We have reached that point in the holiday shopping season that happens to me every year.
I’ve bought everything I intended to. Made sure that there are plenty of gifts for the kiddo and hubs, that the stockings will be full. I’ve even wrapped most of them.
Then I pile them up in the corner (or the closet or whatever) and suddenly that pile looks awfully small.
“OH NO!” I think “There isn’t enough.”
This is when I have to steel myself and take Douglas Adams advice:
Those gifts were enough yesterday-they will be enough on Christmas day. Avoid the crisis shopping! Just stop. . .
From personal experience I can tell you that whatever you buy now will be overkill. After the carnage of Christmas morning, you will thing-“Wow, this is too much stuff. I shouldn’t have bought extra.”
So save yourself the money, stress and effort. Don’t Panic.
This is EXACTLY where I am and what I do every year. My kids are getting more expensive gifts this year, since they are getting older, so they only have a couple of gifts each, instead of more inexpensive gifts. It looks awfully small…
I could have just about strangled an acquaintance one year; she gave us a game of some sort, then thinking that it wasn’t enough, she ran over to the tree, and grabbed a gift that was clearly intended for someone else, to present it to me.
It was a popcorn set with a World Wrestling Fed. theme. I cannot even begin to say how much I detest wrestling—-then, she jumped up and made a special trip to Walmart, to get that relative a replacement gift.
(I think she could have been off her medication…) 🙂
I couldn’t agree more. The husband’s under strict instructions I’m not to leave the house with cash or cards until Christmas is over.
The shops are far too depressing this close to the big day as well, everything is picked over or broken. It just isn’t worth the hassle to panic.
Us sensible people can stay in with a mug of coffee and giggle at the thought of the pandemonium on the high street 🙂
I’m having the opposite problem–although I haven’t grouped them together. My MIL sent an unexpected package–three gifts for DD in addition to the one she had shipped direct to us and I wrapped up in two packages. My first thought was “Oh no–this is too much stuff!”
I think it really helps to not have all the gifts together. We don’t have much storage space (that isn’t accessible to DD, cat, and dogs) and can’t put gifts out under the trip (due to cat and dogs). So there are some in a dresser drawer, in the closet, in another closet, on some shelves, and on the front porch. So I have no real sense of how much stuff is there (or who it is for, but mostly DD I’m guessing). On the other hand, as a kid, we kept the gifts piled up in the guest room until the tree went up, then they went under the tree. You could tell at a glance how much STUFF we were getting. I much prefer the “don’t see it all together till Christmas.”
And mostly, it’s my DH’s idea. His family had a tradition that all gifts come via Santa, so nothing appeared under the tree until after the kids go to bed Christmas Eve. Works for me now!
I feel this way!! Only I am only going off memory because the gifts are hiding at my moms house. Thansk for this!! I will repeat those words over and over all weekend!
This is so funny! I could have written this myself, lol.
I do this EVERY year myself and then yes, I do think, “wow, this is too much!”
I will TRY…and I emphasize the word TRY…to stop buying now. “Maybe just one more! haha.
Too much of anything i think ruins the pleasure. So I just treat myself and my partner to a fe luxury food items and I find that is all we need , after all you can’t physically eat that much without feeling ill and who wants that at christmas.
Hope you all have a lovey Christmas
I do this too. I find I’m still trying to get just one more thing- and today I bought extra candy bars at the grocery check out because I worried that I hadn’t gotten enough stocking candy. ARGH!
Working retail has made not purchasing extra presents very difficult, especially when I see toys , etc on clearance!!!!!!!!
I take a deep breath and keep on going. I know similar toys etc, will be coming back next year, this is when I should be buying ahead for next year. LOL Amyrlin
I’ve definitely had that feeling. I’m usually able to overcome it but I do hate the feeling I haven’t done enough. I guess that’s why everyone I know get goodies with their present. At least a loaf of bread tacked on to their stuff is usually appreciated.
This is so true! I feel the same way!! Thanks for the reality check.
Ooh, thanks! I needed this reminder…I was looking at the piles the other day and telling my hubby it wasn’t enough – actually that the piles were lopsided. One of the boys clearly had more. Then hubby reminded me the one with the smaller pile is three and won’t notice the difference! So I have made sure that I’ve steered clear of the stores. In fact, with the exception of possibly needing milk, my grocery shopping is done too! So I’ll be good to stay home for the next week and a half, with a cup of coffee in hand – and be relaxed! But thanks again for the “Don’t Panic” reminder, I needed it… =)
Yup, if I didn’t know any better I’d say I wrote this post. I do this every year too – except this year I am not going to run out and get those last minute make-up things to make the piles look bigger. Sometimes the best presents are in the smaller boxes. I have to keep reminding myself of that.
I’m new to your blog (got here from HomeEc101) — and this thought of yours is how I have lived! Somehow whatever I bought never seemed like it was enough. Basic insecurity operating, I guess ….
This year I’ve resisted, too, though I will admit to a few more fun items from the stationery aisle for stockings!
It’s so helpful to hear that one is not alone!
But I AM panicking – help LOL! I do this every year, crazy I know. I’m trying VERY hard to restrain myself this year. I do have to get a few (I’m setting a limit of 5) more stocking stuffers and that is it. No more extra gifts for anyone else!