The Wish List

I'm very late in posting my Works for Me Wednesday. It's been one of those busy, productive kinds of days (I finished shopping for Thanksgiving, we cleaned all the leaves out of the yard, got firewood delivered, AND did a roof repair that's been haunting us for weeks!), and I just hadn't had a chance to THINK of something about which to post. When I did find the time, I had no ideas! Well, this lack of ideas got me thinking....

There have been so many times that I've had someone (a friend, my mom, or DH) ask me what sort of gifts I wanted for Christmas, my birthday, Mother's Day, etc. And it never fails....when someone asks that question, no immediate answers come to mind. Of course, a few days later the realization comes, "I should have told them *...*!" Has that ever happened to you???

Well, I finally found a way to avoid this, and provide immediate and pertinent answers to this question. I keep a perpetual "wish list" handy. I actually keep it on the last page of my menu planning notebook so I always know where it is. Another good reason to keep it near the kitchen is that it's often a kitchen item that I come up needing! So, anytime I find something that I need (for instance, the can opener breaks down or my favorite mixing bowl cracks), I grab the notebook and jot down the idea. I also do this when DH or one of the kids mentions something they really want or need - just add it to the list. This is also helpful if I happen to have a little extra money and want to make the most of it - I can consult the list and find out what I "need" more than anything else.

Of course, there are sometimes things on the list for which I find a good substitute. This is a learning experience! It's interesting to see the things I have wanted/thought I needed in the past and see what I am able to live without purchasing. And it helps my mom to get me things for gifts that she knows I will actually use and enjoy.

This is a pretty basic thing, and it might be more common than I realize, but it does work for me! For more great tips and ideas, check out Rocks in my Dryer.