I have a little set up this year that is totally working for me. When we put up our Christmas tree, I had to move a table away from that window. It was too big to take down to the basement, so I just put it to the side in the dining room. It quickly became the gift table.

By “gift table” I mean this: Each time I’ve received something pre-Christmas from someone I’ve put it on the table. Having my collection all in this spot reminds me that I still need to write thank you notes for those things. It also gives me a real good chance to look whats cool and what I love the most. Also on this table is a little basket where I keep brown craft bags, a Christmas stamp, green stamp pad, and red Sharpie marker. I keep a stash of homemade Christmas votive as well as tea wallets. Whenever I’ve needed a last minute gift for someone (oh yes, the choir instructors need teacher gifts too!), it is so easy to quickly stamp a bag (or have one of my kids do it), slide the gift in and presto! Fast gift.

And yes, the purist in me would put the stamped design on the other side of the bag, but the “let the kids help, for crying out loud” in me says, “Hey, it’s done and it works.”

Speaking of gifts I’ve received, I’ve been the very happy recipient of several goodies from Penzeys this year. I loves me some Penzeys. I also loves that I live less than a mile from one. I also love that I have friends who know I love Penzeys. *grin*