December 19, 2023 • 44 mins
Ever found yourself panic-stricken amidst the holiday chaos, with a grocery list as long as Santa's delivery route and a gift list that seems to be written in hieroglyphics? Welcome to the club! This episode is all about the mad dash of the festive season, from braving the grocery store madness to cracking the enigma of gift-giving.
Journey with me through the ups and downs of meal planning, as I unveil my newfound love for cream of wheat. Sure, my daughter Ro is an oatmeal devotee, but hey, to each her own! Together, we're making breakfast wholesome and exciting, even with a pantry that seems emptier than Scrooge's heart. Christmas is all about traditions, right? Our family has an unusual one - we make stockings the star of the show! Listen as I take you through my methodical approach to filling stockings with self-care items and essentials, and how it adds a spark of joy to our Christmas morning.
However, gift-giving isn't always all fun and games. It's a dance between delight and despair, especially when it comes to children's gifts. Ro, my little firecracker, has the most unique wish-lists. From a projector flashlight to a robot dog, her requests never fail to surprise us! But amidst the wild roller coaster of gift shopping, we're focusing on the heart of the matter - the thought behind the gift. Finding the perfect gift is like hitting the jackpot, but for me, it's all about being intentional. So buckle up, my fellow holiday warriors, as we navigate the emotional turmoil of holiday shopping, and discover the joy in simplicity and gratefulness.
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- Grace
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hey cuties, welcome back to day seven of PODMS.
I need a sip of water because Ijust downed a pack of almonds.
I was like I got to eatsomething before I record we
have literally like we have nolike eatable groceries in our
(00:27):
house, like I guess we haveingredients, but then, even that
being said, we have like no,the only fruit we have right now
are little oranges cuties youknow cuties and limes.
Every morning, rose like I'mhungry and I try to make her a
snack plate with like thenothing that we have today.
It was just toast and cheeseand she was over it.
(00:49):
She was like I want somethingelse.
But I didn't peel her an orangebecause the past couple of days
she hasn't been eating it.
I just think she's over theoranges.
So I was like do you wantorange?
She's like no, I was like alime I don't even have.
I do have one can of fruit, butthat's for something special,
so I couldn't let her have that.
So, anyways, I need to gogrocery shopping.
(01:11):
Long story short, because we dohave some meats in our freezer
but that would have to take themout and thaw them and cook them
.
But we don't have the.
We have a bag of big carrots.
That's the only vegetable wehave, and we have super freezer
burnt mixed veg, which I didmake last night and yes, they
are very, very freezer burnt,but I still ate them.
(01:32):
I still ate them.
But anyways, long story short iswe're getting closer to
Christmas and the grocery storeis terrifying this time of year
and I find it very overwhelmingto have to think about what I
need for Christmas weekend.
You know what I mean.
Like well, because theChristmas on a weekend this time
, but it's like it's three, atleast two days where everything
(01:53):
is closed.
So I need to know what I'mgoing to have.
But I don't really want to goshopping, like on Christmas Eve,
especially this year.
My brother and mom are comingover, so it's like, okay, I need
to have all the food I want,for then we need the food we
need for Christmas day, the foodwe need for boxing day and then
also the food leading up tothat, because I'm not going
grocery shopping right beforethen.
Like I need to go groceryshopping today.
(02:14):
Today is the day I need to go aweek till Christmas.
Today is a week till Christmas.
Yes, I'm going to go groceryshopping today and I just need
to get the stuff.
But then now, thinking about,I'm like maybe I don't need to
go today because I don't want togo at the end of the day.
I should go tomorrow firstthing, before I drop off row,
because tomorrow was also herlast day of school before her
holidays.
So, yeah, okay, deal, we'regoing Tuesday first thing in the
(02:37):
morning, as soon as it opens,and we're going to get
everything.
So I need to make a list forthat of what I need.
But yes, anyways, that wholepoint of me telling you that was
that I chugged or I chomped ona bag of a sachet of roast
toasted almonds so that I couldhave some sustenance in my life.
And we're having, I'm prettysure, movie, movie, popcorn
(03:01):
dinner tonight, woohoo.
So yeah, where'd my voice justgo?
So, yeah, that's my, that's mysatiation, satiation, Satiation,
satiation, whatever you do whatI'm trying to say.
So we all know that I've beenobsessed with cream of wheat and
so I'm on my second box of theinstant cream of wheat.
(03:22):
I'm like obsessed with instantcream of wheat because I can
just make like an individualportion just for me, because I'm
really the only person who'seating it in my house.
Someone had messaged me.
They sent me a DM being likeyou have to have cream of wheat
how you like it.
You take the cream of wheat,because I like it cream of wheat
, brown sugar cream but then youmake a buttery piece of toast
(03:43):
and you dip the toast and thecream of wheat and at first I
was like okay, I saw lots ofcomments on my TikTok of people
saying that you did that way andI was like I don't really think
that's for me.
And then someone DMed me and Iwas like I'm going to try.
And so the first time I triedit, the first bite, I was like I
don't know if that was for me.
And then I started eating witha spoon and I was like I'll try
another dip.
And now I'm literally obsessed.
(04:03):
It's my comfort food.
Every morning I get so excitedto wake up.
We've been doing cuddlemornings where me and Ro have
breakfast in bed, when we wakeup and watch shows, and it's
been like the highlight of mymornings.
It's like really just the timeof year, like I feel like we're
embracing as the days become thedarkest they're going to be,
(04:23):
and it's been so, so, so lovely.
So, anyways, every morning Iwake up, I make her a snack
plate and I make myself my creamof wheat and my piece of toast,
and I'm put a sprinkle of salton my piece of toast as well
because I'm using unsaltedbutter at the moment the block
that I opened and it's so goodand you just dip it in your
brown sugar cream, cream ofwheat, and it's literally a warm
(04:46):
hug.
Like I'm actually obsessed.
I get so excited for bedtime toknow that I get to wake up and
have it in the morning.
I just love it.
So thank you for everyone whotold me to have it that way and
for the one person who DM'd meabout it.
You pushed me to try it andit's actually the most
comforting thing in the world.
I'm obsessed.
I'm like bro, this morningdipped.
She doesn't like cream of wheat,like, so far she hasn't enjoyed
(05:08):
it.
I always offer if she wants,but so far she's like no, she's
an oatmeal girl, like a classicoatmeal.
She doesn't like steel cut, shedoesn't like cream of wheat,
she likes classic oatmeal.
That's the texture she likes.
But even this morning she waslike why are you dipping that?
I was like Queen Bee, I've beendipping it all week and I'm
obsessed.
And she was like, okay, maybeI'll try a little bit.
So she tried a little bit offmy spoon, like she had a little
(05:28):
bit of cream of wheat and thenshe had her piece of toast and
she was like you know what, it'skind of good and I was like
mm-hmm.
So I think soon she's going tobe asking me to make her that
it's so good, like literally sogood.
Anyways, today for Podmas, weare talking all about gift
giving around the holidays.
I feel like it is people's lovelanguage is gift giving and I
(05:53):
don't know like I feel like giftgiving is like maybe one of my
love languages.
I didn't think it was, but Ithink it might be in certain
contexts, because other times Ifeel really overwhelmed by it.
So I really don't think it is.
But like I can find joy in giftgiving.
But also, on the other end ofthe stick, I can find gift
giving so overwhelming.
Receiving gifts, I feel likeI'm like the worst at receiving
gifts because sometimes I justlike see it as clutter that
(06:19):
sounds so bad.
But like sometimes I open agift and it makes me feel really
overwhelmed, like oh gosh.
Or when you get home, like theday after Christmas, when
everything is just sittingaround everywhere and it's like
I have to find places for this.
It's just overwhelming.
And then also, I find sometimesgift giving overwhelming, like
I just don't like buying giftswhen I have no idea of what to
(06:41):
give the person.
So I actually did a really goodjob this year for the people in
my life who I typically buygifts for.
I'm making a list as I go Likeeven last year this time of year
, I was like Trevor, write downa reminder in our calendar to
remind me to buy this for thisperson and this and that, and it
actually was great.
And then Trevor had thatreminder come up like at some
(07:02):
point a couple weeks ago and Ijust went out and was like oh
yeah, perfect, and I boughtwhatever I needed to do and it
was amazing.
So that way, I'm like notoverwhelmed this year.
I'm really glad about that.
So, anyways, I just want totalk about about gift giving and
shopping around the holidaysand like this is all my opinion,
my feelings.
It's different for everyone andI just want to want to talk
(07:23):
about it.
So, anyways, that's something Idid this year or last year was
support myself this year inwriting things down.
