'Twas the Night Before Christmas...'

And so goes the beginning of the all-time classic A Christmas Carol. And my Christmas Eve blog post. Which will sound nothing like a classic Christmas story.

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We went to SM Bicutan after lunch to do our yearly last-minute Christmas shopping. Very harassed we were. But we've developed tactics that would reduce the stress of last-minute shopping over the many years we've been doing it. Here are some of them:

1) List down everything you need to buy
2) Bring a lot of family members with you (so one could be in-charge of pushing the cart, one for getting the stuff needed, one who would fall in line while the others go around and get the things you'lll be needing, etc.)
3) Establish a "system" within your family. Think of it as a team thing. Work as a team. Do codes; strategize even.
4) Call SM and all the other shops you're going to beforehand to reserve certain in-demand items you'll be needing to buy and they'll be ready for payment and pick up when you finally get there
5) Wear comfortable shoes/sandals/slippers (for easy walking and standing around)

Since we're experts in the field, we finished shopping in record-breaking time. We only took under two hours to get through it all (and that includes falling in line ha). Our game plan worked. Hehehe... we even had time to go to the parlor for a haircut.

Hmm...now I kinda get how I've become 'Crammer Extraordinaire'.

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I love giving gifts. It's just great when you know you've picked out a gift the person you'll be giving it to will really like. I'm kinda looking forward to making my own money if only for that. I especially like giving gifts to kids. Ang saya nila maging masaya e.

I've made a mental note of what I'd be giving certain people if I had the resources. Here are a few of them:

- this certain book that Joey likes. and Care Bears stuff too.
- a trip to Europe for my tita
- real Havianas for my sister Joanne
- an Illlustrated, hardbound copy of the Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons for UL
- a date for Letti (well, resources is a very broad term, hehehe)
- half of what Tonette and Leo needs for their thesis
- original DVDs of all the seasons of FRIENDS for Maggie (and myself na ren)
- P5000 concert tickets to Backstreet Boys live in Manila for Des
- a cool camping hammock for Ish
- an eat-all-you-can treat for Jaymie. and for Den na ren.
- more sleep and rest for Dana (hyper ang internship ninyo, Doc)
- the first, nice, purple thing I see for Tel
- a set of new clothes for Jeffrey (the CDC kid)
- books for Boyong (another CDC kid)
- a guy flick lit for my commhead
- something sweet for baby Neo
- something on the mushy side for Beans, like a collection of love poems or something (hahaha! peace tayo!)
- and that Nike shoes that I told Laurie I would buy her when I make my first million

Hehe, I am actually enjoying this. :D There will come a time na mabibigay ko sa mga tao ang gusto talaga nila! That would be fun... :D