Regifting Horror

I've been hearing a lot about regifting this holiday season and I thought it would be a good time to tell a funny (and horribly mortifying) regifting story. As far as I know, the people involved in this story are not readers of the blog.

I am a big regifter. I like to think it comes from how much I love giving gifts. Of course it is nice to receive presents, but if I can think of someone who would enjoy it more, or if something I receive would make a perfect gift for a friend of mine, I give it right over.

When we were getting married we had many weddings that summer, there was a constant stream of showers, engagement parties and celebrations. Almost immediately after our wedding we were throwing a "stock the bar" shower for some close friends. As a wedding gift, we received this fabulous package with coasters, glasses, a drink recipe book, stirrers, etc. and I immediately put it all back in the bag to give as a gift for our friends at their party that we were throwing. The party was great and the gift was exceptional for the theme of the party.

It was about two months later as I was driving in the car that it hit me. I had never checked to see if there was writing in the book that we regifted. This happened to be during a time when our friends were on their honeymoon and I was picking up their mail and watering plants. I drove right over there and searched the house for the book. It was like a scene from the movie, me going from room to room trying to find the book. Finally, I found it inside their liquor cabinet. I opened the book and sure enough there was the note:

Dear Dave and Carly,
Congrats on your wedding, we are so happy for you! Enjoy all these things for your bar. Here's a toast to you!

My gut instinct set in and I ripped that page right out of the book!! Then I called Dave frantic and explained what had happened. We decided that rather than leave the book that their crazy friend ripped out the proof that she regifted it, it would be best if I removed all evidence completely. I took the book, threw it away and I have never had the nerve to confront our friends about how I was caught in the act.

I am still SO embarrassed but it hasn't kept me from regifting!

Christmas Trees, Dreidels and the Holidays

I'm not going to lie, the first year Dave and I lived together about 8 years ago, it was a difficult holiday season. Working out the logistics of whether we would have a Christmas tree, if we should have stockings, where we would put the gifts, when we would exchange gifts, if we would light the candles together, etc. was an argument.

Over the years, I must say that we have worked through it all and instead of making the holidays a competition of our respective holidays, we have instead started to embrace and really enjoy them all. We light the candles together every night of Hanukkah and decorate the Christmas tree together while listening to holiday tunes.

I'm always hearing horror stories from friends about having to race from one house to another to do Christmas with both families or missing out on family traditions they have enjoyed all their lives because they are spending the holidays with another family. Lately I have felt very grateful that instead of having to share, we both get to indulge and learn to love a new holiday. It is also a healthy and happy place for Samantha as she celebrates all of these holidays and we begin family traditions of our own. Check out more pics of our holidays thus far, here.

Smarty Pants

For awhile Samantha has been pointing out her body parts. I finally caught it on video. After doing this for Grandma Carol, she was deemed the "smartest grandchild she has EVER had." Too bad for Molly and Dave, at least Dave is still the considerate one.

My mom and Samantha have been watching sign language videos lately as well and they are both catching on very quickly. Samantha does signs for: more, eat, water, please and all done. A few weeks ago, we were at a birthday party where we were playing cats, Samantha was following the cats and doing the sign for cat. I had to verify later that she was doing it correctly and of course she was. Now, I guess it's time to start with the Spanish and see what I can remember.