The Year For Rubbermaid.....

Each year, my sisters and I begin our yearly discussion regarding the Christmas lists of each of our children.  Jennifer's boys are the oldest, so they usually want things that the others haven't even thought of yet.  Pam's two kiddos and my girls are a little closer in age, so they often have some of the same interests.  Regardless of their ages, there's one thing they all have in common......their maturing and growing interests.  Long gone are the days of cartoon action figures, push-n-play toys, etc.  Not only have their interests matured, but the amount of money required to fulfill their lists has increased, as well.  Honestly, I guess that's true for all of us.  As I think back to the Christmases of our childhood, Jennifer, Pam, and I have definitely experienced the maturing of our lists, as well! 

A few years ago, the adults in our family decided to begin the ritualistic "drawing of the names" approach at Christmas.  As always, we gave the children a variety of gifts; however, among ourselves, we each drew a name and then purchased something for that person within the parameters of a $50 spending limit.  Interestingly enough, the older we've gotten, the more difficult gift giving has become.  So, this past year, we added the stipulation that each person must compose a 3 item Christmas wish list.  Undoubtedly, this requirement was extremely helpful! 

Probably the most entertaining part of the process was perusing each list.  For David, Brad, and my dad, their lists included a variety of "guy" things.....flashlights, random tools, books, movies, etc.  There was nothing too out of the ordinary.  However, us girls were a bit more creative (if that's what you want to call it!)  Jennifer pined for a specific type of bike rack for her vehicle.  Pam longed for the perfect set of stem-less wine glasses.  Surprisingly, our mother was itching for an iPod.  As for me, I had my sights set high.  (Drum roll please...)  I asked for the ultimate food storage experience..........the Rubbermaid Premier  20 pc. storage set featuring "Flex & Seal" lids and Tritan plastic- designed to resist stains and odors!  ***Cue the alleluia chorus here.***

Yes, as boring as it may sound, that set of modern-day Tupperware completely made my holiday!  My brother-in-law, Brad, came through for me (with a little help from Pam, I'm sure.)  Woo hoo!  As I opened the package, all I could think of was how organized and efficient I was going to feel by being able to use plastic containers that actually had matching lids!  And let's not forget about that awesome stain-resistance technology!  What an added bonus!  I couldn't wait to get home and generate some left-overs so I could test the many outstanding qualities of this fine, elite set of containers.

So now that Christmas is here, we're faced again with what items to put on our wish lists. No doubt they'll differ considerably from what they may have looked like 10-15 years ago. I'm sure there will be a voice in each of us urging us to ask for something totally frivolous.  However, I'm not sure what it is, but something will prevent any of us from wandering too far from sensible.  As always, I'll be interested to see what the others come up with.  As for me, I'm currently leaning towards the super absorbent "Smart Mop", the Betty Crocker Non-stick Oven Liner,  or possibly a few new kitchen towels.  Decisions......decisions.......decisions!