I know people who collect giftsas the year go on.
I can't do that.
I wish I could, but I can't.
I'm just not that organized Inthe moment.
I'm like, oh yeah, this personwould love it.
And then if I buy it, I justwant to give it to them right
then.
(07:43):
Or if I'm not going to give itto them right then, then I'm
like, meh, meh, if I think aboutit again, then I'll think about
it again.
So when it's been somethingwhere it's like, oh, I really
think they'd like that, I justwrote it down, put a calendar
notification on it and that'smade all the difference.
And then also, my favorite partof Christmas is the stockings.
I love the stocking for myselfand I love the stocking to
(08:06):
purchase for other people and Ifeel like that's a common
experience.
I also feel like the stockingis just filled with really
wonderful things that areessentials almost, and I am not
against essential giving.
I love essential gifts.
I love socks, I love underwear,toothpaste, all the like.
(08:27):
For Trevor, he's such a spa boy.
He loves to treat himself togood self-care and I love that
about him, and I also lovefilling his stocking full of all
that really good self-care thathe wouldn't necessarily buy for
himself on the day to day.
So that's so fun for me andalso it's something I wish I did
for myself.
(08:48):
I don't, I'm not that person,I'm not a product cutie.
I will like never do the athome face masks or special
serums or stuff like that.
I just like won't, even if Itry to invest in it, I just
won't do it.
But Trevor, I know that he willappreciate that and love that,
and so it's like something funthat I get to buy.
(09:08):
Like it's like, oh yeah, I getto buy all the fun little things
that go to Sephora and have agood time, but I know that he'll
love it also.
I'm trying to whisper because Idon't want him to hear, but
he's working in the basement sohe shouldn't better not listen
to this episode.
Although every year I alwaysnot I don't get him the same
thing, but I always do get likestuff and it's fun for me.
Another thing, excuse me.
(09:29):
Another thing is I just likethink that sometimes I don't
treat the stocking as like Ikind of treat the stocking as
the main event, and that'sprobably because, like as a
child, I always felt thestocking was the main event
because we were allowed to openour stocking before any of the
other gifts, like before ourparents woke up for the day, and
(09:51):
like I grew up in a house ofdivorced parents like my whole
life.
My parents got separated likepretty much before I was born,
and so our Christmas morningswere a little bit different.
I didn't grow up in a householdof divorced parents where you
like go back and forth topeople's houses, like spend a
few days at your mom's, a fewdays at your dad's, like that
wasn't the situation.
(10:12):
Our makeup was kind of like myparents were like they got
divorced but they were likestill really good friends.
They always my dad was alwaysthere for like family dinners.
Like my dad was the one whodrove my mom didn't drive, so if
we needed to ride places hewould drive us places.
Or my mom needs to go groceryshopping stuff, like that.
We went on family vacationstogether.
(10:32):
Like it was kind of different,very good co-parenting.
And so Christmas morningbasically worked like we would
wake up at my mom's house, whichwas our house.
We would wake up and then if mymom wasn't awake, then we could
open our stockings.
So me and my brother would openour stockings and then he would
usually like sink back into thebasement and use all the stuff
(10:53):
and I would call my.
I would tell my mom, like wakeup.
She'd be like, put the coffeeon.
And then I would call my dadand be like happy Christmas,
like time to come over.
And so then we would wait formy mom to get our little
breakfast spread together, whichwas super simple eats just like
croissants, coffee, that stuff.
And then my dad would head overand then, once my dad was there
and my mom was there, we wouldhave our Christmas morning where
(11:15):
we could open our actual giftsand like I don't remember if our
Christmas tree was ever likefilled to the brim with stuff,
like sometimes you see Christmastrees or, and it's just like so
many things.
Also, it was only me and mybrother and my mom, my dad.
We didn't have a lot of family,we didn't have a huge family,
(11:37):
so like that also wouldn't haveit.
But I'm saying this because Ifeel like a lot of the times,
when it comes to kids inChristmas, you feel like, oh, I
need to like get so much stuff.
So it's really that wow factorwhen they wake up like, oh, my
gosh, like Santa came.
Look at all this stuff, allthese presents to open, like
it's so fun, but like if we didhave that when we were younger I
(12:00):
don't remember it, so I don'tthen.
So for me I really don't thinkthat that's important to have to
do for row, because I don'tremember it.
It was, it's, that's not amemory in my mind of like, oh
wow, christmas morning, so muchstuff.
For me it's really about thatroutine that I just shared,
about getting to open ourstockings and then collecting of
(12:21):
the parents.
And then for my brother, healways, like my brother's such a
gamer, loves movies, stuff likethat.
So his gift was always likegame based.
So he really only ever got onething because he wanted a big
item, right, like it was alwaysabout in addition to his talking
.
It was always about likewhatever the new system was, the
new PlayStation or the newmovie set, like you know what I
(12:44):
mean.
And for me it was kind of likesimilar ish.
Sometimes I had big ticket items.
Like my favorite Christmas everwas the Christmas I got my
kitchen aid.
When I was in middle school mydad got me this apple green
kitchen aid which I had all theway up until literally two years
ago.
It put on me but it lasted solong and I'm so sad because it
was one of, like, those giftsthat I had for my dad.
(13:05):
But it's been replaced with adifferent kitchen aid and it's
okay.
But they don't make the applegreen anymore, so I couldn't
even get the exact same one, butI loved it.
It took me through like mywhole adolescence into adulthood
.
I took it all the way to Ottawawith me.
I had it at my mom's house atone point when we were at the
condo, because I just likedidn't have space for it.
So everyone's got to love anduse it and it was great.
(13:27):
It was great.
It was like one of my favoritethings.
But other than that, I feel likemy gifts always consisted of
like clothes and honestly, I'mlike trying to think of what
other specific things I wouldask for.
I feel like I'm like trying tothink of what other specific
things I would ask for.
My brother always knew exactlywhat he wanted and I was always
like and I feel like that's howI am still to this day it's like
(13:49):
because I'm very much someonelike if I want something, I'm
just going to buy it for myselfand I'm not going to wait for
like a special moment, and I trylike not to over consume,
especially now, but like theywere done as soon as I started
making my own money.
It was like, okay, like myfirst job well, I mean I babysat
(14:13):
and stuff like that but myfirst job was, like paycheck was
working at a candy store when Iwas in, I think, grade nine or
eight I'm trying to think when Istarted that it was either
grade eight or nine and Iremember I would get my paycheck
and I would be so excited tospend it on whatever the thing
was that I wanted.
And yeah, I love doing that andI'm still like that, if there's
something I want, I'm justgoing to go buy it.
And that's why I feel like,when it comes to gift giving,
(14:36):
I'm always like what do I want?
But anyways, for me it reallywhat it's really not important
to have, like a tree that's likepacked to the brim with so much
stuff.
And I'm happy that I have thatin my in my mind because it
makes it makes Christmas reallyless overwhelming.
(15:01):
And like, as I've gotten older,I've definitely always tried to
be thoughtful with my gifts,but like, as I've gotten older,
I even try to be more thoughtfulwith the gift, in the sense
that I used to always be like,oh OK, I want to get them this,
but then I feel like I need toadd on this and this little
little trinkets, little bits andbobs, little random things, and
it's like I don't even want therandom things anymore.
(15:22):
I try to just like not evenhave that.
Even the other day I was inSephora and they have so many
cute little gift sets and theyhave this like Locke's Locke Tan
Is that how you say it?
Loss of tan, locke tan, I don'tknow.
They like skincare and bodywash moisturizer brand.
They had the cutest littlecrackers, like Christmas
crackers.
It was a set of four Christmascrackers that had like to.
(15:44):
Each Christmas crack had liketwo little minis, so like a mini
hand moisturizer, a mini bodywash, mini body oil, whatever.
They each had two.
I thought they were so cute.
I was like that would be so cutejust to add to a gift.
And then I was like, no, grace,stop.
Like I almost bought it and Iwas like, and it was 30
something dollars, it was under$40, between 30 and $40.
(16:05):
And I was like for four people.
Like you split it up for fourpeople, each person.
If you had a cracker, I waslike that is so cute.
But then I was like, honestly,half the time I don't ever use
my minis.
Like it's just, I wouldn't haveeven bought this if I hadn't
seen it.
I wasn't even thinking that Ineeded to add something else
onto this gift.
It was just like unnecessary.
(16:27):
And I feel like for so long Iused to fall trap to that
unnecessary.
