I swear it was only one day after Hallowe’en when the first store flyer filled with Christmas gift ideas and decorations arrived in our house. Then a couple of days later I dropped in to a local department store and was astounded to see the shelves, that only a few days earlier were stocked with Hallowe’en costumes and treats, were now brimming with the next holiday’s merchandise. Last evening I stopped at the same store again and noticed a number of folks wheeling overflowing shopping carts to the checkouts. While waiting in line, I had a friendly chat with another shopper (one who assured me that she is finished gift shopping and that she was just picking up some final odds and ends to complete her decorating). That’s when I realized that this elf better get her act in order.
It’s time to make some lists and check them twice, and figure out gifts for those who are both naughty 🙂 and nice. When I was a child I can remember the excitement in the house the day that the annual Sear’s Wish Book arrived. Over the next weeks, we took turns dreaming about what we would like to see under the tree on Christmas morning with our name on it, and also looking for that perfect gift for those nearest and dearest to us. Sometimes a well worn page or two would fall out by the time we had all gone through it too many times to count. And pages would have circles around favourite items or initials and names beside others, just in case Santa Claus happened by for a quick look at our ‘wish lists’.
Oh, how times have changed. This year I have downloaded (or is it uploaded) the 2011 Sear’s Wish Book app to my iPad and can now browse the entire catalogue at my leisure, create as many wish lists as I want and shop from wherever I happen to be. And no missing pages! I can do price comparisons online at lots of other stores too, looking for the best deals, before I even venture out to a shopping mall. Hmmm…wonder if that will even be necessary, as most will deliver my purchases right to my mailbox and guarantee that the goods will arrive before December 25th.
I’ll keep you posted on how my holiday prep is going over the next few weeks, and if this new electronic capability minimizes my stress levels any.
And now in the spirit of the upcoming holiday season, a couple of photos from last year…
Rural Routes 