I never aim to be a last minute shopper. I'm not a fan of those last frantic days, with crowds and no-free-parking-spots and an air of desperation. I hate discovering that the shops have sold out of items on my list.

On the other hand, if I shop too early I stow things away and forget I have bought them (or where I've hidden them) and end up overshopping. Despite my best intentions, I usually find myself venturing out into the madness and mayhem of last day shopping and living with the bruises.

But not this year. This year I have excelled, even if I do say so myself. I deserve a Queen of teh Shopping tiara. I am all done, gifts bought and wrapped, with three days to spare. And I am so tickled by this unusual turn of events that I have to share a few moments of extra shopping delight.

1. #1 son lives in the city, and I sent him forth to scout out several gifts I couldn't find locally. He loves to spend my money so it was a win-win situation.

2. I love on-line shopping. It's like an early extra Christmas when the packages arrive and I get to open them first, before doing the wrapping and putting them under the tree. However I can't buy everything this way. I also like actual store fronts and the selection process. Sometimes a real store is the only way.

3. If I hadn't sallied out to the actual stores then I wouldn't have walked past a jewellery store and glanced sideways and spied Thomas Sabo CHARMS!!!

To understand my excitement you must understand that I live in the country where the living is easy, but the shopping not always so much. I am collecting charms for a bracelet, each charm representing one of my books. I'm still short a few but I want very specific emblems and so when I saw these in the window I think I squealed out loud. I definitely jumped up and down in excitement. #3 son found me with my nose pressed to the window and had to forcibly drag me away. But I will be back. Of that, you can be sure.

Labels: Christmas, shopping

There is a reason we refer to this time of the year as the silly season. I'm pretty sure that has something to do with Christmas parties and silly-things-we-should-not-have-done-at-said-Christmas-parties, as well as the madness of shopping and getting everything done before the holiday break.

My own silliness: I'm still working on a book which should have been finished. Every year I say to myself: never again. Next year I am not having a December deadline. And then stuff happens and I have a book due and in between I'm trying to get out Christmas cards and do the shopping and think about what we're going to eat. (Insert picture of Bron imploding.)

This week even the most minor of disruptions become a major, serious, burr-in-my-butt irritation. Things like, for example, discovering that an order I placed for books 2 weeks ago has not been processed. I paid for expedited shipping. When the books didn't arrive at their US destination, I checked the status on-line. It says CANCELLED. I contacted customer service; they say it has been processed. I should receive the books in 5-12 days. Expedited, my arse!

On a lesser scale, there was the minor irritation of cancelling a subscription. I had to opt out or I'd be automatically charged a renewal. I hate that but obviously didn't read the small print when I signed up. At least I got the tax invoice saying I would be charged if I didn't opt out. So, I logged on, started to go through the steps to cancel. There's a list of reasons. I choose the most appropriate and honest...and discover I can't cancel for that reason. What the..?!?! It takes me to customer service (and the reason I'm unsubscribing is because customer service couldn't fix my problem months ago!!!!) So, back I go through the list and options, and this time I fib and choose another reason. I'm now unsubbed and unlikely to become a return customer.

I've also noticed a big leap in the amount of spam coming through. Don't these people have anything else to do at this time of year? Do they really think I have cheap generic drugs and penile implants on my shopping list?? This morning I'm getting scads of really rank ones via my website contact link and can I just say, what is WRONG with these people???

My silly season irritations are minor compared with this father. The story made me smile and the earlier irritations dimmed, so thank you Canadian father.

And just so you know, I'm not all bah-humbug about Christmas. I love seeing all my family and my husband's family. I love shopping and choosing gifts, I love Christmas mass and preparing the lovely, full, traditional Christmas dinner with my Mum and sisters. That's the big stuff that matters, and it will all be good once I get past the minor irritations.

How about you -- are you loving the buildup to Christmas, or do you find it all too much?

Labels: Christmas