In Which I Don't Get Out And Shop

So now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to start thinking about Christmas!

More specifically Christmas shopping. Here's what I've discovered over the past few months in my shopping forays with the guys.

It's hard.

For starters, we're a parade. I mean seriously, we're about ten feet long going down the aisle. Usually Connor and I go first so that Jer isn't leading the way with his feet-- always a hazard while going around corners in stores that might have preteens in charge of shopping carts. You know, the kind that like to whizz down the aisles while hitching a ride on the cart in lieu of actual steering. The Christmas crowds are not likely to make shopping any less hazardous, either-- especially all of the parents with small children in tow who don't necessarily look where they're going.

Then there's the fact that we attract a lot of attention. Invariably somebody wants to stop and ask us questions about Jer or about Connor, and this leads to traffic jams and also means we can't just pop in or out of a store. We have a limited amount of time in the stores because Jeremy can't currently use public restrooms. So this usually means that we don't get as much done as we were expecting.

We also get a lot of special treatment, which is a little uncomfortable. Whenever we get in a line to check out, without fail either another line opens up and we're magically offered a first-in-line position or someone else tries to let us go in front of them, no matter what position we are in line. Store employees follow us around asking what they can do for us. People try to "help" Jeremy in and out of stores. Then at the same time there are a lot of areas that are woefully inaccessible. Carts and displays make the aisles too narrow for Jeremy to get down. Broken sidewalks or poorly placed parking means he can't get into the store. And a lot of the displays put things far out of reach, meaning that either Jeremy and I have to stick close together or he has to accept the help of a store's "personal shopper."

So instead of braving the crowds this year, I'm doing the vast majority of my shopping online. It's much, much easier than trying to work our way through the stores, there's a wider selection and range of prices, I can have the presents shipped directly to the people they're meant for, and I can still pick out presents that are meaningful. I like to shop at Etsy-- that fantastic site for handcrafted goods-- and I've already bought several of my presents for family members there. I like them because not only are the goods handcrafted (and in some cases custom made) but also because the vendors will often times beautifully wrap the presents and send a card free of charge. And let's face it; you can find a present for ANYONE on there.

I'll still make my annual trip down to Pike Place Market to pick up some stocking stuffers at The Great Wind-Up. My family couldn't possibly do without their annual Christmas morning wind-up toy race, so I have to pick out the steeds for this year's event, a delicate and time-consuming operation that requires a lot of thought. I'm thinking maybe I'll go for walking eye-balls this year. Or zombies. I could put little Christmas hats on them.

But I don't think we'll be putting a lot of Christmas decorations out this year, as they're currently all buried somewhere in the storage unit. And I don't think I have nearly enough energy to complete a project like the gingerbread house we did last year-- completely handmade from scratch. I drew out the pattern to match our home at the time. I might swing by and pick up a kit, but I think we'll probably focus more on the whole real reason for Christmas this year and less on the "look at the pretty stuff we've put up" part. You know, that guy Jesus. Pretty sure this was his holiday before the mall Santas took over.

Anyway, that's how I'll be completing my Christmas shopping. What about the rest of you-- got a plan? Are you slogging your way through the stores or curling up at home with a laptop?

~Jess