The Cozy Chicks | Cozy Up To Some Killer Books

Wish List

(Yeah, yeah, you’re starting to see a theme with my blogs…)

My kids have yet to hand over their Christmas lists. They’re past the age of Dear Santa letters (sniff), but one or two do actually include the word “please” on their lists. They’re pretty predictable, though. Some sort of Sims game for Nintendo DS; Guitar Hero for Playstation 2, I-Tunes gift cards, Michael’s gift cards (I have an art fanatic) and clothes from the usual suspects: American Eagle, Abercrombie, Aeropostale–great gift places because we certainly don’t shop there year-round.

Usually, I don’t write out a list. I drop not-so-subtle hints, or send links directly to the item I want to my husband. This year I said to him, “I think I’ll have you get me a Fossil tote bag for Christmas.”

And he said, “You mean you’ll ask me to get you one.” Then he went on to say that maybe he actually had ideas of what to get me this year.

Hmmm. This throws a kink in my plans, doesn’t it?

So, I came up with a list just-in-case (I’m all for having a backup plan). The most practical, improbable gift on my wish list?

Hubcaps.

Yes, you read that right. Hubcaps. My car has lost the center plate on three of its hubcaps. Tacky, tacky, and tacky. It’s beyond time they’re replaced, but it’s one of those things that keeps getting put off. Sure, it’s not the most romantic gift, but hey, who cares? I’m really a practical girl at heart (the diamond earrings on my list excluded).

I definitely don’t expect to get all the presents on my list—one will do (I’m pretty easy to please). And of course, I’ll love anything he gets me, even if it’s not on my list, because he knows me so well that sometimes he has an idea of what I want even if I don’t spell it out for him. But in case he really doesn’t have any presents in mind (and was just messing with my head), my list will point him in the right direction.

My question to you this week is what’s the most practical gift on your list? In the spirit of giving, whoever has the best answer (I’ll be the judge) will get a signed copy of Trouble in Bloom, my latest Nina Quinn book, that you can either keep for yourself or have signed as a gift to someone else (contest runs all week, winner will be announced on next Friday’s blog).

Happy shopping on this Black Friday—hopefully the malls aren’t too crowded!

~heather

24 Responses to “Wish List”

I have no list. But if I did, practical would be er, money.

by laura on November 23rd, 2007 at 9:24 am
A KitchenAid Mixmaster 5-quart standing mixer. I’ve coveted one for years. I actually have my mother’s 1950-something version which still works, but it’s getting a little tired.

by Sheila Connolly on November 23rd, 2007 at 9:40 am
What difference does it make? Mr. Heather will be sticking Theo with more Elvis crap, anyway.

by Theo Epstein on November 23rd, 2007 at 10:21 am
New dog leash.

I’ve got an 84 pound lab who is murder on leashes, and while I’d really rather use a truck chain to walk her, I’ve gotta be practical. So a brand new leash, tested up for 280 lbs, is what I really want.

by Marissa on November 23rd, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Here’s the thing-I’m at a point in my life that I mostly just buy whatever I want during the year, so at Christmas and my birthday I get the little comforts like bath stuff and chocolate. But if people ASK me what I want I ask them to donate to Lydia’s House in my name or “give” me an adopt-a-wolf from the Wolf Sanctuary here in St. Louis.
Lydia’s House provodes housing, job support etc for women wishing to get out of an abusive relationship. They have whole apartment complexes where the women and thier children can stay for up to 3 years until they get on their feet again.
The Wolf Sanctuary is involved in breeding and reintroduction of the gray wolf, Mexican Wolf and a couple others back into the wild where they were at one time a vital part of the eco system.

by caryn on November 23rd, 2007 at 12:19 pm
I want all the episodes of Star Trek the Next Generation on DVD. This is not practical at all. I just want them, so there.

: )

by Lorraine Bartlett on November 23rd, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Do books count? I certainly don’t count them as a luxury. They’re a necessity!

by Tori Lennox on November 23rd, 2007 at 3:25 pm
Coffee…or I won’t make it ’til New Year’s!

by JB on November 23rd, 2007 at 4:15 pm
I desperately need a new Thesaurus. I’ve searched high & low all over the house for several weeks but can’t find hide nor hair of my old paperback Roget’s. Oh, & I need a new cheese slicer, too! Really. Old one broke. Sigh….

by Lynn in TX on November 24th, 2007 at 1:53 am
I want a crockpot it’s just time for one and when I’m writing I put something in the crockpot during the winter hours a lot. Other people call them slow cookers………LOL
Hugs,
Pamela

by Pamela on November 24th, 2007 at 3:04 am
Well, I’d say tires for the front of my car, but I bought them on Wednesday, so I’ll have to go with a new windshield. I got this car two and 1/2 years ago and had it exactly two months before a rock hit my windshield on a trip home from the mountains. Before I could get it to a glue guy to stop it from cracking, you guessed it. It cracked all the way across my car. So I’ve been meaning to get it done. So Merry Christmas to me.

The Kitchen Aide would be lovely, maybe in a colbalt blue? But totally impractical as I have no counter space in this rented apartment. A new house would be a dream come true, but not happening this year (unless there really is a Santa.) Books aren’t a luxury at all, well, maybe since they are so delightful.

by Lynn on November 24th, 2007 at 10:39 am
Lynn,

I love http://www.thesaurus.com - Use it all the time. You can save money on the reference book and buy yourself a nice mystery instead

by JB on November 24th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Oooh, these are going to be hard to choose from. So many fun ones… And I’m glad I’m not the only one with practical gift ideas!

