I cashed my holiday bonus yesterday morning. It's now residing in a bank envelope waiting for me to decide what frivolous non-essential fun item I want to purchase just for myself. Last year I didn't figure out what I wanted until almost March. I'm not in any hurry.
I made ChexMix for the very first time yesterday after dogsitting. It was way easier than I thought and I will be ramping up the butter, Wsauce, and seasonings next time. Just a little too mild right now, good, but I like more oomph. I was invited to a Christmas party and asked to bring an appetizer so I came bearing my ChexMix.
I also had to bring a "gently used household item" wrapped up for a gift for the Yankee Swap. I've never done a Yankee Swap before or regifted something I've used, so this was a new one on me. My gift was a Swiffer Carpet Flick. I got it because I thought it would cut down on my vacuuming but with all the litter the kittos scatter around my house, the Flick's adhesive strip would be full after 2-3 swipes across the carpet. I dusted it off, took it apart, and put it back in it's original box and packaging - hey, what can I say, I save boxes/pkging until I'm sure whatever I've purchased is a definite keeper, so I'm a little anal retentive, yes I kept the Flick's pkging for two years, and look how it came in handy and was needed after all.
So we all got to pick numbers, there were 22 gifts and I got #18. Each person went in order, picked a gift from under the tree, opened it, and then made an executive decision to keep or swap with anyone who already had a gift. Some of the gifts: mirrored tray, candles, inflatable mini snow globe, my Swiffer, bath products, cat bowl with belled lid, VHS movies, DVD movies, a printer (that one was the funniest), and a huge box that had a mini yard sale in it (books, jacket for kid, men's jeans, Ikea seahorse light, and plastic yard twirling ribbons). Until it was my turn, I was thinking whatever I got I would swap for the inflatable snow globe coz I thought my dad would like it, he loves that kind of thing. But my gift had two glittery ornaments, dark chocolate pomegranate seeds, Belgian chocolate minis, and sterling silver plated earrings. Dad lost out to sparkley and chocolatey. Sorry Dad!
Much humor and laughter. My friend L (it was her friends' party) ended up swapping to get the Flick. The printer will most likely come back next year as does the Fugly Santa Doll that has been swapped for 10 years and looks certifiable it's that scary looking.
Today, because yesterday was so busy (nice but not much time for reading), I will be curled up with my heat-deprived cats reading short story anthologies of Christmas crimes and murders. I have 4 of them plus a "More Holmes for the Holidays" anthology which has different authors offering up holiday cheer and mayhem that is Sherlock-related. I plan on not moving an inch, well, just to go pee but then right back to the warm cozy book/cat-lined nest.
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