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Productive day & Christmas baskets

I started my day at 4:30 a.m.!!! Nope, no alarm, just up-and-ready-to-go -- this happens when you're in bed before 9 p.m. :) By the time I woke the kids up at 6:30 I had already baked, cooled, and frosted cupcakes for school today and completed another page in the kids' album (J). . .
in addition I caught up on all e-mail and Facebook too! (Those last two are very important to me. . .they've completely taken over the time I used to spend catching up on the phone. . .good?. . .bad?. . .I don't know. . .but I DO know there wasn't ever anyone I could chat with at 5 a.m.!!!)

I got the kids to school -- cupcakes and teacher's gifts and all -- then went to Wal-Mart for things that I didn't get on my all-day shopping extravaganza yesterday (errands and Christmas). I had a quick meeting at the YMCA for a position I am subbing for in January for a maternity leave, then lunch with Tom -- yahoo!!! Back home, car unloaded, just a little over an hour away from getting the kids for their 2+ week of Christmas Break. Whew! Still have to make sandwiches for the swimming party tonight and would like to wrap a few gifts too.

I need an opinion. . .back to the gift baskets. Yesterday I picked up three different things to use as my "basket" for the family gifts this year. I want the container to be something useful -- not a real basket that will just be thrown out or put in a closet to collect dust. The "basket" is part of the gift. I have three items in the "baskets" so far and will add 2-3 more little things (the photo gift and the kids will make something too). The "basket" is part of the budget (which I'm doing REALLY well on and may not even use it all -- that would be a first for me!)
The first (above) is the most expensive, but also the nicest. I picked it up at Hobby Lobby. . .it's a leather-covered box with white stitching on it. It's very sturdy and would fit into decor pretty much anywhere. There were only three black ones left yesterday -- I'd have to go with red or lime green or orange or pink for three people but that probably wouldn't be a big deal.
My second option are these canvas baskets. They are a bit larger and very informal. I could see my mom and possibly my mother-in-law using them to hold bills or papers but I think everyone else would put them in a cupboard. I have four of these and love them and of the three options this would be the one I'd most like to receive. It's only $2.50 less than the other so the savings isn't significant (well, Tom would say $15 is significant but overall in this budget not so much). It certainly isn't as NICE but is practical -- someone could put it in their closet to put all their underwear in. . .or socks. . .or make-up. Extra shampoo, soap, etc. Hair stuff!!! Wow, I need another dozen :)
The last option isn't my favorite but if I received it as a gift I would like the practicality of it. Who can ever have too many Rubbermaid containers???? Also, this one I would wrap in paper which I think the kids would like (vs. using cellophane like I will on the others). It's also the cheapest, costing only $4.50/each. Hmmmmmmmmmm. . .

Comments

  1. So, this is what you have been doing. Looks great. Sorry, I don't have much of an opinion on the baskets. I like the last one.

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