Wrapping Up

No matter how well your intentions are- something always suffers. You scratch one thing off your list and two others crept onto the page.

I have a plan, I ALWAYS have a plan- sometimes my plans don’t work out but it isn’t for lack of trying. The biggest problem with plans is the fact that they don’t always take everything into consideration. I mean, how easy is it to focus so much on one aspect while losing the overall big picture.

Some examples…
Vow to stay on budget.
Encounter unexpected bills.
Proceed to the Holidays.
Decide not to overspend.
Wait on bonus to set spending limits.
Line up every detail possible.
Go shopping.
Exceed budget.
Adjust budget.
All done, things are good.

So Christmas shopping/buying is complete but wait…

What about wrapping?
Do an inventory on gifts.
Decide what can be wrapped.
Avoid doing the gift bag thing when possible.
Decide what needs boxes, determine gift wrap and tissue paper requirements.
Happy to the sets of boxes and bags costing less than I expected.
Find nice wrapping paper and buy enough to wrap them all in the same stuff.
Buy one roll of similar gift wrap for the girls on our list.
Drop $55 for the wrapping supplies – ouch.

Tonight I’ll wrap it all. I’ll love the details of the paper lining up just right and hate the misshaped items because they won’t look perfect. The boys will try to get in the room and will misbehave because I’m doing something besides focusing on them. Hubby will be rightly frustrated because the boys have been a handful. I’ll be frustrated because I’m tired and have been trying to fit in too much.

But that’s not it- tomorrow will be my last night before we have everyone over. I’ll be cleaning the floors and scrubbing the bathroom and all the other deep cleaning that you like to have done when you’re hosting a get-together, it won’t all get done but I’ll do my best. If I can I’ll do some laundry too because the next few days will be hectic and it would be nice to not have that piling up.

Saturday Mom will arrive with Dad early and that will be great- I hope to relax a little before heading out to Church at 3pm (the beginning of our Holiday activites). I’ve been missing my Mom like crazy and have been wishing to share with her all my Christmas finds and crazy thoughts. I can’t tell you how much I miss touching base with her daily. For that fact, I miss touching base with all my family members more often. I use to see them all a lot more often and wish we had more time to spend together. Christmas time is coming just in time.

But I digress. Here is my formal apology for taking the easy way out every Holiday. Hosting events is so much more difficult. It is like you have to be ready days before everyone else. Thank God everyone is pitching in on the food or I’d be in big trouble. Still I’m really looking forward to it, it is a labor of love for sure.