I've been doing a lot of reflecting this season... well, this year, actually. I've learned a few things about myself (I still generally despise working out but like biking; I tend to consume news either in vast quantities or not at all) and then Shelley and I have made some decisions as a couple (we want to travel more when we finally can; and thank God in heaven that we are pretty madly in love considering we've been cooped up in our home together essentially nonstop for the time it takes to develop a full-term baby).
I make little lists in my phone of things I miss-- mostly people, or the occasional experience. I am excited to eat at Altius again, and to go to the beach, for example. All of this is a roundabout way of saying that what I really miss are the moments in life with the people with whom I choose to spend my time.
This year, then, I can't give my usual Christmas gifts. I tend to go for experiences or things people will find practical and useful in their day to day, with a bit of a luxurious gift added in for good measure. This is last year's gift guide, in case you are curious.
Since we missed Thanksgiving, and I honestly can't imagine what Christmas is going to be like, I have decided to shop small this year. I generally try to do small business shopping anyway, but I mean shopping small-scale. The perspective I've garnered whilst at a distance has shown me that what truly matters is the time spent with the people you love, and that is not something that I can wrap up in brown paper and string or accent with baked orange slices and pine cones, regardless of how soothing I find that whole activity. I acknowledge, dear readers, that that is very cheesy of me to say, but I will presume you all feel the same way after yesterday's socially distanced holiday.
I cannot justify trying to come up with gifts people may like while they can't do the things that they normally would, and I refuse to stress over it. I can't get Shelley concert tickets because there are no concerts. I can't take my mum to the symphony because there is no symphony. I am going to get things that are both useful in their daily lives but also elegantly luxurious, because we all need to be able to luxuriate in something these days.
Today, I browsed some of my favorite small shops and curated a list of things to get my nearest and dearest, and while it may not arrive as quickly as with Amazon Prime, I found joy in knowing I would be supporting someone who may be struggling and also bringing merriment to people I love.
1) Not Perfect Linen
2) Headbands of Hope
3) Gorjana
4) Clad & Cloth
5) The Giving Keys
6) literally any Etsy shop
7) any small bookseller
8) Honey Lake Boutique
9) Chalk Full of Love
10) Indie & Harper
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| vin chaude |
While I was doing my online shopping, Shelley and I made vin chaude (inspired by the latest book I read, We Met in December (delightfully Christmassy)) to sip while shopping. In case you are interested, here is the recipe we cobbled together from a few we found:
2 bottles of red wine (we used Yellow Tail Jammy Red Roo)
1 cup of brandy
6 cinnamon sticks
10 whole cloves
1 teaspoon anise extract
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup of fresh cranberries
1/2 orange, thinly sliced
Just put it in the crock pot on high for about ten minutes and then turn it down to warm. We let it sit for about three hours. Cheers! Happy small shopping!
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