Christmas Gift

I have completed my gifts for the immediate family last month except that of Jovy. I found this site on Facebook that does personalized gifts for one’s loved ones especially mugs.

I thought of giving Jovy a pair with photos of Oreo and Cookie. That of Oreo has black inner color while Cookie’s has pink. They let me see the finished product before I made an order at Lazada. I copied them to my gallery and sharing them with you here. It will arrive next week. Here’s how the two mugs look. I am pretty sure she’ll be happy with them. She can share one with Josef.

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Buying Gifts And Such

Finally, I was able to squeeze one afternoon buying gifts for family members. You might think it is a little bit OA buying  Christmas gifts this early, at least I am halfway through.

For every gift amounting to P500 and up, you’ll get free wrapping from the department store complete with nice ribbons.  I always save on Christmas wrapping papers every year because of this. I usually buy kitchen accessories for Nissa and Obet for when they would transfer to their new home. The house was already built but there are no divisions yet for the rooms upstairs.  I wonder when everything would be completed. Now that Nate is growing and already knows the value of money, he prefers cash gifts but I still buy something he could open on Christmas Eve which they usually spend here.  Years ago, I gave him an additional gift of a piggy bank and  he was thrilled when they opened it and Nissa counted  the money he saved. It went  straight to his savings account. Teaching kids the value of saving is one gift that you can give them which they will appreciate later on.

I had a nice chat with one of the mall’s staff at the gift wrapping section and he laughed when I said that those gifts are for Christmas. He said it is always a good time to buy early since once November comes in and most employees receive their Christmas bonuses for the year, the  mall is a hive of activity especially at their section.

Back when I was still working at the bank,  I would start  buying Christmas gifts as early as September because back then, I had a longer list. Most of them were officemates and friends. Now it is purely for the family and some close friends nearby.

I  dropped by BreadTalk and bought my favorite Spring in the City slice plus a loaf of wheat bread.  One thing I like about buying there is that, you are always entitled to a full 20% discount if you are a senior citizen. And their products are freshly baked.

There goes my Saturday afternoon. It’s time to read again I guess.  Onward to my 119th read this year.

 

 

 

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Saturday, Saturday

Perhaps you won’t believe this. I am finally done with Christmas shopping for family members and  my god-daughter. I had the chance to go back to the mall this morning  and made use of the time to roam around and buy Nate something for his birthday too.  They’re all wrapped and ready 🙂 Gifts for close friends will follow.

There is an advantage when you buy gifts early. The crowd is almost non-existent. You can choose gifts in your own sweet time  without having to hurry and fall in line at the counter.  Some areas  and stores have  brought out new Christmas decor already and believe me, they are more costly than last year.  Inflation rate here has gone too high and might be even higher come Christmas time.  Maybe next month, I’ll do the Christmas shopping for groceries that we will need come December.

The afternoon was spent at the garden trimming and pruning. The weather with a slight breeze is just right for gardening. I am not done yet though, there is still the carabao grass to cut.  Every month, we have to trim it.

I set aside reading for a while. Maybe I’ll try to catch up tonight.

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Give Love On Christmas Day

♫♪♫It’s that time of year
When good friends
Are dear
And you wish you
Could give more
Than just presents
From a store♪♪♫

Christmas gifts need not always come in glossy packages and colorful ribbons. They need not be elaborate things that you can only find in shopping malls or gift shops. They come from the hearts of those who believe that it is more important to have love, peace of mind and happiness to name a few.

Every year or when I am not inspired to write, I always read the book Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breatnach, a day book of comfort and joy that have 366  lovely and inspiring essays for women, one for each day of the year. It is one of the most treasured books that I have on my shelf.  I read the essays at random now but the December entries are my favorites. I am re-posting her own version of the twelve gifts of Christmas. I hope you will find the list as uplifting as I do. I remember posting this four years ago, the message is still the same though. And it’s six days to go before Christmas 🙂

1. On the first day of Christmas, I gave my true loves: The Gift of Undivided Attention.
2. On the second day of Christmas, I gave to my true loves:  The Gift of Enthusiasm.
3. On the third day of Christmas, I gave my true loves: The Gift of Creative Energy.
4. On the fourth day of Christmas, I gave my true loves: The Gift of Simple Seasonal Pleasures.
5. On the fifth day of Christmas, I gave my true loves:  The Gift of  Tenderness.
6. On the sixth day of Christmas, I gave my true loves: The Gift of Good Cheer.
7. On the seventh day of Christmas, I gave my true loves: The Gift of Beauty.
8. On the eight-day of Christmas, I gave my true loves: The Gift of Communication.
9. On  the ninth day of Christmas, I gave my true loves:  The Gift of Surprise.
10. On the tenth day of Christmas, I gave my true loves: The Gift of Wonder.
11. On the eleventh day of Christmas, I gave my true loves:  The Gift of Peaceful Surroundings.
12. On the twelfth day of Christmas, I gave my true loves: The Gift of Joy.

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