It's like, oh, I got to addthis on, like at this on, at
this on, and it's like no, no,no, no, no, no, no, no, we're
going, we're going bare boneshere, like, and I don't mean
we're not getting gifts, but Ijust mean like, let's step back,
let's step back, let's stepback and be really thoughtful
with something, and whetherthat's an experience or a thing,
(16:47):
and I really try to just likebe thoughtful with it.
And even I caught myself theother day I was buying Trevor's.
I feel weird talking aboutbuying Trevor's gifts before
Christmas out loud, but hedoesn't listen to the podcast
and he's not editing these ones.
Like, even when he producesmine, he just, like I, leave
gaps and he just has to fill inthe music.
So I think it should be fine.
(17:08):
But anyways, I was like inLululemon and he wanted new
underwear and I was like hereally wants good underwear and
he has this one brand that heloves but like I can't figure
out how to buy it.
I think it's only availableonline.
But then everyone, when I didthat underwear thing for women's
underwear I did a poll onInstagram.
Everyone said that a lot ofpeople had said that they love
(17:30):
Lululemon.
They were talking about girlsunderwear, but I figured, if
they like the girls underwear,it's probably similar for the
boys underwear and it's meantfor working out and stuff.
So I feel like boys underwearcan be like bunchy or whatever,
but like that way, if it's forworking out, it's going to be
good for movement and likekeeping you in place and
everything.
So anyways, I was just inLululemon and they have all
these packs of underwear for theguys.
(17:51):
You could get just oneunderwear.
You get three underwear, fiveunderwears and seven underwears
and I almost went for the sevenand then I was like wait, wait,
wait, let's think about this.
Like he already has someunderwear so he probably doesn't
need seven.
So I'll get the five becausethat's a good like every day,
five days a week, usually worksout and he'll have five nice
underwears and if he likes it,then I know that I can buy him
(18:12):
more later or it can become hisstaple underwear or whatever.
But like, even that was whereone of those moments where I
caught myself like I don't needto get the most I can.
I can meet somewhere in themiddle, and so that's just
something that I'm really takingthis year, which is why I'm so
glad that I was so thoughtfulwith myself over the year of
like really listening to whatpeople were saying they need it,
(18:35):
or just like in the moment,thinking I always buy people
what I want, like not in a badway, but like I do.
If I feel like a lot of thetime, if it's something that,
like, I've wanted to always,like, oh, I really wanted that,
but then it's like I alreadyhave something similar to it,
then I get that for somebodyelse and I'm like I feel like
they'll love it if I know thatthey like stuff that I like.
So this year I was like I'mreally going to focus on like
(18:58):
what brings either experience,comfort, necessity or something
I know specifically that they'veasked for and I just feel
really good about that.
And so for Ro.
I feel like every year she asksfor it.
Well, this is her second yearreally asking for something.
She always asks for somethingso random and I'm like last year
it was a flashlight and I waslike, ok, I got to get her the
(19:19):
coolest flashlight.
So I did, I got her this reallycool projector flashlight that
could also double as anightlight, because at that time
she really wanted like anightlight.
It was actually so cool, didlike story times.
It had these little like youknow that thing that you wore as
a kid that you could like lookWell, you didn't wear it, but
you held it up to your face andto the light and you put
(19:41):
different cartridges in it andyou could like click through the
pictures.
It almost looked like aPolaroid camera and it would
like show different photos.
It was like that, but itprojected different stories and
you like turned it and each pagewas a different story and or
each page was a different.
Each turn, each cartridge wasone story and each turn was a
different page of the story.
What is my voice today?
(20:02):
I think my throat saying, grace, you've been podcasting too
much recently, but anyway.
So I loved that and we loved itand we loved it for like
probably six months of the year.
It was amazing.
And then she was over it and Ifeel like that's how most things
are for her, like she's so intosomething and then she's over
(20:23):
it.
I thought like we really didthat like every night it was,
and it brought the whole familytogether.
Me, trevor Ro, we've read thesestories.
They would be broadcasted.
I mean, it wasn't likeextravagantly expensive.
I think it was like maybe $30,which for a flashlight, yes, but
it was more than just oneflashlight or one did one
function.
But this year she really wants arobot dog, and so I saw one the
(20:46):
other day when I was with herat Winner's and I was like at
first I was like what the heckis a robot dog and where did you
get this from?
And then I saw the other daywhen I was at Winner's with her
I didn't even know Winner's hadtoys but I couldn't buy it
because I was with her and I'mnot going to go back to Winner's
just because, like, I don'tneed to go back to Winner's and
it's one of those places where,if you go to it, you might buy
the stuff that you don't need orwant.
So I was like, okay, at least Iknow she was excited about that
(21:10):
.
So I was like, okay, at least Ikind of understand what she
wants.
And then today I was like, okay, I need to go to like Toys R Us
or something and see if I canfind a robot dog similar to that
.
But then I was like you knowwhat?
I could probably find a robotdog at Value Village.
I love thrifting row gifts,especially at this age, because,
like it doesn't really matterto her if it's secondhand or not
.
I have nothing againstsecondhand.
(21:32):
I love thrifting.
I thrift so much stuff all thetime.
But I do feel for gifts likeespecially for Ro, as she gets
older, she's gonna wantsomething new that's hers, just
for her.
Like I know, I know I lived theexperience, I was there, I
wanted that too.
I feel like the Hammy dance andstuff like it's like I don't
want that.
I want the new thing for mybirthday, for Christmas,
(21:54):
whatever, which is totally fair.
But at this moment in time, likeshe loves a good thrift present
, she loves the thrift toyshelves and stuff like that.
So I'm gonna embrace it and gosee if Value Village has a robot
dog, because I just feel likethey will.
I just feel like they will, andI honestly don't think it's
gonna be a toy that she wants toplay with every day.
I think it's gonna be like, Ithink it's gonna be short-lived.
(22:15):
Maybe it won't be, maybe itwon't be, but I really think
it's gonna be short-lived Causethere's not much to it.
So then, but I gotta get herwhat she wants, right?
So that's gonna be like hergift and like really we only
usually do one main gift for her, because one I am a stalking
queen.
I will fill her stalking and wedo like stalking chairs in my
family.
Just, it's not just things inthe stalking, it's like a chair.
(22:36):
We've always done a chair, andso everyone gets a chair and
then everything's kind of likepiled onto the chair.
I also love the fact that youdon't have to wrap it,
everything's like piled onto thechair and yeah.
So I've been collecting bitsand bobs for her stalking.
I'm excited for it.
I love doing the stalkings, butyeah, anyways.
So that's Ro, and like yearspast last year we got the
(22:57):
flashlight and the year beforethat I got her a kitchen.
I wanted to get her a kitchen.
I knew I wanted to get herkitchen for her first Christmas.
I told everyone I was like I'mgetting Ro kitchen.
Everyone was like Grace, that'ssilly, don't do that.
It's her first Christmas.
This queen uses this kitchenfrom day one to day whatever.
Now it is Three Christmaseslater.
She loves that kitchen so muchand it has been such a great toy
(23:19):
.
So like, if there's somethingyou wanna get your kid, do it.
Don't let other people tell youwhat the Christmas should be
like.
But anyways, I just feel likeit's very easy around the
holidays to feel like me andTrevor did no Christmas presents
.
I think we did Christmaspresents our first Christmas and
then afterwards we kind of juststopped doing them until now,
(23:41):
like we always did stalkings.
Even now I feel like we reallyjust do stalkings unless there's
something like specific thatwe've been wanting, then of
course we get it for each other.
But if we can't think ofsomething specific, we try not
to just like get things to getthings, and so I just feel like
there's a lot of emotionalturmoil around the holidays,
like you can have that.
You can go into the mindset ofbeing like we're not doing gifts
(24:03):
, I'm not doing gifts, no gifts.
And then all of a sudden theweek before you're like, I just
feel like I'm full of all theseconfusing emotions, like I am
ready to celebrate the holidays.
I feel like that's me too.
Like the week before Christmasit's like, oh yeah, it's
Christmas, christmas, Christmas,christmas.
And then all of a sudden it'slike, okay, I gotta go to the
stores, I gotta buy stuff.
Like I wanna get people's stuff, even though I said I'm not
doing gifts.
Now it's like, oh my gosh, I'mfilled with joy and happiness
(24:26):
and I wanna reflect that withthings.
And then, or sometimes, it'slike, oh, I feel guilt.
Like this person got mesomething, I wanna get them
something, blah, blah, blah,blah, blah.
All this stuff where it's likeI just wanna remind myself and
then remind you if this is howyou feel, that like it's so easy
to like emotionally shop.
I feel like a lot of the times,when you're not aware of it, you
don't realize that like I feellike a lot of shopping is just
(24:49):
emotional.
