First of all, fiance made fudge tonight at 11 PM, and I ate it like soup, so I'm posting like a son-of-a-gun...sorry!


I still have a dilemma with Christmas presents. Profressional gift wrapping is too expensive. And the "free wrapping" is always an ugly box, one sheet of tissue and a red rubber band. Poop.

I can't expect my family to wrap their own presents.

So next year, I swear, I'm doing ALL gift cards. Period.

Although there are a couple of good books on Amazon I'd like to recommend:

1. Sex with the Queen (or Queens) - it's not what is sounds like, it's actually a very historical, truthful, quick-reading account of all the real Royal highjinks since 1100 A.D. You learn about their most private behaviors, and it answer questions such as, where were the bathrooms in old castles? (Answer: There weren't, men used to relieve upon the outside and inside walls, and they used to eat up the surrounding vegetables and meat, such that the entire Royal entourage of hundreds then moved on to the next castle they owned, while the last was being cleaned and aired and re-planted.)

2. I always list "Tuesdays With Morrie" as the BEST book I've read, and I refused to read it for a long time, thinking it was just a t.v. movie. It isn't, and it really brings the spirit of Christmas, and all other religions, into one non-religious book. Good for anyone over 13.

Who else has a BEST book they'd share? Or, gift wrap solution?

Well, yesterday was GOING to be my wrapping day...my younger children weren't home, so I was planning to do their wrapping. Unfortunately, it wasn't a very good day for me, so my 20 yo son ended up wrapping while I sat in a chair moaning! I boxed everything and put it in separate piles, and was there to supervise getting the right names on the right gifts (I hope!)...but I decided that after Christmas I am going to get a bunch of different sized gift bags to use next year.

I think gift bags will be so much easier, and you can find them to fit almost anything, and use them over and over...so...that's my plan!

Oh, a really nice gift book I like is called "Art of God" by Ric Ergenbright (I think)...it's a beautiful collection of nature photographs, with interesting info and scripture verses to go along with many of the pictures.

I don't bother wrapping gifts.... I buy a ton of gift bags from the dollar store or from one of the "Lot" stores - some have a Christmas theme, others are solid color. I also buy tissue paper and ribbons/bows.

For the solid color gift bags, if they do not have red, green, silver, or gold (holiday colors) then I buy a rainbow and give each person their gift in a bag that is their favorite color.

I stuff some tissue paper in the bag, drop the gift in, stuff some more tissue paper (sometimes I use christmas theme wrapping paper to stuff on top instead of tissue paper), then stick a bow on the outside of the bag. If my hands are feeling OK, then I will tie some ribbon on the handles of the gift bags... but if my hands hurt I skip the ribbon and use an extra bow.

It takes me about 15 minutes to put all the gifts in the gift bags - and I have a huge family, so it's great to be able to do it easily and quickly but still have it end up looking great.

Just my 2 cents- gift bags are a wonderful thing. then again, i don't have to wrap many gifts - my wife HATES the way i wrap, so i got out of that .... I think one of the "you might have TOS if...." was "if you buy everyone gift cards so you don't have to carry all those boxes..."

I use the store warp service. They ahve a nice variety, put the tissue paper in and great boxes at Boscov's. The Toys R Us I forgot to look out the front they usually ahve the table set up to wrap and tapes for self serve.

The Disney store always has such nice boxes.
Otherwise they would be not wraped, or in a gift bag from the dollar store.

Katie and I made chocholate chip cookies and cutouts. We are putting in Tin's for the teachers.

I wish I could find the recipe for scented bath salts, I ahve Mason Jars and could make the mineral salts if I knew how for a nice gift too.

I need something for my DIL's Mom, and DIL.
I already have returns, Amazon shiped twice, of course billed twice, once with shipping cost....that was supposed to be free!
And heated Dr. Scholl's car seat covers I got from QVC, I bought two sets, and no one really wants them, they rather the cash. I love mine!

So off to a very long day!
Di

For someone into forensic science or a CSI fan try

Body Brokers by Anne Cheney

...As journalist Annie Cheney found while reporting on this subject over the course of three years, when there’s that much money to be made with no federal regulation, there are all sorts of shady (and fascinating) characters who are willing to employ questionable practices—from deception and outright theft -- to acquire, market, and distribute human bodies and parts...

(partical review from Amazon website)

Note: I read this non-fiction book over the summer...very powerful and frigtening.