Christmas

Yes, it is only August but before you know it, Christmas will be right around the corner.  I don't know about you, but for me it seems that the holiday just creeps up on me.  Even though we all know it is in December, some people wait til the very last minute.  I, on the other hand, shop throughout the year.  It is much easier and less stressful for me.  If I find something that I know someone will love and I find it at a great price, I snatch it up and save it for Christmas. 

As I mentioned in another post, I like to make scrapbooks for really close family members or friends.  I like giving something from the heart instead of just something picked up at the store that doesn't mean too much.  Yes, it takes less time to buy something, but time is the best gift you can give, in my opinion.

After my brother was married, that next Christmas he had a nice scrapbook that I compiled and gave him and his wife for Christmas.  They were happy to receive it.

I surprised my little sister and made her a scrapbook, and she was so happy.  She told me it was the best gift she had ever received.  I kind of cheated with getting pictures for it though.  I took her memory card from her camera, used pictures I had and talked to a friend of hers about getting pictures she had.  When my sister opened it, she was in complete shock.  You should have seen her reaction.  She brought it to work and was showing everyone.  In turn, I made another scrapbook for her the next year with recent pictures of the yaer.

I made my stepmom a scrapbook, and she told me it was also the best gift she had ever received.  As funny as it might sound hearing this on Christmas, she told me when she dies she wants the scrapbook to go back to me since she knew how much time I had put into it.  She proudly brought it to work and showed it off to everyone.  Her coworkers loved it so much that some asked if I was up for hire to compile books for them.  No, I didn't take anyone up on it.  The next year I made more pages for her to add to her book.  They were recent pictures of my parents and the kids. 

I have given my mom scrapbooks.  She lives in Europe, so she doesn't get to see the kids too often.  Surprising her with a nice, homemade scrapbook with recent pictures of her grandbabies definitely chears her up.  She has told me she shows all her friends and they absolutely love them.

In my ex's family, we draw names for Christmas.  I drew my ex last year.  I had no idea what to get him.  I thought and thought about it.  He loves Batman, so I looked all over for Batman things that I knew he didn't have.  Truth be told, it was really hard.  I looked online and all over in the stores.  After a bit of time, I thought it through and decided I should make him a scrapbook.  In all the years I had been with him, he didn't have any copies of the pictures of the kids, him and the kids, or any of the pictures really.  I hoped it would mean a lot to him and that he would cherish it.  I spent a long time looking through pictures, making copies, finding the perfect papers to go with the pictures.  It took a lot of time to complete, but I was happy with the ending result.  I wasn't there when he opened it, but he told me he loved it. 

Do you have a hobby or something you are really interested in?  Do you think people on your gift list will like something homemade this year?  Think more about the people you give gifts to. 

I know I have months until Christmas, but for the gifts that I give it takes a lot of time.   So I will be starting pretty soon.