Even grocery shopping can beemotional.
Like that's why I love Farm Boy, because they only have the
basics, like they only havepretty much ingredients, they
only have food.
They don't have any like bitsand bobs, they only have a
couple options of everything,ifs that sometimes they only
have one option.
They don't have like huge binsof sale things and whatever.
(25:12):
And then you feel like you'reinclined to purchase more, like
whenever I shopped at biggergrocery stores.
Yes, it's kind of inconvenientif you need laundry detergent,
but I love going to CanadianTire for that anyways, like you
know, farm Boy and Canadian Tireare like my favorite two stops
in that sense.
But if it's all one stop shopand gone, then I always go to
Walmart but then I end up buyingmore stuff because there's
(25:33):
clothing and there's pharmacyand there's toys and there's
whatever, like I just feel likeI always buy more than I need
when I go there, especially ifI'm in like an emotional
shopping mood.
So I feel like emotionalshopping is like a scary thing
because the high feels good.
But then, even just when youcome home from the store
sometimes you feel like, oh man,I wish I didn't do that.
(25:55):
But then it might not even beright away, it might be the next
day or a week later.
You're like, oh, I said Iwasn't gonna do that, I said I
wasn't gonna spend money on that.
I said I wasn't, I said I wassaving, I said I wasn't getting
gifts and then you just feellike, oh, it kind of takes the
fun out of it, right.
So that's why this year I waslike trying to be really
thoughtful, like spend the wholeyear thinking about what I was
(26:16):
gonna do and what I was gonnaget and just be really
thoughtful about it.
And even I'm so proud of myself.
I told you a bit already aboutlike how I'm not, how I like
stop myself from buyingunnecessary things, but like,
even in the moment, I feel likeI'm doing a really good job of
being like do I really need this?
Do I really need?
And then, because I started alittle bit early this year I've
always been like a week beforeChristmas shopper Oopsies, but
(26:38):
because I started a little bitearlier this year, I feel like I
have a week to think about it.
It's like okay, like I'm stillthinking about this in a week
then I'll go back and get it.
If it's not there, it's notmeant to be.
If it's there, then great.
So I just feel like really goodabout that.
I'm trying to take the likeemotional high, the dopamine,
out of shopping because it canbe dangerous.
(26:58):
And so I think, when I amfeeling this year like I was
like, oh, when Roke gets older,are we gonna start putting more
things under the tree?
But I think I'm still feelinglike less is more and I always
love spending our money onexperiences and I think this
year, especially since we travel, like travel is something so
(27:19):
important.
I think it's so important tolike me, and especially now that
we have gone and traveled as afamily.
As a family, it's something soimportant.
Not that we're gifting eachother travel this Christmas.
We are not, because we have alot of forced travel coming up
Not in a bad way.
I'm actually so grateful andlike I'm so excited, but we have
a year full of stuff, that is,other people like lots of
(27:40):
weddings and stuff going on thataren't gonna be local.
So I am so grateful for that.
But it's one of those thingswhere it's like I wanna save my
money for those types ofexperiences and being able to go
and have weekends away or beable to say yes to when someone
(28:02):
has a destination wedding,things like that.
It's like I wanna save ourmoney for those types of things.
And I know like, also, rosebirthday is close to Christmas.
It's not super close.
This should not be thebeginning of the year, so it's
one of those things where it'slike I know her birthday is
gonna be here so soon she'sgonna want I know this year for
sure she wants a birthday party.
So she's gonna want a birthdayparty, like a birthday party
(28:23):
with friends, which we haven'tgiven her yet.
So it's like I know she's gonnawanna do something like that.
So it's like let's save ourmoney for those experiences
instead of just filling thehouse with stuff.
And also, when you have kids, Ifeel like everyone always wants
to get them stuff like friends,family, and so that's already
sometimes overwhelming.
So it's like I really don'tneed to be held accountable to
(28:44):
getting her gifts because I'mgonna get the one robot dog she
asked for and I kind of likethat.
And I also love to be able toget her things throughout the
year, like if she wants a squish, be able to stop by Dollarama
and let her to pick out a squishor go for donuts after school
one day.
Like I like doing things likethat, I like the year round
stuff and I feel like that's howI had it when I was growing up,
(29:06):
like there was never reallysomething that I wanted, that I
didn't get to have.
But I also feel like that mademe not want lots I don't know
how to explain it, but like Ifeel like there wasn't.
I wasn't like wanting excessiveamount of things or like being
like kind of unrealistic with mywants, especially because I
(29:26):
knew that I could work and makemoney and get things that I
wanted, but like yeah, so I kindof like that balance.
I like the less pressure on theholidays and I've always been
like that.
I feel like it feelsoverwhelming, and so something
I'm doing to really like helpwith that overwhelm is, now that
it's the week before Christmas,I talk about decluttering all
the time.
(29:46):
Cute, I literally amdecluttering all the time.
I feel like no matter how muchI get rid of, there's more stuff
to get rid of.
So I'm really really, reallytrying to every day spend 10
minutes decluttering a space inour house.
I also think because of Ro justgrowing all the time it's like
I gotta get rid of her clothes,not just keep it.
That's what overwhelms me withlaundry, when I fold things
where I'm like I know thisdoesn't fit her.
(30:07):
It's like just donate it, stopkeeping it.
So, anyways, I am just trying tobe really thoughtful with
decluttering so that that dayafter Christmas, no matter how
much I try to not over getthings, you always end up with
stuff from people here or thereor whatever hostess gives.
And I'm just trying to makesure that, like, I feel the
(30:28):
least amount of overwhelm andthat I have space to put the
things that are coming in andthat I let go of the things that
serve me no longer.
So, yeah, I just feel like thisis what I'm feeling around gift
giving and I'm grateful aboutit because I feel a lot of peace
there where, like even lastyear, I felt like the week
(30:49):
before Christmas I had thatpressure like just get the
things, buy random things here,there, whatever, even food, like
for stockings.
It's like I'm not a huge, Ilike candy, I like chocolate in
some sense or the other, butlike I like it when I want it,
so like then I'll go buy it, butlike other than that, it's like
(31:10):
I just want my terries,chocolate, orange and I'm good,
and so I'm trying to like noteven buy, like excessive things
like that, like random thingslike fillers.
Right, I'm being thoughtful,even with the stockings, I'm
being super duper thoughtful.
So I think once you put thoughtinto things, it adds meaning,
(31:31):
obviously, and it does take offpressure to just like more and
more and more.
And I don't want to wrap thepresents either.
That being said, I don't evenhave wrapping paper, so
hopefully this.
But I think that the robot dogis probably not something you
wrap.
You would stick it in a bag.
So we're good, we're groovy,good.
(31:53):
Oh, I actually just remembered Ineed to get our gag gift.
I would call it a gag gift.
We always do a secret Santa andI need to get that gift.
I always forget Trevor's alwaysprepared.
He like thinks about itliterally the day after
Christmas.
He's like oh, I know I'mgetting next year for the gag
gift and I'm like, ah, I need todo that, but I just want to be
(32:15):
Less.
Less is more.
That's really where I'm at inmy life Less is more, which
means that I need to spend lesstime online and absorbing and in
stores, and absorbing that likemore, like.
I feel like every time I walkinto a store, I really rarely go
to the mall.
I went to the mall recently andit's like oh my gosh, I didn't
(32:36):
even know all these thingsexisted.
And then it's like I wouldliterally never thought of any
of this stuff if I didn't walkinto the store.
So it's like being balanced andalso knowing, like, what mood
you're in.
Like, if all of a sudden I'm ina shopping mood, don't go
shopping, don't go shopping, dosomething else, go for a walk,
do something else, clean, getrid of.
I feel like that's a good thing.
(32:57):
Cleaning.
If you're in a shopping mood,which means that I feel
energized, it's like okay,instead of doing the shopping
right away, it's like clean outthe front hall closet.
I still haven't done that, butstill need to.
It's like clean out the fronthall closet and then, if you
have the energy to go shoppingor you have the urge because
you've just been like, bombardit with everything that you
didn't need in your life.
Right now that you've gottenrid of, I feel like that's a
(33:18):
good thing, that it's like ohwait, I don't actually need any
of that stuff.
So, yeah, how are you feelingthis year about gift giving?
Do you love it?
Like, do you love this time ofyear?
Is this just like your lovelanguage to a T?
Do you feel overwhelmed?
Do you feel like things justbecome so much and I really
(33:39):
wanna.
