one, take some pictures of the snow for me. I miss it. Or, you could just send me some.
two, wrap your presents with fabric this year. Here's how, straight from Japan:
But only do this with the presents for people who will truly appreciate and re-use the fabric. Too bad they're probably the same people who would reuse the wrapping paper (people still do that? ah yes. It was always a personal challenge to myself when wrapping presents for my mother on a "voluntold" basis*^ to only use paper that had been used the year before and carefully flattened and folded back up. There was one piece of paper that lasted years...I just kept using it for smaller and smaller presents and cutting off the parts that were only held together by last year's tape. I always cringe when people just rip the new paper off a huge present (don't believe me? ask mr. waaz, who is definitely a ripper) when they could just carefully unstick each piece of tape, hand the intact paper to me, and THEN get all excited about their new present. makes sense to me!)
Why are you rolling your eyes? stop that! I am perfectly normal. Someone once told me so, and it wasn't even a complete stranger.
*well...she did let me stay up late christmas eve AND drink hot chocolate if I'd wrap everything for her. And yes, this sometimes included presents for myself. No, losing the element of surprise didn't ruin it for me, it merely added a further element of anticipation.
^navy term. never heard it before? it's how waaz ended up in Cuba, for starters.
7 comments:
thank you for making me smile...I so needed that today...and *cringe* RIPPING the paper off of a big present??? but you could rewrap like seven out of the paper on a tv box....
that's partially why I use the bags...most know enough to save them :-) but I do love the idea of wrapping in fabric....Darryl actually used a blanket to give me my big Christmas present this year (yep, this year...he couldn't wait...but I do love my new espresso machine)
my mother does birthdays with washcloths, towels, and (if the recipient is a boy and therefore likes big toys) blankets. She has claimed it's because she doesn't get around to wrapping until it's too late; but I know it's her thrifty self rebelling against tradition. The really terrible thing is when the birthday kid has to re-fold all his own "wrapping paper."
I have espresso cups that match my dishes...always thought they were for little kids tea parties, until i got to the island of espresso where you can't buy "cafe americana" except in one or two (coffee)bars. Who knew. I'm on the lookout for a stovetop espresso maker at the yard sales. My grandma has a whole collection of them in different sizes, they're so cute.
whatever, paper is cheap. And if we don't use paper and cut down some more trees the earth will soon be overpopulated with them. Just like the deer.
xy (obviously)
spend enough time across the pond and you won't be able to STAND "cafe americano" when you get back!
yeah...we should eat more deer....
and ya know xy.....you can pull the blanket off the bed, wrap an entire pile of gifts and put it back on the bed in a matter of minutes.....
some kids (and foster kids) can hardly wait until we get out the laundry basket full of chunky towels. so there.
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