So I already caved ...

You know how you have this great idea ... like, "I'm going to HAND MAKE my Christmas this year?" And then you tell your husband. Who (mind you he's VERY supportive) looks at you like you've gone on crack or something. Then he looks at your ever blossoming belly and back up at you (a couple of times). And in the end tries to point out the insanity of it, but says he'll "support you" in whatever crazy thing you decide to do next (I added that last part of the sentence).

So next up comes the planning, and the list writing and realizing just how MANY people you give things to:

• school teachers
• church teachers
• family & extended family too
• the co-worker gift exchange that your husband loves to sign up for every year (even though you tell him not to each year & he agrees ... only to casually mention afterwards that he did anyways, ha!)
• his employees
• his bosses (definitely can't leave them out!)
• the people in church that you've been assigned to home & visit teach (all 8 families)

Then the list is BIG (and still doesn't even include your kids or husband!), and now you're looking at your ever expanding belly & the three kids already here and starting to think maybe you are nuts. Is it just me that this happened to?

And then I noticed that Deseret Book was having a 75% off sale, with free shipping and for a little over $100 (with free shipping on that order mind you!), I decided handmade is nice ... but consumerism/the easy way out was better (this year). And since I *know* you'd all *LOVE* to see what $100 bought me, I'll show you the stack of delivered boxes .... (10 animal nativities, 10 fleece blankets, 8 "Our Home Believes" blocks, 8 Jesus is the Reason for the Season statues & 2 holy family statues - so cute, I wish I had known!-), Their customer service section sucked though & some of the items that came didn't match the picture on-line, and the best part was for some reason they didn't put in basic information (like how many were available) into their system, so a lot of my order wasn't filled. I love what I got, but after the headache to get it, I don't think I'll use them again. Maybe next year (2010) will be the handmade year ...