Wishlist Wednesday: The Boy’s Christmas List

The Boy finally wrote his letter to Santa last night. Unlike prior years, he only asked for one thing: The LEGO Lord of the Rings Battle of Helm’s Deep.

LEGO Lord of the Rings Battle of Helm’s Deep, the only thing on The Boy’s list to Santa.

Yes, The Lord of the Rings is pretty big in my house right now, so much the he asked me if I had The Lord of the Rings series on my Kindle.

He hasn’t specifically asked for anything from Cute Husband, but he’s told me that he wants an acoustic guitar for Christmas. I made a deal with him: if he masters the F chord (arguably one of the most difficult chords to play on the guitar) and if he agrees to take lessons until he is 9 years old, I would get him a guitar. And look what he chose:

Martin LXM Little Martin Acoustic Guitar

It’s a Martin & Co. guitar; no cheap toy acoustic guitars for my little man. And it will last him well past the age of 9.

A part of me thinks we got off easy this Christmas since we aren’t searching for specific Beyblades or scrambling to fulfill surprise wishes like we’ve had to in years past. But even though what he’s asked for is very durable and will last a long time, this is by far my most expensive Christmas yet.

I’m afraid to see what’s in store for me in Christmases Yet to Come.

Great customer service is not dead

There are lots of music stores out there. There are lots of places I could have gone to buy The Boy his guitar. But I had such an awesome experience at Guitar Center in Hunter’s Creek last week that Cute Husband and I took The Boy back there this morning to get his guitar.

Last week, the associate helping us with guitars was Ray, and, thankfully, he happened to be working there this morning. He remembered us, even remembering The Boy’s name (huge bonus!), and hooked us up. Ray grabbed the black ¾-scale Laguna that The Boy played with last week, hooked it up to an amp, and let him play. Meanwhile, he collected all the other stuff we would need: a carrying case, an amp, a cable, and a little tuner – everything The Boy will need for his first guitar lesson next week. And if that wasn’t enough, he even gave The Boy a set of guitar picks as a birthday present. Really? How freakin’ awesome is that?

Honest to God, I can’t say enough great things about the level of customer service at Guitar Center. I just finished writing a rather lengthy comment on the Guitar Center feedback site, just to gush about the amazing experience we had this morning. I don’t think enough people call out the positive things, and Ray was just beyond awesome.

So yeah, if you happen to be in the Central Florida area and are in the market for a new guitar or anything guitar-related, go to Guitar Center on Orange Blossom Trail. You won’t be disappointed.

Conversational Gems: “I need a new dresser.”

Scene: Family room. The Boy is playing with his Thomas the Tank Engine track.

Me: C__, what do you want to do today?

The Boy: What, Mom?

Me: What do you want to do? Do you want to go with me to Target?

The Boy(thinking) No, we can go to IKEA.

Me: You want to go to IKEA? We can do that.

The Boy: Yeah. I need a new dresser.

Me: You need a new dresser? Why?

The Boy: Because I’m growing!

Me: (starting to leave the room) Let me talk to Daddy about that first.

The Boy: I need a new dresser because I’m growing big like Daddy!

The Art of the Regift

I’m a regifter. I admit it. I think it’s very difficult to not regift, only because I receive a lot of very nice gifts (usually from people who don’t know me well) that aren’t necessarily my taste and that I know someone else would like to have. And such is the way of the regift.

I think regifting gets a bad rap because of those who don’t do it well. For example, the paper mache snowman figurine given to me this year by a coworker is not going to be regifted. In fact, it probably won’t even make it inside the house. Likewise for the plaster snowman family that I received a few years ago from a coworker at a different job. I can’t imagine anyone out there really would want it, unless they happen to be avid snowman figure collectors (of which I know of none). So, maybe it’s an Ebay item, instead. For a penny.

No, the art of the regift is about passing along a nice (this is the critical piece) gift to someone who would enjoy it at least as much – but hopefully more – than you would. Even better is if said gift is actually something you know someone else has expressed an interest in having. For example, a few years ago, I received a Best Buy gift card as a thank you for a job well done. It was a very nice gift, and for a decent amount, too (more than $50). But I have little need to go to Best Buy, and I don’t often go there when I need something they sell, anyway… so it got regifted. And the recipient was pleased as punch. That’s how to properly regift.