Where do you find the balancein creating kids who are
grateful, because I do feel likesometimes it does feel
overwhelming, like to have yourkid have to unwrap gifts in
front of other people and youwanna make sure that they
understand and it's not likejust going to the next thing,
(34:01):
the next thing, which is alsowhy it's like I want it to be
something that they want andsomething thoughtful, because
otherwise it's just like okay,what else, what else?
What else, what else?
Yeah, it's a fine balance, buthow are you feeling Like?
I'd love for you to DM, havesome conversation with me,
because I feel like every yearI'm changing and growing, but
(34:24):
right now it's definitely lessis more.
I even brought out I was foldinglaundry this morning.
Laundry is really just draggingme down these days.
I have so much of it I'm like,so not on the ball with my
laundry, but anyways, I wasfolding laundry this morning and
I brought, and usually I justlike make a pile where it's like
oh yeah, this is a donation.
I actually have a chair in ourbedroom which had a pile on it,
(34:46):
and then I threw it all behindthe chair.
So behind the chair there is awhole giant thing that I need to
stick in a bag and bring toValley Village, but I just love
that I did that instead ofactually going to get the bag.
Anyways, I actually brought thebag out today because I was
folding on the main floor, whichI rarely do.
I usually fold in the basementor fold upstairs, but I was
folding on the main floor and wekeep our garbage bags on the
(35:09):
main floor, or like our bluerecycling bags, which are the
ones that I usually fill fordonation.
I was like I'm gonna just grabone and start it.
So now I have a bag started andnow I'm like, okay, later today
I'm actually gonna do that.
While I go to pick up row, I'mgonna drop off some stuff at the
Valley Village and I'll feel somuch better about it.
And, ooh, then I'll get my 20%off coupon and I can run inside
(35:31):
and see if they have a robot dog.
Woo-hoo, perfect.
Wow, I forgot about that.
Also, that's the best thing.
Q.
If you go to Valley Village,you don't even have to donate a
lot.
You can just donate one thing,but donate something before you
go in and then you get your 20%off coupon.
It's fantastic.
But yeah, that's how I'mfeeling this holiday season with
(35:51):
the gift giving.
I'm in a good place.
I feel like I'm in a good place.
Everybody is pretty muchchecked off my list.
I feel like I didthoughtfulness.
There's just a handful more ofthings that I almost bought
yesterday at the mall, but itwasn't exactly what I wanted.
I think I need to go somewhereelse, I'm not sure.
But anyways, there's just ahandful more of things.
And my brother.
(36:12):
I don't know what to get mybrother this year.
We usually don't do gifts, buthe always gets something so
thoughtful for Rosie Likeliterally he always gets Rosie
the best gift ever, because Ifeel like they just vibe, they
like the same things and so Ineed to get him something, but I
don't want it to just be likewhatever.
So I don't know.
He always likes British candy,so I can hit up.
I know Walmart has like aBritish candy aisle so I can get
(36:33):
him a couple of the curlyWhirly's he loves those.
But then I want to get himsomething cool.
I don't know.
I don't know what he wants.
I haven't talked to him in awhile.
It's like I don't know what hewants.
So, oh, you know what he likesdoing.
Oh, I have such a good idea.
He's gonna want to go rockclimbing while he's here.
He loves bouldering and so I'lljust pay for his bouldering
(36:56):
passes while he's here Okay,perfect, let me write that down,
kids, or else I'm gonna forget.
Bouldering pass for Richard Okay, awesome, and maybe I'll go
with him one day.
I know he likes spending timetogether.
Everyone loves spending timetogether, and I actually haven't
been to the bouldering gym hereyet.
Trevor's been but I haven'tbeen in something me and my
(37:17):
brother used to do when we weregrowing up.
As we did rock climbingtogether.
We would go to this rockclimbing gym in Toronto and he
loved it, which is probably whyI went because he would take me
my brother's older than me, so alot of those activities he was
able to take me and then my momdidn't have to worry about
childcare in that moment.
So, yeah, and I liked it too,but I was not as good and I
(37:41):
probably will not be.
Actually, you know, my upperbody strength is probably the
best it's ever been, because Ihave row and I literally pick
her up like all the time.
Yeah, so I might actually benot that bad.
I'm not holding my breath, butI actually don't think I've ever
bouldered or bouldered.
I'm not sure if he's gonna dothe rock climbing or the
bouldering.
I feel like this is abouldering gym that's closest to
(38:03):
us, but I'm not sure, becausebouldering I find really
difficult, like rock climbing.
At least someone can like hoistyou up, which is cheating.
That's cheating, but like,anyways, that'll be fun.
Okay, yeah, and I wonder if Iwonder how old the people need
to be to go, because mybrother's actually coming down
for a whole week, which is soexciting.
Normally it only comes down fora couple of days, so we'll have
(38:24):
some good quality bonding time.
Yay, okay, I'm so excited.
Thanks for figuring that outwith me.
Other than that, I think I haveeverybody that I'm doing gifts
for.
We don't do gifts for too toomany people, just the immediate
and that makes us feel.
That makes us feel good andless overwhelming.
So, yeah, and I just need tofigure out my gag gifts.
(38:46):
So if you have any good likegag gifts, they don't have to be
like funny, but I think it'slike a $20 limit.
Yeah, I don't think it's morethan $20.
It might even be a $15 limit, Ican't remember.
And it's for my like secretSanta with my family, and
basically we do like the whiteelephant where you pick out a
number from the hat.
Last year I got a microphone.
I think I told you that aboutthat a couple episodes ago, but
(39:10):
I did the microphone and it wasactually so popular and, yeah, I
don't know what to do.
This year we do have a random,but I then I feel bad.
Okay, I was gonna say we dohave a random Chromecast that
came Trevor got for free becausehe like registered for
something with Google and it.
But it's a Chromecast and aSome console that's a Google run
(39:33):
console.
I feel like it's called aSteedier's, I don't know what
it's called.
Anyways, we have this for awhile, but I feel like we don't
need it and I always think like,oh, we should throw it into the
, the gift Rotation.
But then I feel bad when youget a gift that's like way out
of the because a Chromecast is.
I don't know how much Chromecastis, but it's definitely more
(39:54):
than $20 but like when it's wayout of the Price limit.
But then is that also the pointof it?
Is like we got it for freebecause it was like a
Promotional gift, or you gotsomething really good on a deal,
or is it like not fair?
I'm not sure.
So I do have that I could putin, because I feel like
Chromecast are really good andit does come with like a
(40:15):
controller thing that playsgames I don't know, I don't know
how it works and like aSubscription for, like a promo
subscription for three months orwhatever for this system, but
more importantly, it has theChromecast in it.
That's what I would think, butanyways, I'm not sure.
Let me know.
Let me know if you've ever hadlike a really good Gag gift
because I always try to bethoughtful with those ones as
(40:36):
well, like I don't want to justget something random that's
gonna become trash, you know.
So let me know what you've donefor Secret Santa's that's like
within that $20 limit or less,because I need to get that, I
need to get that gift.
Okay, sir, I think that's itfor this episode.
Let's get into our recipe of theday.
(40:57):
This is something I haven'tmade yet, but I wanted to make
so bad last year, for sure I'm.
I don't even know why I didn'tmake it last year, but I wanted
to make it for a while.
But last year I remember I waslike I want to make this so bad,
I want to make this so bad.
Even my mom was like, oh Grace,we should make this.
And I was like, oh my gosh, mom, I was thinking about that too
and we didn't make it.
And since we're talking aboutgift giving and the holidays,
(41:19):
this is just a gift that I thinkis so easy and heartfelt.
I haven't made it yet, but I'mpretty sure it's easy because it
only takes one ingredient, well, maybe two, um, butter.
I want to make butter, homemadebutter.
I just think what a fun thingto do, and you can Do it in like
different butter molds.
I'm pretty sure I'm not goingto go get a butter mold.
I don't have one.
(41:39):
I bet you could probably justuse like a silicone mold too.
Like, make a little we do have.
We do have a unicorn siliconemold that I got to make row
unicorn ice cubes, what sheloves.
Maybe I can make unicornButters.
She would freaking love that,because row loves butter.
She would just eat butter onits own.
But yeah, and then you get toadd like the flaky salt to it.
(42:00):
I think that's such a funhostess gift which, like you
could actually use.
That would also be good forlike I keep going at a gag gift,
but for a secret sienna, if youwent and got like a crusty loaf
of bread or even made somebread, but that makes it a
little bit, a little bit morecomplex.
Um, but honestly, making breadis even that complex.
But yeah, we're making buttercubes.
I'm so excited.
(42:20):
I'm so excited.
I just want to, like, make myown butter and taste it and wash
it.
So, yeah, we're making buttercubes.
