Christmas in August...?!
Shopping in July and August for Christmas gifts for overseas friends and family.
Wrapping presents on my kitchen floor.
No Christmas paper in the shops so having to be inventive with simple basics.
Grouping and parcelling up groups of gifts for different families.
Trying to make sure to get the best value out of the Australian postal system.
Not wanting to be late like last year despite posting by the suggested dates for last post.
Aiming for a full month ahead of last date for SeaMail this year "Just to be sure"
Watching the numbers on the kitchen weighing scales go up and up as I throw in chocolate Koalas to use every last gram of the 250gram increments that we are charged for.
Feeling a bit grumpy and un-seasonal that it requires so much forward planning to avoid paying (literally) hundreds of dollars just to deliver gifts to loved ones.
Feeling a weight off my shoulders as I walk out of my lovely friendly local Post Office leaving behind a mountain of boxes and half a weeks wages for the stamps!
Knowing that the financial burden that normally falls in December will be lighter because we have a good portion of our presents paid for and sailing around the world as I type.
Getting ready to press "publish" so I can go pour myself a big glass of wine and snuggle up to Mr B on the sofa....!
Well done on being so super organised...!!! Will be all worth it when Christmas rolls around... :)And you'll feel so good knowing the family have something from you on the day... My niece had her second birthday last week and I feel terrible because while we did the shopping and the wrapping and the letter writing (all the hard work) we didn't post it off on time and she didn't get it on her birthday - and there is nothing I can do to change that.
Great job Gina... oh and by the way, get yourself one of those borrowed friends!!!
Super organised mum :-) but you have to be, so that your family get the pressies.
I never use Christmas wrapping paper, only maybe for the youngsters , who like to see it.
But as you say Gina financial burden is lighter in December , not like us.. mind you I lightened my load .. we don't buy for many now, .. we all cannot afford it.
Wow, I am impressed, Gina! That is forward thinking. I will probably end up paying a bundle for priority shipping once again this year. One thing we have going for us, though...since we live on an American military base, we still have the US mail system here, so it's not as expensive as international shipping. With the exception of one parcel to Mexico, all of mine will be going to the USA.
Bravo on your organization this year! I'm one of those that wait until a few weeks before Christmas ~ but then I don't have to send them halfway around the world either. I would hope I could manage as well as you if I did. :)
You are SO organised! he cost of postage is exorbitant. Good on you :)
I'm impressed and inspired by how organized you are with Christmas shopping! I tend to wait until nearly the last minute (luckily, I'm not shipping any gifts out of state or even overseas). But each and every year I spend the final weeks before Christmas in a state of constant stress. This year I'm planning/hoping to be better organized -- I actually have a gift list written out with what I'm hoping to buy & make, and am starting my shopping and crafting in September.
Now lets see if I can actually stick with my plans this year!