So, to recap:

DON’T regift tchotchki items unless the recipient actually collects tchotchki. It’s painfully obvious that it’s a regift, so save yourself the embarrassment of listening to the polite (but strained) thank yous and put it up on Ebay instead. Or, better yet, submit it for a White Elephant present.

DON’T forget to take out any packaging, cards, notes, or any other items that blatantly call you out as a regifter. Cute Husband’s old roommates received a very nice bar set for their wedding, only to find a card from the sender’s Great Uncle So-and-So in the packaging. Oops.

DON’T regift to someone in the same circle as the giver – and especially not to someone who was there when you initially opened the present that you now plan to regift. I like to break up my associates into groups: I’ve got Family (F), Close Friends from Home (CFH), Current Co-Workers (CCW), and Close Friends in Florida (CFF). Now, because F is in close proximity to CFH, I won’t regift between those groups. But I can regift something from F to CFF, or from CFH to CCW, or even from CFF to CCW. But regifting within any one group is a definite no-no.

DO include something new with your regift. Even if you’re already regifting a very nice, very expensive something, it wouldn’t hurt to include an additional touch. I think I paired the Best Buy gift card in my above example with a video game. The art of the regift is about beingfrugal and thus able to give more, not about being cheap.

DO carefully pair the intended recipient with the item you wish to regift. Someone who is just learning to knit, for example, would be the perfect recipient for a book on knitting that you received from someone who didn’t realize that you’re an expert knitter. (I’m not a knitter; this is truly an example. And though I’ve scrapbooked for ages, I would be hard-pressed to part with any of my idea books.)

DO take good care of the items you plan to eventually regift. My mother was an expert at this. She would carefully unwrap something, dutifully write the thank you card, then take the gift and store it in our hallway closet (where she kept all the last-minute presents for surprise visitors). We always had back-up presents stashed, all boxed and in pristine condition, and no one ever knew they were regifts. Or, at least, no one ever let on that they knew. I remember one Christmas when some people came over to the house unexpectedly, and Mom brought out all these presents for everyone – wrapped and all – as though she had known all along that they were coming. That was the year I gained a whole new appreciation for the Post-It note.

By the way, if you’re wondering if you’ve ever received a regift from me, you probably have. I’m an equal opportunity regifter.

But I also make it a point to not regift crap.

Temptation looms…

I am pleased to report that I still have not purchased anything on my banned list. This is not to say that I have not bought anything. Rather, it means I have only purchased things that are necessities.

Among my recent purchases:

• Hannah Montana t-shirts for my nieces. They love Hannah Montana (High School Musical is so 2007, you know), and as they both have birthdays coming up, I thought it was appropriate. Total cost for the two shirts: $13 plus tax.
• Diapers for the baby. I think it goes without saying that these were a necessity. But I got them all on sale, and now I have enough diapers until he moves up to Size 4.
• Food.
• Toddler spoons for the baby. I have two that I inherited from my sister, but Baby C hasn’t taken to them. I’m hoping he’ll do a better job with these new spoons.

Today, I have to go on a field trip to the Lake Buena Vista Outlets, where my company has an outlet location. Is it completely necessary that I go? Well, no, not really. But I have stuff to return, and I need to go to the Carter’s outlet, anyway (Baby C desperately needs new pajamas, which I’m really hoping they will have), and I’d really like to leave work a little early and get a jump start on my weekend.

This does mean, of course, that I will be sorely tempted at every turn. So it’s a good thing I’ve printed out my Shopping Embargo rules to make sure I stay within the letter (in case the spirit fails) of the law.

But temptation does not stop there. Oh, no. You see, there’s a new Target coming to my area, and it opens on Sunday. And they sent me a coupon for $5 a purchase of $25 or more. So, of course there will be plenty of things that I will see and say, “Oh, I want that!” And then I need to rein myself in, and remind myself, “Eileen, this is a Target. There are plenty of other Targets all over the country.”

