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As I get older, the number of people who ask for my wish list gets shorter and shorter. My parents and in-laws usually give us money toward larger gifts (this year it's professional family photos and plane tickets home for the holidays). But, I do usually get a few "What would you like?" questions around the holidays and even more before my birthday in March, so I try to keep a wish list of a few items I've had my eye on. Here are my top contenders this year:
After mentioning a few times recently that I wanted a cheese journal, a friend responded, "Oh Mandi, you and your cheese journal!" Not exactly sure what she meant by that but it is no secret that I am a huge cheese fan. I love picking up a new, exotic cheeses every time I go to the grocery store and I'd like to be able to rate each one and remember my favorites.
A wonderful, smart alternative to the mostly rubbish women's magazines on the market, Verily has been on my wish list for quite some time.
Spa Services
I will never turn down a massage, manicure, pedicure, or haircut. Never, ever.
This is definitely a gift on the functional side, but I love these various sockets and surge protectors that save energy around the home. Ten years ago, I would be scandalized that I would someday ask for these for gifts, but I wasn't paying utility bills then!
I like wearing chapel veils to Mass, but rarely do because (1) I always forget mine and (2) I feel like mine is constantly sliding off and I have to keep readjusting it, which distracts from Mass. I've heard great things about eternity veils from women who say they're great for keeping them on when little hands are tugging on them. Navy blue is my favorite color and I think this one is just so lovely.
Gift Cards
If you want to send me a gift card, I'd love restaurant and movie theatre gift cards for date nights or craft store gift cards to help me get the sewing machine out of it's box for the first time. Also, if you wanted to get me a gift card to a cleaning service, I probably would not protest too much.
I've been looking for a great planner that included Church solemnities and feast days to make it easier for me to incorporate liturgical year celebrations into our daily life. Plus, I am in dire need of a planner, any planner, to keep our schedule straight.
Books
I always have a long list of books on my wish list. At the top right now: The Handbook for Catholic Moms, God's Secret Agents, Maise Dobbs, Pope Awesome and Other Stories, and The Sinner's Guide to Natural Family Planning.
Another really simple, practical item, but oh how I would love to not have to peel garlic by hand! I've been eying one of these since I saw my sister-in-law use one.
Since there is currently a Christmas gift-giving link up, I thought I would join. It's true that this is a wish list and not gift ideas for others, but I think most of these are some pretty swell ideas for the women in your life, although I would use some discretion with some of the above depending on whether those ladies you are buying for are not cheese lovers or garlic lovers or Catholic. Check there for other ideas and if you have a one-year-old to buy for, I have some ideas for one-year-olds here as well.
You don't have to peel garlic!! All you need is two bowls. This trick changed my life. http://lifehacker.com/5844865/peel-a-head-of-garlic-in-less-than-10-seconds-with-two-bowls Merry Christmas :)
ReplyDeleteI've never been able to get that bowl trick to work... Anyway, I LOVE my garlic peeler and I really think you should get one, in no small part because Lucia will ALSO be able to use it and one of John Paul's absolute favorite, most time-consuming tasks is to peel an entire head of garlic for me. I pretend I'm being all Montessori, but really I just don't want to peel it myself :P
DeleteI like where this is going - and the fact that it's time-consuming has me sold! Lucia is starting to get really into helping in the kitchen and it'd be nice to give her a task to do while I cook that is not dangerous or super important. I may have her peel garlic even when we aren't using it!
DeleteI have Verily and the Sinner's Guide to NFP on my wish list, too! And I already obtained copies of the Saints Planner and Pope Awesome - those are great additions. =)
ReplyDeleteAnnnd I pretty much love that you put a cheese journal on here. Not a fuddy duddy in the least.
My goodness, we have similar tastes! Sharing four items on a wish list?
DeleteA cheese journal?! You are my kinda gal!!! Love that!! Thanks for linking up!!
ReplyDeleteUmm I need that Saints planner too! There is so much to keep track of, I'm thinking I might just be adding that to my wish list. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletePope Awesome and Sinner's Guide were on my list also! I have the Handbook for Catholic Moms. I did not get much out of it, but I would be happy to send it to you if you'd like it! Send me a message if you'd like it!
ReplyDeleteThat's kind of disappointing that you didn't get much from it, but I'll definitely take it...looking for your email now!
DeleteWhen I read it, I had a six month old only, but it just didn't fit into my life well. If our days were structured differently, then I think I might have benefited. It was a good read though!
DeleteAlso, I really love this planner. It has HDOs and Saints in it. Ships on time also. It is my favorite.
ReplyDeletehttp://michelequigley.com/
If I don't get the one I linked to as a gift (and I don't think I will) I'll probably order the Michele Quigley one. I actually heard about it somewhere before!
DeleteI want that veil and I'm not even Catholic! So pretty. And also now I'm craving garlic.
ReplyDelete:) My husband Jon is a cheese afficianado as well. He lives for Trader Joe's trips because of the MASSIVE cheese selection.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the garlic peeler, I grew up north of Gilroy (the garlic capital of the world) and we'd get "garlic air" on occasion when the marine layer and wind would combine in a certain way and the smell of the garlic fields would waft north to San Jose. There was even a Garlic Shoppe at our local mall for a few years and my parents acquired a few of the garlic peelers there.
What an interesting tidbit from your childhood! In college, I lived in a very agricultural town with meat packing plants and it smelled awful of cow most of the time - and once a year they burned the blood and that was just sickening. You got used to it after a while, but the surrounding areas (including the city I grew up in) would always say "It smells like Greeley" when the manure smell was bad. I'd definitely prefer garlic!
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