I'm So Gifted

I love shopping for Christmas gifts.  However, I've been the recipient of some awful stuff.  I really try not to hold it against people, because it truly is "the thought that counts."  However, I wonder if people are really thinking sometimes.  My MIL is possibly the worst gift buyer ever.  In past years, she has bought me excessively cheap perfume which smells like cat urine; size medium pants (I wasn't even a size medium when I started dating her son when I was a freshman in high school), used dishes, and the worst offense?  An enormous can of WalMart pre-ground coffee in decaf.  With powdered creamer.  The woman lived with us for two years and knows I am a coffee snob.  I grind my own beans and only use half and half.  My coffee habit is probably the only thing that I get uppity about; I love gourmet stuff and really do turn up my nose at the cheap crap.  Sorry, I'm being honest here.  I did donate the coffee to charity because I knew I would never drink it.  So when Christmas rolled around again this year, I wondered what in the world I would receive this year.

My mother-in-law finally got one right for me.  She asked me what I wanted for Christmas.  So I swallowed hard and said "a wallet" because I figured, "how bad could it be?"  And mylanta, she knocked it out of the park for the first time ever.  I *love* this cute little wallet!  I really like that little wrist loop so I don't need to carry a purse.  It has room for my checkbook, cash, my lipstick (or chapstick, for me) and all my cards. 

I even love the little calculator.  Trust me, I need it.  Also, I love the fact that it is plain black with a subtle design.  My MIL tries to buy my sister-in-law and I the same gifts; we could not be more different.  Sissy is a huge fan of pink, gawdy, and busty.  So when I tell MIL what I want, I fully expect to receive something that is pink or leopard print, covered in glitter and would make a transvestite blush.

Not really a gift, but I like our little library and intend to go a lot more once I graduate from college in April!

LOVE!  LOVE! LOVE!  I know that I don't drink enough water.  I don't particularly care for the popular water bottles with that built in spout; they're hard to clean and I have nightmares of drinking mold, especially in humid Florida.  This water cup has a screw on lid, and a thick harder straw that I can individually wash.  Best part?  Under $7 at Target.  Bad part?  No measurement lines on the cup.  They come in other colors, but I chose clear because I can tell better if it's dirty or not.  My employer gave out $25 gift cards to Target, and I used it for...myself!  I'm giving myself the gift of hydration this year.  It also fits in the cupholder of my car.  LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!

Remember when I asked Mr. R for a KitchenAid mixer?  And when he said, "Anything else?" I said, "No, that's the only thing I want."  And what did I get?  A GPS.  I mean, I do like it.  It has already helped me immensely and I got it around Thanksgiving.  I have the worst sense of direction!  I am forever calling Mr. R and saying, what exit do I get off?  Is east left or right?  He worries about me so much when I go somewhere new and try to use google maps, print the directions, and then have to read tiny print while I'm driving.  I named it "Karen" because that is the name of the computer wife on Spongebob.  Don't judge me.  And I still will be buying my mixer; just not sure when.

This is pretty much my favorite CD of all time.  Rock, blues, classical...aaaaaah.  If you've never listened to it, I highly recommend.  Another gift I've bought myself.  I've bought this cd twice because my kids ruined my first copy when they were little.  I treasure it. 

I know I have diabetes.  I don't make good choices all the time.  But guess what...my blood sugar was 124 this morning.  I have no idea why!

So how was your Christmas?  Did you receive an amazing gift that you didn't expect, like my GPS?  Did your mother-in-law confuse you with a stripper?  (not saying my sis in law is a stripper, don't come down on me)  Did you receive anything wildly inappropriate, like a drum kit for an infant?  Do tell!