And if you're needing a lastminute fun little gift or even
just a fun activity for you andthe fam, like that's a fun
activity During this holidaytime when you're all off just
chilling make some butter, makesome bread.
(42:41):
So yeah, yay, I will post thatvideo on tick tock, on instagram
, on youtube.
It will be a viewer of uber.
It will be uber accessible.
It will be uber accessible toall of you.
I love you all so much.
Thank you for coming andjoining us on day seven of
podmas.
We are officially a week fromchristmas.
(43:02):
This is when it gets excitingfor me.
This is when it gets exciting,like I'm just excited to get to
spend time with so many family,because my true love language,
like on top of all, my actuallove language, is time spent
with one another.
What is it called time spent?
Quality time.
That's it.
That's my actual leveling,which is quality time.
So I just get so excited forlike the good times that we get
(43:23):
to spend with people.
I literally haven't reached outto any of my friends to have
one-on-one, because usually wealways do our one-on-ones Like
the week between christmas andnew years, if we're gonna do
that.
But I got to reach out, I'mjust like that's, that's what I
mean by like it hasn't clickedyet.
Like usually it's like the weekbefore christmas, today and
onwards, all of a sudden it'slike, oh yeah, yeah, christmas
(43:44):
is here.
We gotta spend time with people, not buy things.
Okay, I love you all so much.
Hugs and kisses what.
Hey cuties, welcome back to day seven of PODMS.
I need a sip of water because Ijust downed a pack of almonds.
I was like I got to eatsomething before I record we
have literally like we have nolike eatable groceries in our
(00:27):
house, like I guess we haveingredients, but then, even that
being said, we have like no,the only fruit we have right now
are little oranges cuties youknow cuties and limes.
Every morning, rose like I'mhungry and I try to make her a
snack plate with like thenothing that we have today.
It was just toast and cheeseand she was over it.
(00:49):
She was like I want somethingelse.
But I didn't peel her an orangebecause the past couple of days
she hasn't been eating it.
I just think she's over theoranges.
So I was like do you wantorange?
She's like no, I was like alime I don't even have.
I do have one can of fruit, butthat's for something special,
so I couldn't let her have that.
So, anyways, I need to gogrocery shopping.
(01:11):
Long story short, because we dohave some meats in our freezer
but that would have to take themout and thaw them and cook them
.
But we don't have the.
We have a bag of big carrots.
That's the only vegetable wehave, and we have super freezer
burnt mixed veg, which I didmake last night and yes, they
are very, very freezer burnt,but I still ate them.
(01:32):
I still ate them.
But anyways, long story short iswe're getting closer to
Christmas and the grocery storeis terrifying this time of year
and I find it very overwhelmingto have to think about what I
need for Christmas weekend.
You know what I mean.
Like well, because theChristmas on a weekend this time
, but it's like it's three, atleast two days where everything
(01:53):
is closed.
So I need to know what I'mgoing to have.
But I don't really want to goshopping, like on Christmas Eve,
especially this year.
My brother and mom are comingover, so it's like, okay, I need
to have all the food I want,for then we need the food we
need for Christmas day, the foodwe need for boxing day and then
also the food leading up tothat, because I'm not going
grocery shopping right beforethen.
Like I need to go groceryshopping today.
(02:14):
Today is the day I need to go aweek till Christmas.
Today is a week till Christmas.
Yes, I'm going to go groceryshopping today and I just need
to get the stuff.
But then now, thinking about,I'm like maybe I don't need to
go today because I don't want togo at the end of the day.
I should go tomorrow firstthing, before I drop off row,
because tomorrow was also herlast day of school before her
holidays.
So, yeah, okay, deal, we'regoing Tuesday first thing in the
(02:37):
morning, as soon as it opens,and we're going to get
everything.
So I need to make a list forthat of what I need.
But yes, anyways, that wholepoint of me telling you that was
that I chugged or I chomped ona bag of a sachet of roast
toasted almonds so that I couldhave some sustenance in my life.
And we're having, I'm prettysure, movie, movie, popcorn
(03:01):
dinner tonight, woohoo.
So yeah, where'd my voice justgo?
So, yeah, that's my, that's mysatiation, satiation, Satiation,
satiation, whatever you do whatI'm trying to say.
So we all know that I've beenobsessed with cream of wheat and
so I'm on my second box of theinstant cream of wheat.
(03:22):
I'm like obsessed with instantcream of wheat because I can
just make like an individualportion just for me, because I'm
really the only person who'seating it in my house.
Someone had messaged me.
They sent me a DM being likeyou have to have cream of wheat
how you like it.
You take the cream of wheat,because I like it cream of wheat
, brown sugar cream but then youmake a buttery piece of toast
(03:43):
and you dip the toast and thecream of wheat and at first I
was like okay, I saw lots ofcomments on my TikTok of people
saying that you did that way andI was like I don't really think
that's for me.
And then someone DMed me and Iwas like I'm going to try.
And so the first time I triedit, the first bite, I was like I
don't know if that was for me.
And then I started eating witha spoon and I was like I'll try
another dip.
And now I'm literally obsessed.
(04:03):
It's my comfort food.
Every morning I get so excitedto wake up.
We've been doing cuddlemornings where me and Ro have
breakfast in bed, when we wakeup and watch shows, and it's
been like the highlight of mymornings.
It's like really just the timeof year, like I feel like we're
embracing as the days become thedarkest they're going to be,
(04:23):
and it's been so, so, so lovely.
So, anyways, every morning Iwake up, I make her a snack
plate and I make myself my creamof wheat and my piece of toast,
and I'm put a sprinkle of salton my piece of toast as well
because I'm using unsaltedbutter at the moment the block
that I opened and it's so goodand you just dip it in your
brown sugar cream, cream ofwheat, and it's literally a warm
(04:46):
hug.
Like I'm actually obsessed.
I get so excited for bedtime toknow that I get to wake up and
have it in the morning.
I just love it.
So thank you for everyone whotold me to have it that way and
for the one person who DM'd meabout it.
You pushed me to try it andit's actually the most
comforting thing in the world.
I'm obsessed.
I'm like bro, this morningdipped.
She doesn't like cream of wheat,like, so far she hasn't enjoyed
(05:08):
it.
I always offer if she wants,but so far she's like no, she's
an oatmeal girl, like a classicoatmeal.
She doesn't like steel cut, shedoesn't like cream of wheat,
she likes classic oatmeal.
That's the texture she likes.
But even this morning she waslike why are you dipping that?
I was like Queen Bee, I've beendipping it all week and I'm
obsessed.
And she was like, okay, maybeI'll try a little bit.
So she tried a little bit offmy spoon, like she had a little
(05:28):
bit of cream of wheat and thenshe had her piece of toast and
she was like you know what, it'skind of good and I was like
mm-hmm.
So I think soon she's going tobe asking me to make her that
it's so good, like literally sogood.
Anyways, today for Podmas, weare talking all about gift
giving around the holidays.
I feel like it is people's lovelanguage is gift giving and I
(05:53):
don't know like I feel like giftgiving is like maybe one of my
love languages.
I didn't think it was, but Ithink it might be in certain
contexts, because other times Ifeel really overwhelmed by it.
So I really don't think it is.
But like I can find joy in giftgiving.
But also, on the other end ofthe stick, I can find gift
giving so overwhelming.
Receiving gifts, I feel likeI'm like the worst at receiving
gifts because sometimes I justlike see it as clutter that
(06:19):
sounds so bad.
But like sometimes I open agift and it makes me feel really
overwhelmed, like oh gosh.
Or when you get home, like theday after Christmas, when
everything is just sittingaround everywhere and it's like
I have to find places for this.
It's just overwhelming.
And then also, I find sometimesgift giving overwhelming, like
I just don't like buying giftswhen I have no idea of what to
(06:41):
give the person.
So I actually did a really goodjob this year for the people in
my life who I typically buygifts for.
I'm making a list as I go Likeeven last year this time of year
, I was like Trevor, write downa reminder in our calendar to
remind me to buy this for thisperson and this and that, and it
actually was great.
And then Trevor had thatreminder come up like at some
(07:02):
point a couple weeks ago and Ijust went out and was like oh
yeah, perfect, and I boughtwhatever I needed to do and it
was amazing.
So that way, I'm like notoverwhelmed this year.
I'm really glad about that.
So, anyways, I just want totalk about about gift giving and
shopping around the holidaysand like this is all my opinion,
my feelings.
It's different for everyone andI just want to want to talk
(07:23):
about it.
So, anyways, that's something Idid this year or last year was
support myself this year inwriting things down.
I know people who collect giftsas the year go on.
