December 7

Shopping by yourself, it's a catch 22.  On one had you are free to do whatever you please.  No, "let's go over there", or "I just wanted to check out the price of toilet paper at this store too". No giving advice on how others spend their money or wether those skinny jeans make them look fat (answer: yes, always).  Instead you can shop every isle, spending as much time as you want circling the Christmas mugs, and whittle away too much time listening to the Christmas tunes on that player that has like 100 CDs in it (and of course not buying any).  You can try clothes on until you're actually satisfied. (You can actually go in twice without feeling guilty).  But on the other hand there is no one to tell you how the clothes look.  Or wether you really need those peppermint kisses or the purple onion towels.  Your shopping will be more fun, but not as effective.



I think I'd still rather shop by myself, because inevitably one of us always gets tired.  Or hates shopping for shoes. Or towels, or doesn't have money for whatever it is your wasting your time doing.  Then the other's feel resentful and annoyed.  That sucks.  When you shop on your own you can be like me and get hangry at 9am while wandering Target, except on your own there is no one to get mad at but yourself.  So you do what I did and start randomly chucking things out of your basket and state ultimatums like: "No, Alyssa, no.  I'm doing it this way and we're not getting this crap.  You don't need this and we're going back for that." You get tough with yourself and march across the store like a woman on a mission.  No friend influenced purchases, but more than a few impulse buys.

Luckily for me Target was a god-send.  More than a few executive Christmas related decisions were made in the space of ten minutes.  Christmas gifts refined and packaging stocked up, the game plan is firmly in place.  Speaking of wrapping paper, I have always preferred the blank canvas of brown kraft paper.  I've been using it for a few years and my extra large roll was lost in the move (or used up, I dunno), so you can imagine I just about lost my mind when I found brown kraft paper with a faint pinstripe to it!  Really, there were squeals, grins and a couple of high-fives to myself.  Kinda ridiculous I know, but it makes me way too happy.  The first present of the 2012 sits below our tree, I am thrilled.

Speaking of gifts; I wrapped a whole bunch of preserves to be sent out at Christmas.  Is it okay to just give preserves? Do I need to give it with a loaf of bread or a chunk of cheese?  I'm not sure, one seems too cheap, the other far too expensive. Advice? Do you think there is enough cookies here for Santa?

Our run yesterday was really, really, really wet.