And did I mention that JoAnn’s had all kinds of crazy 10% off coupons in last Sunday’s paper? It’s like somebody knows, and they’re trying to make me fall off the wagon!

Day Three of the Embargo

I promise I will stop doing daily reports on this, but I am so very proud of myself today!

I just boxed up birthday presents for four friends who all have birthdays before the beginning of August. (This now means I am finished with birthday shopping for all but one friend.) Moreover, I picked up not one, not two, but three wallets for my husband so that he can finally retire his (which I bought for him in, oh, 2000?) and have backups when the next wallet falls apart. I also got some fun onesies for the baby and his friends (complete with matching bibs), and a bunch of shirts for myself.

And I didn’t spend a single penny!

That’s right! Two or three times a year, my department sells off all the sample products that don’t make the cut for the new season’s line. Think of it as a giant department garage sale. Anyway, in exchange for setting up the room for the sale and working the sale, people in my department get to sort through items and take the things we want – all before the doors open and the feeding frenzy begins.

So, I essentially bartered my time and energy for these goods. And, as I didn’t spend any money, it’s all well within the guidelines I previously set forth for myself.

[smiling] Freebies rock!

Day Two of the Embargo

Well, with the baby being under the weather, I had to make some purchases today. But as they are for the baby and not for me, they are exempt from the Embargo.

The big purchase was an ear thermometer. I’ve been trying to take Baby C’s temperature, and he won’t sit still long enough for a rectal reading. And the armpit reading is downright impossible now that he can reach over, remove the offensive thermometer from his armpit, and fling it across the room. At least with the ear thermometer, he’s still kind of curious about what I’m doing, and by the time he figures it out, I’ve already taken his temperature and we’re all done.

Oh, and I found it on sale – 20% off. That’s better than a sharp stick in the eye.

I was very tempted to buy a cute little tote that would double as a laptop bag yesterday, but I resisted, remembering the Embargo.

Something tells me this may be a long six months. But if it means a couple of extra dollars in my wallet at the end of this trial run, I know I’ll find a way to manage.

My shopping embargo

Okay, I read a fellow blogger’s post yesterday and ruminated on it, then another bogger decided that she was going to take the plunge, so I’ve decided, well, it must be possible.

So, I hereby announce my personal shopping embargo.

Clothes shopping has never been a real issue for me. I go through spurts, where I might not buy any clothing for months and months, then suddenly decide to spend a couple hundred dollars in one expedition. At the end of the day, it’s really not as bad as it could be. But I definitely have other vices.

Since shopping for clothing is not a major issue (I think the last item I bought for myself was a belt at the beginning of the year… which I seem to have since left behind in the Philippines and will need to replace before the end of the month), I’ve decided to make up my own rules in my shopping embargo:

1. No purchasing of new or used clothing (excluding underwear – I own enough socks) – PERIOD. This includes accessories and shoes. No new jewelry, no new shoes, no new ANYTHING. (Not even a concert T-shirt.)
2. This embargo is limited only limited to adult clothing, meaning that I will not purchase anything for my husband or me. The baby, on the other hand, still needs to be clothed (nakedness – as much as it becomes him – seems to be frowned upon as we do not live in a nudist colony) and I honestly don’t have nearly enough clothes to sustain him for any extended period of time. Toys for the baby are also exempt from this embargo (but they have to specifically be for the baby, and not something like a Nintendo DS, which would really be for me).
3. I am allowed to accept clothing from others, be it borrowed or hand-me-downs. This also means that when my company has Sample Sales (such as the one we are having at the end of the week), I am allowed to acquire whatever goods I choose, as long as I am not required to outlay any funds.
4. Alterations, dry-cleaning, and shoe repairs are musts.
5. No purchasing of new (or used) scrapbooking supplies (excluding adhesives – and only then if I legitimately exhaust all of my supply). This includes paper, ribbon, stickers, etc. Since my magazine subscriptions have already kicked in and do not need renewal until the end of the year, I’m free to continue receiving them. I just can’t buy anything new.
6. No purchasing of yarn unless I completely use up my existing supply. And even then, I’m sure mom left more than a few skeins for me to use in a project of my choice.
7. No purchasing of new (or used) books (beginning Monday, February 25, only because there are a couple of books that I want to add to my library), with the exception of work-related books and textbooks (in the event that I either need books for work or choose to return to school before the designated end of my embargo – neither of which is likely, but nothing is impossible).
8. No purchasing of new (or used) kitchen gadgets, appliances, cookware, or tools. I have a lot in my kitchen already. I could probably stand to get rid of some of it.
9. No purchasing of new (or used) electronic hardware or software. Since I’ve already done my taxes, I won’t need to buy Turbo Tax. And since Nintendo Wiis are still hard to come by, this really won’t be much of an issue for me.
10. I am allowed to accept any of my embargoed goods as gifts, provided there is no exchange of money for said goods. Additionally, I am allowed to purchase any of these embargoed goods as gifts for others, provided the gifts are for legitimate occasions (i.e., not just because it’s pay day) and my primary intention is not to then borrow said goods for my own personal use.