I can't do that.
I wish I could, but I can't.
I'm just not that organized Inthe moment.
I'm like, oh yeah, this personwould love it.
And then if I buy it, I justwant to give it to them right
then.
(07:43):
Or if I'm not going to give itto them right then, then I'm
like, meh, meh, if I think aboutit again, then I'll think about
it again.
So when it's been somethingwhere it's like, oh, I really
think they'd like that, I justwrote it down, put a calendar
notification on it and that'smade all the difference.
And then also, my favorite partof Christmas is the stockings.
I love the stocking for myselfand I love the stocking to
(08:06):
purchase for other people and Ifeel like that's a common
experience.
I also feel like the stockingis just filled with really
wonderful things that areessentials almost, and I am not
against essential giving.
I love essential gifts.
I love socks, I love underwear,toothpaste, all the like.
(08:27):
For Trevor, he's such a spa boy.
He loves to treat himself togood self-care and I love that
about him, and I also lovefilling his stocking full of all
that really good self-care thathe wouldn't necessarily buy for
himself on the day to day.
So that's so fun for me andalso it's something I wish I did
for myself.
(08:48):
I don't, I'm not that person,I'm not a product cutie.
I will like never do the athome face masks or special
serums or stuff like that.
I just like won't, even if Itry to invest in it, I just
won't do it.
But Trevor, I know that he willappreciate that and love that,
and so it's like something funthat I get to buy.
(09:08):
Like it's like, oh yeah, I getto buy all the fun little things
that go to Sephora and have agood time, but I know that he'll
love it also.
I'm trying to whisper because Idon't want him to hear, but
he's working in the basement sohe shouldn't better not listen
to this episode.
Although every year I alwaysnot I don't get him the same
thing, but I always do get likestuff and it's fun for me.
Another thing, excuse me.
(09:29):
Another thing is I just likethink that sometimes I don't
treat the stocking as like Ikind of treat the stocking as
the main event, and that'sprobably because, like as a
child, I always felt thestocking was the main event
because we were allowed to openour stocking before any of the
other gifts, like before ourparents woke up for the day, and
(09:51):
like I grew up in a house ofdivorced parents like my whole
life.
My parents got separated likepretty much before I was born,
and so our Christmas morningswere a little bit different.
I didn't grow up in a householdof divorced parents where you
like go back and forth topeople's houses, like spend a
few days at your mom's, a fewdays at your dad's, like that
wasn't the situation.
(10:12):
Our makeup was kind of like myparents were like they got
divorced but they were likestill really good friends.
They always my dad was alwaysthere for like family dinners.
Like my dad was the one whodrove my mom didn't drive, so if
we needed to ride places hewould drive us places.
Or my mom needs to go groceryshopping stuff, like that.
We went on family vacationstogether.
(10:32):
Like it was kind of different,very good co-parenting.
And so Christmas morningbasically worked like we would
wake up at my mom's house, whichwas our house.
We would wake up and then if mymom wasn't awake, then we could
open our stockings.
So me and my brother would openour stockings and then he would
usually like sink back into thebasement and use all the stuff
(10:53):
and I would call my.
I would tell my mom, like wakeup.
She'd be like, put the coffeeon.
And then I would call my dadand be like happy Christmas,
like time to come over.
And so then we would wait formy mom to get our little
breakfast spread together, whichwas super simple eats just like
croissants, coffee, that stuff.
And then my dad would head overand then, once my dad was there
and my mom was there, we wouldhave our Christmas morning where
(11:15):
we could open our actual giftsand like I don't remember if our
Christmas tree was ever likefilled to the brim with stuff,
like sometimes you see Christmastrees or, and it's just like so
many things.
Also, it was only me and mybrother and my mom, my dad.
We didn't have a lot of family,we didn't have a huge family,
(11:37):
so like that also wouldn't haveit.
But I'm saying this because Ifeel like a lot of the times,
when it comes to kids inChristmas, you feel like, oh, I
need to like get so much stuff.
So it's really that wow factorwhen they wake up like, oh, my
gosh, like Santa came.
Look at all this stuff, allthese presents to open, like
it's so fun, but like if we didhave that when we were younger I
(12:00):
don't remember it, so I don'tthen.
So for me I really don't thinkthat that's important to have to
do for row, because I don'tremember it.
It was, it's, that's not amemory in my mind of like, oh
wow, christmas morning, so muchstuff.
For me it's really about thatroutine that I just shared,
about getting to open ourstockings and then collecting of
(12:21):
the parents.
And then for my brother, healways, like my brother's such a
gamer, loves movies, stuff likethat.
So his gift was always likegame based.
So he really only ever got onething because he wanted a big
item, right, like it was alwaysabout in addition to his talking
.
It was always about likewhatever the new system was, the
new PlayStation or the newmovie set, like you know what I
(12:44):
mean.
And for me it was kind of likesimilar ish.
Sometimes I had big ticket items.
Like my favorite Christmas everwas the Christmas I got my
kitchen aid.
When I was in middle school mydad got me this apple green
kitchen aid which I had all theway up until literally two years
ago.
It put on me but it lasted solong and I'm so sad because it
was one of, like, those giftsthat I had for my dad.
(13:05):
But it's been replaced with adifferent kitchen aid and it's
okay.
But they don't make the applegreen anymore, so I couldn't
even get the exact same one, butI loved it.
It took me through like mywhole adolescence into adulthood
.
I took it all the way to Ottawawith me.
I had it at my mom's house atone point when we were at the
condo, because I just likedidn't have space for it.
So everyone's got to love anduse it and it was great.
(13:27):
It was great.
It was like one of my favoritethings.
But other than that, I feel likemy gifts always consisted of
like clothes and honestly, I'mlike trying to think of what
other specific things I wouldask for.
I feel like I'm like trying tothink of what other specific
things I would ask for.
My brother always knew exactlywhat he wanted and I was always
like and I feel like that's howI am still to this day it's like
(13:49):
because I'm very much someonelike if I want something, I'm
just going to buy it for myselfand I'm not going to wait for
like a special moment, and I trylike not to over consume,
especially now, but like theywere done as soon as I started
making my own money.
It was like, okay, like myfirst job well, I mean I babysat
(14:13):
and stuff like that but myfirst job was, like paycheck was
working at a candy store when Iwas in, I think, grade nine or
eight I'm trying to think when Istarted that it was either
grade eight or nine and Iremember I would get my paycheck
and I would be so excited tospend it on whatever the thing
was that I wanted.
And yeah, I love doing that andI'm still like that, if there's
something I want, I'm justgoing to go buy it.
And that's why I feel like,when it comes to gift giving,
(14:36):
I'm always like what do I want?
But anyways, for me it reallywhat it's really not important
to have, like a tree that's likepacked to the brim with so much
stuff.
And I'm happy that I have thatin my in my mind because it
makes it makes Christmas reallyless overwhelming.
(15:01):
And like, as I've gotten older,I've definitely always tried to
be thoughtful with my gifts,but like, as I've gotten older,
I even try to be more thoughtfulwith the gift, in the sense
that I used to always be like,oh OK, I want to get them this,
but then I feel like I need toadd on this and this little
little trinkets, little bits andbobs, little random things, and
it's like I don't even want therandom things anymore.
(15:22):
I try to just like not evenhave that.
Even the other day I was inSephora and they have so many
cute little gift sets and theyhave this like Locke's Locke Tan
Is that how you say it?
Loss of tan, locke tan, I don'tknow.
They like skincare and bodywash moisturizer brand.
They had the cutest littlecrackers, like Christmas
crackers.
It was a set of four Christmascrackers that had like to.
(15:44):
Each Christmas crack had liketwo little minis, so like a mini
hand moisturizer, a mini bodywash, mini body oil, whatever.
They each had two.
I thought they were so cute.
I was like that would be so cutejust to add to a gift.
And then I was like, no, grace,stop.
Like I almost bought it and Iwas like, and it was 30
something dollars, it was under$40, between 30 and $40.
(16:05):
And I was like for four people.
Like you split it up for fourpeople, each person.
If you had a cracker, I waslike that is so cute.
But then I was like, honestly,half the time I don't ever use
my minis.
Like it's just, I wouldn't haveeven bought this if I hadn't
seen it.
I wasn't even thinking that Ineeded to add something else
onto this gift.
It was just like unnecessary.
(16:27):
And I feel like for so long Iused to fall trap to that
unnecessary.
It's like, oh, I got to addthis on, like at this on, at
this on, and it's like no, no,no, no, no, no, no, no, we're
going, we're going bare boneshere, like, and I don't mean
we're not getting gifts, but Ijust mean like, let's step back,
let's step back, let's stepback and be really thoughtful
with something, and whetherthat's an experience or a thing,
(16:47):
and I really try to just likebe thoughtful with it.
