But, I understand that many people find shopping to be a serious chore. A heart-palpitating, stutter-inducing experience which leaves them crying on the floor of a department store clutching the floral-print handbag that they think the gift recipient might like, but just aren't sure.
So, in the tradition of my sweet husband John, I have created a wish list of things that I desire. They range in price, meaning, and style, and I will hopefully remember to remove items as they are obtained (either as gifts or by my own purchases).
Also, please note that we have moved from a 3 bedroom house into a 40' long motorhome. As a result, we have no space. I repeat: no space. All the storage space we had in the RV has been filled with (mostly my) stuff. Thus: no space. In other words, if you're trying to decide what to get us, let your first impulse be a charitable donation, followed by a gift certificate (because they take very little room and can be used as needed).
I put my wishlist in order of preference this year.
Charitable Donations
This is my preferred gift for Krismas, 2008!
Last year, John and I donated money to Heifer International to buy a water buffalo for a needy family. That was our Krismas gift to our friends and family, and I hope it went over well. This year, I’d like to invite my friends and family to
Or, a charitable donation in my name to any of the following non-profit organizations would be a wonderful gift:
- Heifer International
- Plan USA (formerly Childreach)
- AFRP - Animal Friends Rescue Project - where we got Alladin.
Homemade Gifts
In 2004, every gift I gave was homemade by me and my husband. I recognize that a homemade gift is not just a thing, but a representation of your time. It's time that you thoughtfully spent making something for me. To be honest, that's an awesome present, right there, and one for which I'm grateful.
• A video greeting -- I love receiving and watching videos of my friends and family.
• Arts and Craft supplies: I knit, spin yarn make beaded jewelry, sew, paint, draw, scrapbook, and do calligraphy and origami. I don't do "cutesy" projects (Precious Memories-style), or anything religious. I stray away from baby-oriented things, cause I have no babies and don't plan on any, though I do sometimes make things for friends' babies. • Alcohol: I drink in moderation; if you make beer or wine, I'd love a bottle!
• Scrapbooks and Photos My sister is working on a scrapbook of all my photographs. If you have photos of some time spent with me and like to scrapbook, why not make a page for my book (it's 8 1/2 x 11)?
Gift Certificates
Some people don't like to give gift certificates. I'm not sure why. The excuses I've heard are "It's like giving cash," or "I don't like to shop-- why would I inflict that on someone else?"
The real reason people don't like giving gift certificates is that it's too easy. You're supposed to spend hours and hours picking out that perfect gift for that perfect person, right? That shows you care, right?
Gift certificates are the perfect gift sometimes. They tell me you know me well enough to know where I shop, but that you also know that I love to shop and want me to have the joyous experience of shopping for myself. So, don't be afraid to give me a gift certificate. This is especially true if you live far away, and need to ship something. Or if you live far away and I'm visiting (in which case, I've got to lug it home). Or, you know that I live in a motorhome and therefore have no space!
Good places to get gift certificates:
- Amazon.com - I have a Kindle ebook reader and would like to stock it with a very thorough library of books. You can help!
- iTunes music card gift card - any denomination. I love music, and the way I listen to songs is a perfect match for iTunes.
- Audible.com - My username there is mortaine, or you can send the gift by email to mortaine at gmail.com.
- Starbucks - I am not addicted! (this is also an awesome inexpensive gift-- $5 goes a long way at Starbucks!)
You’ll notice a theme here-- they’re all gift certificates that can be used for digital or consumable items.
Store-bought Stuff
Really, really think hard before buying anything for me. It’s not that I won’t love and appreciate it. It’s that, well, I have no space.
- My Amazon.com wishlist: Most items that were previously listed here are now on this amazon.com list. Or, get me an amazon.com gift card so I can buy myself Kindle ebooks (I have a Kindle reader).
- Roving, fleece, fiber for spinning. (Guideline: don't pay more than $15/lb. for washed wool, no more than $6/lb. for unwashed, no more than $22/lb. for carded or combed. silk is about double the cost of wool)
- A bottle of Merlot-- my favorite kind of wine.
- Moleskine notebooks - I like the small reporter style (ruled), the watercolor notebooks (small or large), the small storyboard notebook, the large plain notebook, the large rules notebook, and the large sketchbook. Why Moleskine? They are durable and very usable.
Favorites
I no longer have a favorite color. Hunter green is among them, as is dark blue, scarlet, and dark purple. I look good in autumn tones, especially warm browns and tan. Our RV is decorated in hunter green, dark red, and gold, so I often crave bright blues and aquas.
I love coffee and tea, but not decaf. I don’t like or eat artificially sweetened stuff (bad for migraine sufferers) or high fructose corn syrup (bad for everybody!)
Sizes
I don't like to let people know my size, as I generally don't want people to buy me clothing. Not that I won't like it-- it usually doesn't fit. I range from a 14 to a 20, depending on the time of day and the manufacturer of the clothes. For T-shirts and similar items, X-Large is good. I'm a large for most things, but my legs are short so pants and skirts never fit (why I usually wear sweats). I don't know my hat size, but I think it's a medium.
Inventories
Thinking of getting a book, DVD, or video game, but you want to make sure I don't already have it? Want to get a sense of what I have before you decide to shop off-the-list? Look no further! Thanks to tools like LibraryThing and Delicious Library, I now have lists of my music, DVD, video game, and extensive book collections! Check them out!
- DVDs - No videotapes, we don't have a VCR.
- Books (or here) - If it's marked "gone" on LibraryThing (the first link), it means I used to own it and no longer do (in case you're wondering if I've already read it!)
- Music and here, including John's music collection (I don't really like Depeche Mode that much!)
- Games, both video games and our list of board/card games.
What not to buy
There are some things that you just shouldn't buy for me. Either it's inappropriate or I'm picky or I already have 10 of them. Either way, you don't want to get me something I'll have to return. Here's a list of things and ideas to not buy.
- Anything single-purpose: in an RV, everything must be dual-duty!
- Bath stuff: We no longer have a bathtub!
- Speech Recognition Software or headsets for computer -- chances are, I've already got it.
- I can't wear earrings at all. I don't really look good in belts, though I occasionally wear them.
- Shoes. You'll never find what I want in my size. Seriously-- I can never find what I want in my size.
- Briefcases or luggage. We have plenty, and my lifestyle doesn't need me to carry a briefcase to work.
- Underwear/lingerie. Face it, if you're not my husband, you shouldn't buy these things for me. If you are my husband, then you know what I like and don't like.
- Planners, calendars, etc. I use a PDA, my cell phone, and index cards to manage my life.
- Perfume, cologne. I don't wear it and am somewhat allergic.
- Feather pillows or down blankets-- I'm completely allergic.
I won't shop at certain stores, either because of proximity, poor customer service experiences, or political/social opinions (see also SweatFree and BuyBlue). Please don't get me a gift certificate at these places:
- Wal-Mart (their labor practices are atrocious: I will absolutely not ever shop there.)
- Macy's (terrible customer service experiences)
