Holiday Gifts

I enjoy holiday shopping.  I have fun picking out just the right thing to make someone smile. I especially enjoy shopping for my kids and my niece. Nothing makes me happier than to hear their squeals of delight as they rip into the wrapping paper and discover a gift they love. And call me crazy but I even enjoy midnight madness at the mall on Black Friday.  I enjoy wrapping the gifts and I love watching the kids try to figure out what's inside. 

But as much fun as I have shopping for others, I'm never quite comfortable answering when someone asks what to get my family.  For one thing, I don't want to name something that's too expensive or out of their budget.  And I don't mean things like expensive game systems or $100 dolls. Kids stuff is just expensive in general.  For example,  $10 for a car that's smaller than a deck of cards, $20 for just a train... There can be quite the sticker shock to someone who doesn't have young kids. So I don't give specifics. When someone asks I give them a general idea of what the kids like (and luckily my kids are pretty easy to please) and let the person choose something that fits into their budget.   And that's only after we go through the "You don't have to get anything" argument.