Caryn, our scout troop used to wrap presents at B&N and donate the proceeds. Always made the girls feel great. ‘Tis the season to give.

Oh, and Lynn, I’m with JB–that site is excellent! I use it all the time, too. And dictionary.com too.

by heather on November 24th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Hmmm…well, my “day job” is a job many people have as a hobby, so some of the more practical things on my list, which would be for use with my job, might seem impractical to someone who had that job as a hobby. The height of luxury/practicality would be a wireless credit card accepting machine, but my business isn’t doing well enough to pay for it right now. Why not? Well, it could be all that time I spend reading and writing mysteries rather than making and photographing and selling beads!

by Laura Kramarsky on November 24th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
JB -

Every year, my parents give my husband a pound-of-coffee-a-month club from Peets Coffee for his birthday. It’s the best present he gets all year.

by Laura Kramarsky on November 24th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
Last Christmas I asked my Mom to knit a couple of red leg-warmers for our dog. He has arthritis. They turned out great! This year I am going to ask for a set of green ones, so he can mix and match.

by Thea on November 24th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
Oh! I totally forgot about my own practical X-mas gift this year, I am getting a crown. Next to another crown, that only took about a year to stop hurting. I had already completely blocked that one out. Ugh. But on the upside, I’m sure my dentist’s kids will have a great Xmas!

by Thea on November 24th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
Curtains. If I can make up my mind as to what I want!
See, my living room has 6 windows AND a sliding glass door so it gets pretty pricey. My parents gave me curtains when we first moved in, 8 years ago. I took them down 6 months ago so now it feels like we’re living in a fish bowl.

Oh, and another thing…..I was at BJ’s yesterday and saw Rachael Ray’s new set of pots and pans in cobalt blue or bright orange. ooooohhhhhh……….

by debbie on November 25th, 2007 at 8:16 am
The best gift I could receive this year would be a comfy yet stylish pair of casual shoes. Ones that were made for walking block after city block without causing blisters or discomfort and that are NOT sneakers. They have to work with skirts, pants AND jeans. Having just moved to Seattle, and having sold my car, I walk everywhere. While sneakers are practical they are not city chic and they really don’t work with my favorite skirt or my favorite pair of pants. Oh, and they need to be suitable for all sorts of icky weather, so suede is definitely out.

by Amy D on November 25th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Chainsaw. Stocking stuffers? A couple packets of that fuel mix stuff.

Sadly, I’m not kidding. We live out in the back of beyond, with plenty of trees (some even down already from last spring’s late ice storm) and two wood stoves. A small saw just doesn’t, well, cut it.

In a previous, far more urban life, I yearned for Prada and D&G just as all sensible people do; my dear husband’s idea of “practical” was Betsey Johnson cologne. Fendi. Manolo. *sigh*

Then there were the children. And the move. And the organic farm. And the new life in the 200 year old farmhouse (come to think of it, I could ask Santa for electricity in that one east room…or heat on the second floor! Oooo!)

I couldn’t be happier, really. I love it here, and I’m thankful every day. My daydreams and Christmas lists still feature chic name brands - just that now those names are Husqvarna and Stihl. Need a gift idea for an outdoor person? Get him/her the Fiskar shovel with the wide step - they’re awesome.

Oh, and Santa, don’t forget a new fuel can too, please!

by Karen on November 25th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
A press for cooking bacon or sandwiches.

by Jan on November 26th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
I haven’t started on my wish list yet for this year, but last year the most practical item on my list was a potato masher, which my family gave me. I love that potato masher. I can make mashed potatoes in no time, and never get out the hand mixer! And this lovely potato masher leaves just the right ratio of tiny lumpy bits to smoothly mashed potatoes!

by Sharon on November 27th, 2007 at 10:10 am
I would love one of those self-cleaning kitty litterboxes. We have two precious cats (Maggie and Sonny) who bring us much joy with their antics, but their commodes are another story. But before I ask Santa, I want to know–do those things really work?

I’ve tried housetraining them–silly me! Can you believe it? I swear, I could leave them outside to play all day and they would “hold it,” come inside and dash straight to their respective latrines. Like five acres of countryside is not a good enough litterbox for them? Last week my husband caught Sonny with his head inside the enclosed litterbox, doing his business on the floor! So he’s a little backwards and confused . . .

Anyway, a self-cleaning feline WC would make a practical gift, don’t you think? And while we’re on the subject, a gizmo that would automatically and effortlessly remove cat hair from everything in the house would be dreamy, too.

by Krista of Pleiades on November 29th, 2007 at 12:58 am
My most practical gift would be to just be happy and have a normal Christmas…which seems like everyone’s having but me. Otherwise, Peace on Earth, no more Wars, and Everyone be Happy, as well. I guess that last line isn’t so practical. Merry Christmas Everyone and Happy New Year.
God Bless Everyone,
Teresa Bryant

by Teresa Bryant on November 29th, 2007 at 1:55 pm

Wish List

24 Responses to “Wish List”

Leave a Reply