- By shopping throughout the year, I spread out the expense of Christmas, at least somewhat.
- I buy things on sale, second-hand, or on clearance, and save a TON.
- I buy what I think people will really enjoy when I see it rather than being stuck with a list of 20 people to buy for all in the span of 2 weeks and not enough creativity to go around.
This summer I hit the jackpot! I found something for Lily that I assumed she would love and something for Chase that I knew he'd love. I paid only about 20% of what it would have cost me to purchase these things new, and I just stumbled across them when I was garage saling - no creativity required! Just eyes to see what my family would love to have! :)
Both being somewhat large items (a doll-sized stroller and car seat for Lily - Graco brand that look JUST LIKE what I will use when baby #2 comes along - the car seat even sits inside the stroller just like my car seat does! And a poker tabletop for Chase - he loves poker) I snuck them into the garage and stashed them between the luggage and the off-season dress clothes in the closet in the garage. I am the only person who ever gets anything out of that closet, so I figured I was home free!
But then last Wednesday night happened. Chase needed a bag that we couldn't find in the usual places, and because I was too tired to help, he dug through the luggage in the garage closet by himself... aaaaaaaand found his poker table. Awesome. So much for that surprise.
Oh well, no tears shed - I rarely surprise him anyway. At least the car seat and stroller were safe from Lily. My plan was actually to give them to her when baby #2 comes along in April. It will look just like what I use for the new baby, I thought. She'll have her own little set for her baby when we go on walks in the spring and early summer, I thought. Good thoughts! Until...
This evening, Chase went out to mow and Lily and I worked on putting flower pots away and other fall yard odds and ends. We ended up in the garage where she saw this Pooh bear thing sitting on the ground. One look and she had figured out that (despite it was folded up) it was a stroller. "Open this stroller," she said. So I complied.
And for the next 45 minutes she pushed that stroller All. Over. The house. It got to be bed time, so she strolled it into her room, over to her crib, and asked for her plug (i.e. pacifier). I got a plug for her out of her crib. She popped it in her mouth and turned the stroller heading out of the room. I told her that if she was going to keep pushing the stroller, she needed to give me her plug. (This was a sure fire way of getting her to give up the stroller. She loves her plug.)
Without skipping a beat, she turned around, hurled the plug across the room at me, and strolled out of the door. Fail. Eventually we did get her to bed, and we didn't even have to put the stroller in the crib! Eventual success!
I'm sitting here in the living room looking at her bears tucked snugly in the little car seat sitting next to the stroller. I think to myself, I should hide it. We're busy tomorrow morning. Maybe she'll forget. To use one of Lily's sayings, "Probly not." I know her. She wouldn't.
So much for that great idea. At least the stroller is a hit. I guess I know what my family will like... if only I could find a great (secret) place to hide things. I once "hid" one of Chase's Christmas presents on my dresser for weeks before I got it wrapped. He never noticed it. Maybe if I'd put the poker table in his side of the closet I would have had better luck. But Lily is way to observant. Time to come up with a better spot for her stuff...
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