Little Ms. Notetaker's Holiday Gift Giving Guide

So that post title might cause a little bit of a stir. I'm, dare we say, a wee bit finicky, fickle, and freaking impossible to shop for. Case in point, the Karl Mecklenberg jersey birthday debacle. Believe me, I can appreciate just how difficult it is to shop for me, and I know it inspires a little bit of dread for the people who find me on their "To Shop For" list (hi, family! And welcome to the illustrious club, Mr. McMichael!).

Ugh. Gifts.

Here's why I'm so difficult, I don't ever feel like I need anything. And anything I do need I feel like I can buy. But in the spirit of maintaining a "wish list," I may put some of the things I need that I can buy for myself on my list. But then I end up taking a lot of flack for having a lame list (windshield wipers... you have windshield wipers on your list?!). As my crazy has proven, I don't want what I don't want, so it's a safer bet to get me what I need--no matter how lame. Or get me something that you know that I want, but that I maybe don't need and that I wouldn't buy for myself. Or make me something. Or better yet, make it an experience. Or don't get me anything, that's fine too.

Double standard alert: however, when I give gifts, I'm in it to win it. You're probably thinking, "competitive gift giving?" And I'm all, "yes." Well, it's not that I'm competitive against you and the gift you're giving me, I'm competitive against your list. I create incredible pressure to find THE perfect gift for you and everyone for whom I'm shopping. Yeah, I could get you what's on your list, or I can challenge myself to get you something so good that you didn't even know you wanted it, but if you had known you wanted it you would have put it at the top of your list, but too late, I already got it. Booyah! That just happened. I schooled your list.

I do need to warn you that competitive gift giving is exhausting. You're shopping for THE perfect gift (for multiple people) it takes exponentially more time to imagine what it could be and then, if you're really lucky, that gift actually exists and you find it, or if you can't find it you make it. And that is definitely pressure I don't need to put on myself, but I just can't bring myself to give someone a blah gift, just for the sake of giving a gift.

So here we are, seven shopping days until Christmas. I only have one more gift to go. For those of you keeping score at home, Little Ms. Notetaker a lot, your list zero. Bring. It. On.