my favorite gifts to buy? For Buffistas.

OH! That reminds me that I really loved the idea of the lists of Buffista preferences that Deena used to (still does?) keep. Like, favorite colors and scents and what not. I always thought something like that would be good for my family to have. So I could indicate, say, that I love nice lotions but I am sensitive to floral scents. or whatever.

I'm dealing with this right now, since my birthday is next week.

ME TOO!

When??

8/26! I'll be 40!

good call. I should add some stuff to that list, come to think of it. Also, wish my brother kept up a Wish List...not even for me to duplicate exactly, just so I know things like "He's over rap," or something.

8/26! I'll be 40!

Heh-- 8/25 and I'll be 41

I am a big believer in wedding and baby registries. Especially for babies. Because there really is a ton of stuff most people having babies NEED and it's especially helpful for people who don't have kids or haven't had any recently.

I see those regristies the same way I see my family's occasional custom of "chip in and get me X" -- setting up a new house or nursrey as community effort is sort of beautiful. And its a much more effective community effort if there is some organization.

Heh-- 8/25 and I'll be 41

Sweet! I'm a leeetle freaked out about the big zero-year birthday but mostly I'm okay with it. We'll see how I am come next week! My friends are throwing a big party, casual cookout style, which is my favorite way to celebrate. But I think a bunch of my family is coming down for it. Chicago boyfriend will be there and I think that's even more of a draw then me turning 40!

I have a standard "bring me back from foreign" list, and I forgot it's probably too pricey for her. And bulky.

And hard to get through Customs.

I think a list is helpful as long as it is, well, more of a guideline than a rule. It helps one know what NOT to get, to avoid stuff like buying a friend Georgette Heyers because she loves them, but ending up getting her ones she already had, which happend with my BFF's 50th and made a carefully chosen gift way less exciting than it could have been.

It also helps you see patterns, like someone having an interest in a new genre of music or something. Seeing someone wants a humidor and cuban cigars means I don't have to get them either, but I that I can have fun looking at fancy ashtrays, for example. If the listmaker expects ONLY things on the list, then I might feel like a personal shopper. However, if I can use the list to help me please them, then Yahoo!

Honestly, I'm a little insulted by some of the attitudes towards the use of lists when buying gifts -- and I'm really am trying VERY hard to not be insulted, because I'm sure that's not the intent.

Dude! You asked! Like I said, I'm not offended or insulted by the lists. You set a premium on making sure the other person gets the thing they would most want. From my perspective, that's like going to a miniature golf course and walking the ball over and dropping it into the hole. I enjoy the process. I don't always get a hole in one. That's okay with me. It's okay with me if the person giving me a gift doesn't get the exactly perfect gift for me either. We're both just putting the ball at the windmill and maybe it goes through and maybe it doesn't.

I have failed to get my MiL cool gifts on most Christmases. But once I did find a cool OOP hardback with rare illustrations that I thought was a good match for her.