Happy last minute Christmas shopping!

Happy last minute Christmas shopping! I know many of you have probably major Christmas shopping to do, and maybe you’ve already done it. Some of you have probably already had gift exchanges, but I want to address small gift-giving tonight because I just returned from a rather intensive shopping trip at Big Lots to buy for my second round of Christmas gifts, the first being my Barnes and Noble trip three weeks ago. Today is December 19, 2024, and tomorrow is he last day of school, before Christmas break. I love this season. I can't imagine what it must be like to "detest" the holidays, as my atheist neighbor says. Christmas giving can be so much fun. I spent about two hours looking at little things at Big Lots for special people in my life I go to church with and the people I work with. They are the people I buy for now and my brother and his family in New Jersey. I have one cousin here and his wife I may buy for but I didn't have to shop for them tonight, just the people at school. There are about 18 people I buy for at work. Many of them I have worked with for as much as 10 years. I think it is cool to get people you work with something at Christmas, just to show your appreciation for them. It doesn't have to cost very much, but everybody likes to receive gifts. And it really is more blessed to to give than to receive. It is really so fun to look at all the things that they're selling at Big Lots and not be in a hurry and spend some time figuring it all out. I'll probably get to bed a little late tonight but it will be worth it. I can't wait to give the stuff tomorrow. It only happens once a year. I am very happy with all my little purchases, and I got about a $15 discount because I bought so much stuff. I haven't really cashed in on any of Big Lots' rewards because I usually only spend under $20. Today I had figured on nearly $100 for all the people at work and my other church friends. I can understand it being stressful if you have a huge list and a lot of children and grandchildren to buy for but I have a fairly short list of people to buy for with no parents, an estranged sibling, a deceased sibling and a brother and family far away. It 's different. We used to get together at Mom's and take turns opening presents and all that but there will be no more of that. So I enjoyed getting a couple of mugs with hot chocolate for "Mr. Right" and "Mrs. Always Right." My friends will appreciate the humor. This couple, like myself have no need of mugs for they drink a lot of coffee and tea, as do I, so this will be a perfect fun little gift for Christmas. My pastor and his wife also have no need of mugs. I gave them mugs last year with hot chocolate and then went ahead and bought myself the same mugs. They are very cool, and I don't need mugs but I guess they're sort of like books. I guess if you love mugs, you really can never have too many--or you find somewhere to put them. Which reminds me, my atheist neighbor collects mugs. She has a rack to hang them on and she has literally dozens of them. I will probably not go that far but I have a lot of mugs, and if I find one I have to have I will get another one, and if you drink tea and/or coffee and people know it, they are going to give you mugs. Sometimes I give mugs away but usually I keep them and acquire more as time goes by. I have not counted them, and I probably will not ever count them. That would be way too left-brain for me. It was left-brain enough for me today picking out presents and figuring out what to get for whom. A couple of people got boxes of Millionnaires, and they had some other ones wrapped individually I got for the littlest gifts of appreciation, and I needed to try one, because it had been a long time since I had one of those. I think I'm addicted now. I also got some of those coconut bars with chocolate on them from Florida for a couple of people. They come in different flavors. They had key lime today. What else do I need to tell you about this. Last year and this year they had these really cool little bundles of lotion and body wash, wrapped in net and with one of those squeegee things (they're called "bath poufs") and they have them in all different fragrances. I love fragrances, I think a lot of people love fragrances, especially women. I don't know how men are about fragrances but women love them. I wanted to try the coconut and lime one and the lavender one, I think, last year, but I never did try them. So I still have them to give away if somebody doesn't want one. I put them all in a bag and I'm going to let the six or eight people I got them for grab out of the bag and see which one they want. So here are my suggestions: Mugs Chocolate Body lotion and body wash in a variety of fragrances. I suppose, in general, those might be better for women than for men. I don't know. Socks, especially Reading Socks: Barnes and Noble had these wonderful "reading socks" I got for four people in my New Jersey family. Coffee and tea: I got some great coffee for my brother in-law and his fiancee. Books for kids if you know what they like or what they're reading. I'm not so sure about books for grown-ups unless you know what they want to I think, read. In general, most adults like to choose their own books, but this is something you can ask your friends. Candles Potpourri My laptop is giving me fits now, so I guess it's time to wrap this up. Or maybe it's the app, I don't know; it keeps going unresponsive, but I only wanted to add one thing: Sherpa throws. They are wonderful gifts. Hope this helps someone. Happy last minute Christmas shopping!