This is not exactly Christmas related but it is a major future holiday prep. Every year at Halloween the kids who come trick or treating and don't know me personally call me "The Big Candy Bar Lady", because I give out full size Hershey bars.
Publix had them on sale BOGO. Even though Publix jacks up the prices on their BOGO items, it was still a better deal than I can find anywhere else. I only made it to the store one time during the sale and snagged 6 packs of them. So right now I have 36 candy bars stashed in the china cabinet. Publix should have them BOGO again in early October and I will finish buying what I need* then unless I find them somewhere else cheaper. At least I have a price point fixed in my head for comparison.
By my count of trick or treaters from last year, I am going to need at least 82 bars, and will probably buy an additional pack just in case. I can always stick any left over in the freezer for fire pit s'mores.
I purchased 3 Christmas gifts this past week, one for each of my DIL's. It was an impulse buy and I would love to say more about it here, but DIL2 reads the blog occasionally, so mum's the word.
I did not work in the room of horrors, but I did get all my Christmas wrapping paper inventoried and organized. I give My Beloved Sister many presents* each Christmas and when we were in our early 30's she was being snarky and stated she wanted each present wrapped in a different paper. Never, even in jest, issue me a challenge because I play the long game. Game on!
And that means saving all the scraps left from wrapping paper from years ago. I have the bits and pieces of many different papers along with the rolls and rolls I have accumulated over the years. We give multi gifts to all of our family members and each person's presents are wrapped in different papers. When I self correct, I seriously self correct.
And that's all I have for this week.
Ho, Ho, How did this happen so quickly
* When we were young and had no spending money my sister and I would get tiny gifts each week (think a pack of gum, free insurance co. pencils, emery boards, a roll of life savers, etc ) and wrap each one making it look much more important than it was. Though we gave up on the weekly thing long ago, I still give her one "real " present and several not so important yet usable things. I have even been know to wrap a 4 roll pack of toilet paper as a gift for her.
56 Days until Halloween
84 Days until Thanksgiving
113 Days until Christmas
Happy Friday friend. Love to you. 💕
ReplyDeletersrue.blogspot.com
Back at you!
DeleteToo funny and I love the idea.
ReplyDeleteThere is no limit to what I will wrap for her as a gift. A few years ago we decided most of the frivolous gifts needed to be useful and mostly consumable
DeleteI'm so happy that Halloween is on a Friday this year. When it's on a school night, we don't get as many. I seriously had a bit of anxiety reading how close all of the holidays are. I don't want these next four months to fly by but I know they will.
ReplyDeleteI did not even realize Halloween was on a Friday night. We get about the same number no matter the day of the week.
DeleteMy Mom used to give each of my two kids a gift on the 12 days previous to Christmas. Some days it might be a coloring book and crayons, but another day might be a bigger gift. Oh, how they loved that. I think they liked visiting her after school each day as much as the gift! She usually had a small snack and ALWAYS hugs for them. What a fun memory!
ReplyDeleteThat is a great memory for both you and your kids!
DeleteYour countdown is stressing me out! Want a beet shirt? lol
ReplyDeleteKeep talking beets and I will add extra stressors to my Christmas post.
DeleteNot Bossy here! Anne, I absolutely love you!
ReplyDeleteLikewise !!!
DeleteDo get more trick-or-treaters than your neighbors because you are the big candy bar lady?
ReplyDeleteNo, we just live in a neighborhood with a lot of kids, and every time a house sells, people with young children buy it.
DeleteI LOVE Hershey chocolate bars!!!! Oh, you said for trick or treaters… oops… lol.I usually buy the mini bar bags and give a handful. That way if there is any left over ai get to eat them!!!
ReplyDeleteCindy in the South
Hahahaha. Good plan!
Delete“are” not “is” … my bad, as usual. Oh and I also bought a bag of Kit Kat bars that are “supposed “ to be for trick or treaters… yea right… lol. Cindy in the South
DeleteI was thinking I'll just be boring and get boxes of snacks at Sam's Club for Halloween, but I'm leaving the next day and it's my daughter's birthday, plus dogs go crazy on Halloween so might pass on to my neighbor to do hers and mine both.
ReplyDeleteI probably would too, if I were leaving the enxt day.
DeleteHow fun! This makes me wish I'd a family member or friend who'd appreciate these sorts of 'gifts.' Only one has a whacky sense of humor, but she lives out of state and the thought of postage $ sucks the fun right out of it.
ReplyDeleteIt is fun to find odd little things to wrap. We both unwrap at the same time and giggle at what the other has found. This year since she is facing Christmas without her husband I will still do many presents but I might have more than one "real" gift.
Deletei bought a tree and wreath at a yard sale today, like I need more of neither. For Christmas I bought cheap and useful stuff for mother and two sisters. All fit into a shirt box. If a thing was reduced to ten cents, I bought four, one for two sisters and one for me. Example, scoop or package of Thank you notes. One sister said she loved the 'junk box.'
ReplyDeleteWe never get kids, but I buy candy anyway, just in case. Hershey's Miniatures are my favorite.
My neighborhood has a ton of kids and one of the homes has a huge neighborhood Halloween hot dog dinner early in the evening, so a lot of them come at about the same time.
DeleteI don’t think I could control myself with candy bars in the house. 😆 I love your tradition though, which is so neat! And I like the wrapping paper tradition with your sister too. Bailey is a huge Harry Potter fan, so when Walmart clearanced it out after Christmas one year, she bought a ton of it. There are rolls and rolls of it under my bed. 😆
ReplyDeleteIf I kept them in the kitchen pantry it would be hard, but if they are in the china cabinet they are out of sight and I forget they are in there.
DeleteI love that you wrap every gift in different paper, what a commitment that is!
ReplyDeleteYour mention of Life Savers reminded me of the pack of Life Savers my Mum would buy me if I went grocery shopping with her on school holidays. I thought it was marvellous.
Your talk of wrapping paper reminds me that we had a bit of a flood in our basement late June and the container or Christmas wrapping paper got wet. I can't recall how much we salvaged, so I guess I'd best check that out.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of wrapping small gifts. I tend to get one larger gift for each of my kids and a couple smaller ones...toilet paper sounds fun. :)
You're the house my kids always loved to visit on Halloween!
What a wonderfully organized and spirited approach to the holidays. Your foresight with candy bars and Christmas gifts shows both generosity and a love for tradition. I especially enjoyed the story of wrapping each gift differently for your sister it’s such a charming way to make even the smallest presents feel special. It’s inspiring to see someone approach the season with both planning and joy. I’d be glad if you also take a moment to read some of my latest posts.
ReplyDeleteI want to trick or treat at your house!
ReplyDeleteWell done getting started on the gift buying.
During that first year of Covid, I bought a big box of the brand of toilet paper one of my friends use, wrapped it in gift wrap and gave it to her as an early birthday gift. She was thrilled! But, I followed it up with a proper gift on her birthday. 😊