1. Do you buy birthday/sympathy/get well cards in large groups and then picck one out from your desk when you need it or do you trek out and get an individual card to suit your purpose for each occasion?
2. Do you stockpile gifts to use for months down the road - be it Bdays, weddings or other holidays?
3. Do you use fancy wrapping paper for bday and other gifts, or just generic?
1. Do you buy birthday/sympathy/get well cards in large groups and then picck one out from your desk when you need it or do you trek out and get an individual card to suit your purpose for each occasion?
Depends. We have cluster birthdays -- family members have loads of birthdays in August, February, and December -- so I'll go out the month before and buy cards for everyone that month! But otherwise, not really.
2. Do you stockpile gifts to use for months down the road - be it Bdays, weddings or other holidays?
Only for Christmas. I start shopping the moment I find something interesting for someone I know I'll be buying for. DH's first Xmas gift will arrive in the mail before the end of the month, but this is late for me. Usually, I already have a few presents. But not for birthdays or other occasions -- I think specifically of the person as I'm shopping for them, so the whole "gift closet" thing doesn't work for me.
3. Do you use fancy wrapping paper for bday and other gifts, or just generic?
Depends on what I can afford. I like distinctive wrapping paper, but I've been able to stand out in a present-crowd by wrapping an item in computer paper, and using a highlighter to color strips of white paper, before curling them with a pair or scissors.
No, no, and no. I see the point but it's like my mind doesn't work that way - I would have never thought to do these things, my mom does the thing with the cards so I learned that from her. Learned as in never heard of anyone doing this until her! I never use wrapping paper - I use gift bags. Since I live overseas from my family most of the time we do gift cards. I have them sent straight to their house in the mail. Or if it's mom's bday, I send my sis money and she goes get the gift. Wow I can't recall the last time I physically bought and wrapped a present! Not to mention hand it to the actual person. Wow!
1. Do you buy birthday/sympathy/get well cards in large groups and then pick one out from your desk when you need it or do you trek out and get an individual card to suit your purpose for each occasion?
Buy them in a large amounts and keep them in a box till I need them.
2. Do you stockpile gifts to use for months down the road - be it Bdays, weddings or other holidays?
No, I find it easier to buy gifts as I go. I have a hard enough time picking gifts, let alone way ahead of time.
3. Do you use fancy wrapping paper for bday and other gifts, or just generic?
Whatever I have laying around or what was on sale. I usually have nice Christmas paper because one of my dad's business contacts used to give everyone wrapping kits for the holidays that had tons of paper and ribbon, and I ended up with one. I'm a bigger fan of gift bags, and I recycle whatever ones I receive.
1. Do you buy birthday/sympathy/get well cards in large groups and then picck one out from your desk when you need it or do you trek out and get an individual card to suit your purpose for each occasion?
If I see cards I like, I buy a whole bunch of them and have them to use at a later date. Of course, sometimes I don't have anything approriate and still have to make a special trip for that one card.
Sadly, I lost my huge stockpile during Hurricane Ike and am slowly building it back.
2. Do you stockpile gifts to use for months down the road - be it Bdays, weddings or other holidays?
Both. If I see something really cool, I'll buy it. Eventually I will find the right person to give it to. Believe it or not, it usually works out pretty well.
But if I don't have anything appropriate in the gift pile, I will get a personalized gift for that person.
Sadly, (again) I lost my stockpile during Hurricane Ike.
3. Do you use fancy wrapping paper for bday and other gifts, or just generic?
I hate using wrapping paper because I hate wrapping, plus it just ends up in a landfill. I either use gift bags (because they can be reused) or I just put it in a supermarket bag. The gift is what counts, not the wrapping.
1. Buy a bunch at a time and pick when needed.
2. Stockpile in advance.
3. Try to re-use as many gift bags as possible.
1. Do you buy birthday/sympathy/get well cards in large groups and then pick one out from your desk when you need it or do you trek out and get an individual card to suit your purpose for each occasion?
I don't buy many cards, but when I do, it's one at a time.
2. Do you stockpile gifts to use for months down the road - be it Bdays, weddings or other holidays?
I don't stockpile generically, but if I see something when I'm out shopping that would be "just perfect" for a specific person's birthday or Christmas/Chanukah, then I will buy it and put it aside.
3. Do you use fancy wrapping paper for bday and other gifts, or just generic?
I am also a fan of the gift bag. I was always terrible at wrapping presents!
1. Do you buy birthday/sympathy/get well cards in large groups and then picck one out from your desk when you need it or do you trek out and get an individual card to suit your purpose for each occasion?