In a nutshell, effective immediately (with the exception of books, which I am postponing until Monday, and a new belt, which I will purchase today), I declare an embargo on all goods except foodstuffs and baby items. How long will this embargo last? Jennifer has proposed a year, but her embargo is strictly on clothing. I challenge myself to maintain this embargo until the beginning of August, which is 6 months. At that time, I will re-evaluate my position and share with you, my blogging public.

Wish me luck!

Mysteries unveiled – or “Why I don’t like to go shopping”

My family was in town this week, and I was able to spend some of Saturday afternoon chatting with my mother before I needed to take them to the airport. It’s amazing what you can learn about yourself by talking to your mom. She provided all sorts of insight into things I had just taken for granted.

Take, for example, my ambivalence towards clothes shopping. It’s something I have to do (oddly, people tend to frown upon complete nudity in my area), but I don’t particularly have fun doing it. I thought it was because of the shopping excursions I would be forced to endure with my mother and sister (whom, by the way, are both marathon shoppers – together, they are a force to behold), bored out of my mind. But no, as it turns out, up until the age of about 6 or 7, I used to love going shopping.

Really? Me?

The blame for my shift in thinking, apparently, lies at the feet of the designers. Jordache, in particular. See, when I was just starting out in elementary school, Jordache jeans were all the rage. (This should give you an idea of how old I am.) Anyway, the smallest size Jordache made was a size 7. When I was 7 years old (and should have been wearing a size 7), I was still wearing a size  6X. Frustrated that nothing ever fit (even as I got older – I used to be very slight before I got pregnant and hope to one day be again), I gave up on shopping for clothes and found myself content in wearing my sister’s hand-me-downs. In fact, I’m still content doing so and am actually frustrated whenever I have to shop on my own.

So, if I don’t spend enough money in clothing stores to help boost the consumer spending numbers, it’s all because of those early formative years, when nothing was in my size… and very little still is today.

It was just good to know the shopping gene didn’t skip me completely.

I hate Toys R Us

Except for the fact that there’s a very limited selection of baby supply stores near me, I would not set foot inside Toys R Us or have any dealings with them. Unfortunately, we don’t have the awesome boutique shops that my sister has at her disposal in New York or some of my friends have back home, so Toys R Us has to fill in the gaps left by Target. (I refuse to go to Wal-Mart – that’s another whole topic altogether.) In fact, I do as much shopping online as possible to avoid having to go to Toys R Us.

But my mother-in-law is in town and wants to buy us our baby monitor, and I’m not about to refuse. Ever the analyst, I did my homework and decided upon a specific model by Sony (that has 27 channels so it shouldn’t pick up too much interference from our hyper-electronic house). And, of course, the Sony website said that Toys R Us was the only local retailer that carries it. [sigh] So, after 10 minutes on hold with Toys R Us, I learn that, yes, they have it in stock. [sigh]

I’m glad I found a place to get it locally, but I just wish it wasn’t Toys R Us!