Whoring My Gifts

At a request from That Chick Over There, I'm here to "Whore My Gifts". I actually prefer to give gifts than to receive them nowadays - I must be getting old - but it is always lovely to get gifts that are really special because of (a) who gave them, (b) the thought they put in to it, regardless of what they spent, and (c) let's be honest, how great the gift is!


I'd also like to remind everyone this is a great time of year for giving back to the less fortunate. Listing all the wonderful things I received was great, but I also enjoy the fact that as usual, my hubby and I picked a couple of charities to share our good fortune.

That being said, on with the Whoring!

My top 10 gifts for this year:

1. Diamond earrings from my hubby. Very delicate and pretty - I love them.
   
   


2. A fleece wrap/cape. This came from my in laws. She thought of my extensive travel and thought it was perfect for those cold flights...I love it!
   


3. Books - lovely books, and more books! Some used, some new, all full of wonderful new stories for me to read. People who give me books are my favorites in the world! My mom and my aunt added to our leatherbound collection and found us Robinson Crusoe and Wuthering Heights. They look so elegant on a bookshelf and I love to read (or re-read) the classics.
   

4. CDs. My hubby sometimes despairs at my "uncool" music collection, which has included such diverse and uncool artists as George Michael, Barry Manilow, the Commidores, and N'Sync. He continues my musical education with Janis Joplin's greatest hits but he also allowed me my little guilty pleasure of some pop music with the Five for Fighting live album.
   


5. Broadway! My sister and brother-in-law spent way too much and got us a gift certificate from http://www.broadway.com/ for 2 tickets to a show. As if that wasn't enough, it came in a basket with gourmet chocolates, a book on home brewing (for hubby), and two bottles of wine too! Spamalot here we come!
   


6. Digital Photo Frame. This also came from the in-laws - something we've been eyeing for a while, and now we're hooked up!


7. Candles and Giftware. I love scented and pretty candles/candleholders and got a couple of these. We also received a pressed wine bottle cheese tray, some ornaments, and pretty photo frames. All of these things continue to enhance (and my hubby says crowd) our little cottage home. I love them.
   



8. A Fossil Watch. I am notorious about cheating myself in the watch area -- I cheap out and get the $7 watches at Target all the time. My staff thought I deserved something special so they got me a lovely Fossil watch from Macy's. The gift was appreciated even more because they all got together to pick it out. Sweet!
   


9. Greeting Cards (with Photos!). One of my favorite things to receive are greeting cards with family and kid photos included. It allows me to see the smiling faces of so many people I love. More than anything, I enjoy hearing from (and seeing!) my favorite people at this time of year.
   


10. The Christmas Bonus! Each year I count my blessings that I work for a company that still gives out bonuses each year. As a manager I get a percentage in December and the remainder after the books are closed in April. This is never something I take for granted and is always much appreciated. {Photo representational only - don't think this was the actual amount!}

That's about it - hope you all received as many lovely things as I did this year.