Very rarely do I send cards out. Other than maybe twice a year, I have no need for any.
2. Do you stockpile gifts to use for months down the road - be it Bdays, weddings or other holidays?
Well, when I had someone to buy for I did. Currently - like for last 5 to 6 years - no need for presents. The few people I exchange birthday wishes with in person, I make things for them.
3. Do you use fancy wrapping paper for bday and other gifts, or just generic?
For years I struggled with all kinds of special paper and meticulously wrapped any shape of present. Now with gift bags and tissue paper, who needs that hassle?
1. Do you buy birthday/sympathy/get well cards in large groups and then pick one out from your desk when you need it or do you trek out and get an individual card to suit your purpose for each occasion?
I buy in large groups. At the Dollar store they have cards 2/$1, so I tend to buy a handful when I'm there and keep them in the desk for future use. Most of the time this works. I hate to spend $3 on a card.
2. Do you stockpile gifts to use for months down the road - be it Bdays, weddings or other holidays?
Definitely. After Christmas I stock up on gifts for the following Christmas from all the sales. I just bought a beautiful set of handpainted wine glasses (never opened) at a garage sale - future wedding gift!
3. Do you use fancy wrapping paper for bday and other gifts, or just generic?
I used to have access to great paper/bags at work - at my old job we gave away tons of gifts and had beautiful wrapping supplies that I used from time to time. Now I rely on post-Christmas sales to get holiday paper and do the re-use gift bag thing the rest of the year.
1. Do you buy birthday/sympathy/get well cards in large groups and then picck one out from your desk when you need it or do you trek out and get an individual card to suit your purpose for each occasion?
I do have a small stockpile of sympathy cards. The stockpile is a couple boxed sets and usually for people at work or sometimes a casual friend. I will usually go get an individual card for people that I know really well or for certain family members.
I do have a birthday card pile/box set, but I usually end up hating the cards and will often just get a card for a person. Especially since I don't get birthday cards for everyone I know, just friends.
We will often get Christmas cards for the next year during the weeks after Christmas when stuff is on sale. (I am cheap and it isn't like it doesn't happen every year)
2. Do you stockpile gifts to use for months down the road - be it Bdays, weddings or other holidays?
No not really. Oh, I will grab the occasional thing, but usually will just give it as a "just because" since I have my mother's tendency of buying something then hidding it from myself.
3. Do you use fancy wrapping paper for bday and other gifts, or just generic?
Gift bags are where it is at. I will occasionally use wrapping paper (fancy or otherwise) but normally it is something I found on sale. (After Christmas sales, I will get the plain green or plain red. Works for everything.)
Thursday Three: Gifts edition
1. Do you buy birthday/sympathy/get well cards in large groups and then picck one out from your desk when you need it or do you trek out and get an individual card to suit your purpose for each occasion?
I do what I can. I usually make one from scratch.
2. Do you stockpile gifts to use for months down the road - be it Bdays, weddings or other holidays?
I do lots of re gifting. What is old is new again!
3. Do you use fancy wrapping paper for bday and other gifts, or just generic?
I use the Sunday comics.
1. Do you buy birthday/sympathy/get well cards in large groups and then pick one out from your desk when you need it or do you trek out and get an individual card to suit your purpose for each occasion?
Both. I have bought packs of cards that I felt I'd use in the near future, but often when a situation arises they just aren't enough so I go buy a more situation-specific one.
2. Do you stockpile gifts to use for months down the road - be it Bdays, weddings or other holidays?
Sometimes. I don't have many to buy and I tend to buy ahead of time when I'm strapped for cash. I've already bought my dad's xmas present, and am working on mom's. DH is left to his own devices for his crazy family.
3. Do you use fancy wrapping paper for bday and other gifts, or just generic?
Depends on who it is, what it is for and who will actually look at the paper.
1. Do you buy birthday/sympathy/get well cards in large groups and then picck one out from your desk when you need it or do you trek out and get an individual card to suit your purpose for each occasion?
Buy as needed
2. Do you stockpile gifts to use for months down the road - be it Bdays, weddings or other holidays?
no, i never stockpile gifts, I buy whatever gift it is normally a day or two before, or up to a week or two before the event
3. Do you use fancy wrapping paper for bday and other gifts, or just generic?
i can't wrap worth a flip, so i normally use gift bags. If i have to wrap, i just use whatever i happen to find on sale. never been one to spend a ton of money just for something that is gonna be shredded and thrown away