All I Want For Christmas: My Top 5 List

Every year, as Christmas approaches, my husband comes to me (usually on December 20^th) and asks what I would like for a gift. I hate being put on the spot like that. I’m generally in full gift-giving mode myself at that point, figuring out what other people in my life need/want, and so my mind goes totally blank. I have no idea. This year, I thought I’d get the jump on him and do up a list ahead of time. Smart, yes?

I have to warn you, however…this list is decidedly unromantic. I’ve never really been one for perfume/knick-knacks/jewelry, etc., and it seems the older I get, the more practical I become. 😀

See for yourself:

1. Matching cloth napkins. I had a set given to me once, but over the years, stains have set in, they’ve become a little ragged around the edges, and one has gone missing altogether (I blame the dryer). I’ve also bought odds and ends at garage sales for everyday use. But I think it’s a little sad that, when we have company for dinner, the only way we can have matching napkins is if I use the paper ones. The idea also goes against my eco-friendly preferences. So this year, I want a full set of grown-up, dinner-sized, matching napkins. Practical and pretty. J
2. Slippers. My last pair of slippers was a gorgeous pair of moccasins my husband brought back from BC for me after the Olympics. I loved those things and wore them everywhere—out to the garden, on the back terrace…. They went on my feet first thing in the morning and didn’t come off again until bedtime, and I wore them until they were literally falling apart. (They went into the garbage the day the flapping sole on one tripped me up on the stairs and caused a fall. Oops.) I loved their comfort and their durability, so just to be clear: when I say slippers…yeah, I want more moccasins. J
3. Pajamas. Nice, warm, cotton ones. Not flannel, because that’s too stiff. Cotton jersey, long-sleeved, über comfortable…the kind I can both watch TV in and wear out onto the back terrace on early summer mornings. Oh, and to sleep. It would be nice to sleep in them, too. 😉
4. Thermal socks. I hate cold feet and so every year, I buy each of my daughters a super warm pair of socks. (If you’re a mother, you’ll understand the logic behind this. If you’re not, no judging. ;)) Do I buy myself any? No. Instead, I raid my husband’s sock drawer and schlump through the winter in socks that come up to my knees (that part is good) and whose heel rests well above my Achilles tendon, bunching up inside my boots (that part is not so good). This year, I want my very own thick, warm, wintry socks. That both come up to my knees and fit.
5. Thermal underwear. I have a dog. A really big dog. For my own sanity—and the overall wellbeing of my home’s interior—it is best that this dog (all 127 lbs of him) gets a good long walk at least every couple of days…even <shudder> in the winter. But winters here get cold. The kind of cold that turns any inadequately clothed part of you numb. In disconcertingly short order. I’m fairly well equipped at this point: good coat; sheepskin mitts; aviator-style winter hat; scarf that wraps around my head several times, leaving only my eyes exposed; boots rated to -40 Celsius…but my legs freeze. I’ve been known to wear my pajama bottoms under my pants to combat this problem but yes, thermal underwear would be nice. J

So…am I the only one who sees a theme evolving here? Food, sleep, warmth…it seems that I’m not just practical, I’m a creature of comfort too, lol!

So tell me…what’s on your Christmas list this year?