from Kris B.

Every year around Thanksgiving, everyone in my family starts sending emails asking what everyone wants for Christmas.  The truth is that none of us really needs anything and most of our wants are too expensive or ridiculous for anyone to actually give as a gift.  It takes thought for me to come up with anything to help them with their shopping.

Here are three things that made it on to this year’s list:

1. Cheap earrings –  I tend to lose earrings easily.  They get caught in a sweater when I pull it off over my head and I don’t notice; or, I forget to take them out before I go to bed and they get lost in the linens.  Thus, I prefer cheap earrings so that I don’t have to worry about losing them.  My husband has a pierced ear, so if I lose an earring from a pair that is not “too girly” (like a simple stud), he gets the solo earring.  It all kind of works in a weird way.
2. A Cookbook  – That is all I specified…a cookbook, any kind of cookbook.  I like the element of surprise.  Everyone knows what I like to cook and what I like to eat, so I know they will find something perfect.
3. Wooden Spoons – Exciting, right?  Lol.  Wooden spoons are my preferred kitchen tool and I use them A LOT.  Mine definitely work hard and they look like it.  I try to replace at least some of them every couple of years.

On the ridiculous list is a housekeeper.  🙂  There are too many things other than cleaning that I want to do with my time off tha if I could have one decadent wish come true, this would be it!  I’m not holding my breath.

Though we all ask for gift suggestions, everyone usually ends up finding the perfect gift for each other without becoming dependent on the lists.  These are the gifts that are the most fun to open!

What’s on your Christmas list?

from Tracey G.

Well, honestly I never get asked what I want. I know that sounds funny, but it’s true. In a lot of respects I miss being a kid and making up a list that I submitted to “Santa”, lol. Those were the days! “Here’s my 18-page itemized, in triplicate list and in it’s in order from A-Z”!

These days though, like Kris, mine is much shorter of things I’d want. And I imagine they’re only considered “fun” by me. My mom used to laugh at me because I’d ask for things like cookie sheets/bakeware etc. But, that’s me – I love that sort of stuff. I’m sure it’s seen as “practical”, but I see that stuff as toys – as sure as I saw toys as toys as a kid!

So, I guess what my list would consist of would be at least these three:

1. Small Food Storage Plasticware – I know, sounds weird but for my cookie making, they’re needed for the icing. Sometimes I only need a tablespoon or two of a color and a big 3-cup capacity containers are a bit of overkill! But it’s not something I’d just have “laying about on-hand”, and would really like some.

2. Obscure Gift Cards – Ok, this would mean non-major/popular/chain stores, like Amazon, Macy’s etc. I have a couple favorite cookie/baking supply places I love to order from – again my kind of fun! But, then again I love even popular store gift cards, lol. There’s always something I need that I just don’t think to buy myself etc., and I have a huge wishlist for myself at King Arthur Flour’s website, lol.

3. An Ancestry.com Subscription – I really want to get back to my research, but this falls under one of those kinds of categories of “not necessary”, so therefore, it’s also one of those things I’m not necessarily going to get myself on a regular basis, and I regard as a treat!

I think that’s it, like Kris I have some way out there wants, and I think a housekeeper is on my list as it’s on hers too! LOL!!