Panic mode

Do you have your Christmas shopping done yet? I don't!

I do this every year. I wait till the last second and then panic. Oh, I know there's still time now but trust me, I know me. I'll be in the exact same boat three days before Christmas. Maybe this year if I panic with a few weeks time left I'll be ready by the time Christmas gets here.

This year we're going to try something a little different with the gifts that we give everyone. We're going handmade. And by we I mean me. Jesse doesn't do handmade. And by everyone I mean everyone other than the kids. I don't see a handmade Lego Batman Wii game going over very well around this house. I would go into more detail but several of the people who are getting the handmade gifts read this blog and I want to put off the disappointment surprise as long as possible. As I get further along into the process I'll detail some of my efforts on my other (neglected) blogs. And won't that be fun boys and girls?

Now if you'll excuse me I have to go hunt down this one website that I vaguely remember seeing once that had this thing on it that I wanted to make but I really don't remember any of the stuff you needed to do it or what it looked like and also I might have just dreamed the whole thing. I love the holidays.

Motherhood Maternity Giftcard Giveaway

I'm in a contesty mood these days. What can I say? I love giveaways. You know what else I love? Babies. And pregnancy. And birth. I even love (gasp) baby showers! I don't know if it's the excitement or the desserts or the games or the desserts but I just love baby showers. I loved my own and I love other people's too. I'm a freak that way.

Have you ever been to a baby shower where the mother to be opened up a gift so hideous or weird or creepy or inappropriate that it made you marvel at how she could keep the smile plastered to her face as she ooohed and aaaahed over how cute it was? I was once at a baby shower where the mother to be opened a box and inside was a handmade clown that looked like it was crafted out of yarn and nightmares. I muffled my screams and tried to look away from the clowns gaping maw of rainbow colored death but the mother to be was a great sport. She smiled and thanked the maker over and over for her gift. She handled it perfectly. Although later, when the mother to be and I were in the room alone she gestured to the clown and said "I'm burning that thing as soon as I get home. I don't want it coming after me when I sleep."

I wonder what it is about me that let's people know that they can confess to me all their true feeling about the bad gifts they get? I don't exactly understand the magical powers I have but now I want to work those powers on you. It's your turn to tell me about a really bad gift you got at a baby shower. Or about a really bad gift you saw someone else get at a baby shower. Or about about a rotten birthday present you got. Heck, you can even tell me about a really terrible present you once gave someone. I don't want to be picky here, I just want to hear about a bad gift. I'll post some of my favorites in another post. (Because I love my readers and I want to share their wit with everyone!)

Out of everyone that comments (with a story about a bad gift!) I'll pick one entry at random to win a $25 Destination Maternity gift card. Win this card and you can pick out something cute and non-creepy to give as a gift the next time to you to a baby shower. Or win it and sell it on ebay. Whatever floats your boat. This contest will run through July 9th. You can earn yourself an extra entry by linking to this contest on your own blog. (Don't worry about letting me know if you've linked to me. I'll already know. I'm magic. And I use Technorati.)

I can't wait to hear your stories!