pretty sure I'm 99% done with them. My two parents, three sisters, one brother, and three brothers-in-law, however, are a different story. I had a brilliant idea (at least in my mind) of something to get Laynna, but I couldn't find it in the one store I checked (the one that gave me the idea) and I kept forgetting to look in the other stores. I seriously doubt many of them would have had it, though. I shall have to try looking on-line or in a nurse supply store. I'm still mostly stumped on Elflina and her husband, but Ree and her husband are 80% complete. Laynna's husband is almost as much of a pain to shop for as Elflina's husband(!), but I haven't really made a concentrated effort yet. I got a present for my mother, but I haven't decided if it is for her birthday right before Christmas, or for Christmas itself. We shall have to see what else presents itself.
I had an extra brilliant stroke of luck (I hope) for one of my father's presents. *bounces happily in spite of exhaustion* I know he doesn't have it yet, and I'm pretty sure he'll like it. Now I just need to buy him some dirt and he'll be set! *LOL at the family inside joke* Well, okay, maybe I'll buy him a DVD or some pants instead. Ne, Ree, if you read this, can you get with Mama and find out that list of the de-rezzing tapes that need to be replaced so I have something to work from?
*from the tiny crowd* Hey, Raya! If you didn't spend all that much money on your family, why the heck did it take you 11 hours to go shopping?
*hangs head* I was hoping you wouldn't ask. See, that's the softy part. I usually pick up several charity lists (this year: two from work and two from church) and buy as much of their wish list as I can. I have a good paying job, no debts (this year), and I can only spoil nieces and nephews so much before the parents start giving me these weird looks and the grandparents start to gently scold. Therefore, I give away to those who are not so fortunate. It does benefit me some. I tithe, too (that is, give 10% of my monthly paycheck to charity), so I always itemize on my taxes and get a nice payback.
Well, this year, I had a real easy gentlemen from the Advent Tree (church), a so-so family that the choir is sponsoring (same family as last year... With mostly the same gifts listed! *shakes head in disbelief* I think someone may have goofed, except the ages did go up), and a mother/daughter pair from work who were part of a larger family posting. They were the ones who got most of my money.
I believe (and will confirm sometime when I am back in the office) that they are in a halfway house or shelter for women and children fleeing abusers. The mother's list made me shake my head and just demanded that I take it. A deep fryer, pots/pans, blankets, comforters/sheets (3 twins, a full, and a queen), dishes, glasses, toaster, coffee maker... The only thing that wasn't household or kid related was a shirt for herself. I tried to find cheap stuff so that I could buy more (I really should have let a department take her, but she'd already been waiting a while before I remembered to go down and claim an ornament), but I didn't want it to look all that cheap. Let's just say that I feel like I spent too much, yet I wish I could have bought her more.
I got one of her daughters a Bratz doll, a shirt, and a pair of jeans. I think she also got a puzzle. I had to take her ornament, too. She reminded me of Neko-chan with her list! (My younger niece) Except, she's more my older niece's age.
Oh yeah... Puzzles... K*B Toys... The coupon my mother gave me for $5 off of an order of $50 or more... Well, it helped a little, and 80-90% went to the Marines standing outside the door. Including the cute little stuffed dog that I soooo wanted to keep for myself. *pout* Haha, it was only a medium sized bag stuffed pretty full, but that poor Marine looked so surprised by it. That was worth it. *nods* Their box was pretty full already. The three? four? five? toys I gave him would have made it overflow, which is why I handed it to him.
*sigh* Now I have to wrap all this stuff! Especially the stuff I bought for the family the choir is sponsoring. I think it has to be in by next weekend, and I'm going to be on travel all week. I hope to come home on Saturday, but I'm not 100% sure about that yet. Maybe I'll sort it out and go mall trolling for gift wrap stations. That's what I usually do. Then, I can give it up tomorrow afternoon. Maybe.
And since my charities are all out of the way, I have time to concentrate on the rest of my family. *deep breath* Wish me luck!
Time to go cruise quickly through my friends page, then drag myself upstairs to collapse. I might even change into pajamas and wash my face first... We'll see. ^-^
Oyasumi, minna!