And even I caught myself theother day I was buying Trevor's.
I feel weird talking aboutbuying Trevor's gifts before
Christmas out loud, but hedoesn't listen to the podcast
and he's not editing these ones.
Like, even when he producesmine, he just, like I, leave
gaps and he just has to fill inthe music.
So I think it should be fine.
(17:08):
But anyways, I was like inLululemon and he wanted new
underwear and I was like hereally wants good underwear and
he has this one brand that heloves but like I can't figure
out how to buy it.
I think it's only availableonline.
But then everyone, when I didthat underwear thing for women's
underwear I did a poll onInstagram.
Everyone said that a lot ofpeople had said that they love
(17:30):
Lululemon.
They were talking about girlsunderwear, but I figured, if
they like the girls underwear,it's probably similar for the
boys underwear and it's meantfor working out and stuff.
So I feel like boys underwearcan be like bunchy or whatever,
but like that way, if it's forworking out, it's going to be
good for movement and likekeeping you in place and
everything.
So anyways, I was just inLululemon and they have all
these packs of underwear for theguys.
(17:51):
You could get just oneunderwear.
You get three underwear, fiveunderwears and seven underwears
and I almost went for the sevenand then I was like wait, wait,
wait, let's think about this.
Like he already has someunderwear so he probably doesn't
need seven.
So I'll get the five becausethat's a good like every day,
five days a week, usually worksout and he'll have five nice
underwears and if he likes it,then I know that I can buy him
(18:12):
more later or it can become hisstaple underwear or whatever.
But like, even that was whereone of those moments where I
caught myself like I don't needto get the most I can.
I can meet somewhere in themiddle, and so that's just
something that I'm really takingthis year, which is why I'm so
glad that I was so thoughtfulwith myself over the year of
like really listening to whatpeople were saying they need it,
(18:35):
or just like in the moment,thinking I always buy people
what I want, like not in a badway, but like I do.
If I feel like a lot of thetime, if it's something that,
like, I've wanted to always,like, oh, I really wanted that,
but then it's like I alreadyhave something similar to it,
then I get that for somebodyelse and I'm like I feel like
they'll love it if I know thatthey like stuff that I like.
So this year I was like I'mreally going to focus on like
(18:58):
what brings either experience,comfort, necessity or something
I know specifically that they'veasked for and I just feel
really good about that.
And so for Ro.
I feel like every year she asksfor it.
Well, this is her second yearreally asking for something.
She always asks for somethingso random and I'm like last year
it was a flashlight and I waslike, ok, I got to get her the
(19:19):
coolest flashlight.
So I did, I got her this reallycool projector flashlight that
could also double as anightlight, because at that time
she really wanted like anightlight.
It was actually so cool, didlike story times.
It had these little like youknow that thing that you wore as
a kid that you could like lookWell, you didn't wear it, but
you held it up to your face andto the light and you put
(19:41):
different cartridges in it andyou could like click through the
pictures.
It almost looked like aPolaroid camera and it would
like show different photos.
It was like that, but itprojected different stories and
you like turned it and each pagewas a different story and or
each page was a different.
Each turn, each cartridge wasone story and each turn was a
different page of the story.
What is my voice today?
(20:02):
I think my throat saying, grace, you've been podcasting too
much recently, but anyway.
So I loved that and we loved itand we loved it for like
probably six months of the year.
It was amazing.
And then she was over it and Ifeel like that's how most things
are for her, like she's so intosomething and then she's over
(20:23):
it.
I thought like we really didthat like every night it was,
and it brought the whole familytogether.
Me, trevor Ro, we've read thesestories.
They would be broadcasted.
I mean, it wasn't likeextravagantly expensive.
I think it was like maybe $30,which for a flashlight, yes, but
it was more than just oneflashlight or one did one
function.
But this year she really wants arobot dog, and so I saw one the
(20:46):
other day when I was with herat Winner's and I was like at
first I was like what the heckis a robot dog and where did you
get this from?
And then I saw the other daywhen I was at Winner's with her
I didn't even know Winner's hadtoys but I couldn't buy it
because I was with her and I'mnot going to go back to Winner's
just because, like, I don'tneed to go back to Winner's and
it's one of those places where,if you go to it, you might buy
the stuff that you don't need orwant.
So I was like, okay, at least Iknow she was excited about that
(21:10):
.
So I was like, okay, at least Ikind of understand what she
wants.
And then today I was like, okay, I need to go to like Toys R Us
or something and see if I canfind a robot dog similar to that
.
But then I was like you knowwhat?
I could probably find a robotdog at Value Village.
I love thrifting row gifts,especially at this age, because,
like it doesn't really matterto her if it's secondhand or not
.
I have nothing againstsecondhand.
(21:32):
I love thrifting.
I thrift so much stuff all thetime.
But I do feel for gifts likeespecially for Ro, as she gets
older, she's gonna wantsomething new that's hers, just
for her.
Like I know, I know I lived theexperience, I was there, I
wanted that too.
I feel like the Hammy dance andstuff like it's like I don't
want that.
I want the new thing for mybirthday, for Christmas,
(21:54):
whatever, which is totally fair.
But at this moment in time, likeshe loves a good thrift present
, she loves the thrift toyshelves and stuff like that.
So I'm gonna embrace it and gosee if Value Village has a robot
dog, because I just feel likethey will.
I just feel like they will, andI honestly don't think it's
gonna be a toy that she wants toplay with every day.
I think it's gonna be like, Ithink it's gonna be short-lived.
(22:15):
Maybe it won't be, maybe itwon't be, but I really think
it's gonna be short-lived Causethere's not much to it.
So then, but I gotta get herwhat she wants, right?
So that's gonna be like hergift and like really we only
usually do one main gift for her, because one I am a stalking
queen.
I will fill her stalking and wedo like stalking chairs in my
family.
Just, it's not just things inthe stalking, it's like a chair.
(22:36):
We've always done a chair, andso everyone gets a chair and
then everything's kind of likepiled onto the chair.
I also love the fact that youdon't have to wrap it,
everything's like piled onto thechair and yeah.
So I've been collecting bitsand bobs for her stalking.
I'm excited for it.
I love doing the stalkings, butyeah, anyways.
So that's Ro, and like yearspast last year we got the
(22:57):
flashlight and the year beforethat I got her a kitchen.
I wanted to get her a kitchen.
I knew I wanted to get herkitchen for her first Christmas.
I told everyone I was like I'mgetting Ro kitchen.
Everyone was like Grace, that'ssilly, don't do that.
It's her first Christmas.
This queen uses this kitchenfrom day one to day whatever.
Now it is Three Christmaseslater.
She loves that kitchen so muchand it has been such a great toy
(23:19):
.
So like, if there's somethingyou wanna get your kid, do it.
Don't let other people tell youwhat the Christmas should be
like.
But anyways, I just feel likeit's very easy around the
holidays to feel like me andTrevor did no Christmas presents
.
I think we did Christmaspresents our first Christmas and
then afterwards we kind of juststopped doing them until now,
(23:41):
like we always did stalkings.
Even now I feel like we reallyjust do stalkings unless there's
something like specific thatwe've been wanting, then of
course we get it for each other.
But if we can't think ofsomething specific, we try not
to just like get things to getthings, and so I just feel like
there's a lot of emotionalturmoil around the holidays,
like you can have that.
You can go into the mindset ofbeing like we're not doing gifts
(24:03):
, I'm not doing gifts, no gifts.
And then all of a sudden theweek before you're like, I just
feel like I'm full of all theseconfusing emotions, like I am
ready to celebrate the holidays.
I feel like that's me too.
Like the week before Christmasit's like, oh yeah, it's
Christmas, christmas, Christmas,christmas.
And then all of a sudden it'slike, okay, I gotta go to the
stores, I gotta buy stuff.
Like I wanna get people's stuff, even though I said I'm not
doing gifts.
Now it's like, oh my gosh, I'mfilled with joy and happiness
(24:26):
and I wanna reflect that withthings.
And then, or sometimes, it'slike, oh, I feel guilt.
Like this person got mesomething, I wanna get them
something, blah, blah, blah,blah, blah.
All this stuff where it's likeI just wanna remind myself and
then remind you if this is howyou feel, that like it's so easy
to like emotionally shop.
I feel like a lot of the times,when you're not aware of it, you
don't realize that like I feellike a lot of shopping is just
(24:49):
emotional.
Even grocery shopping can beemotional.
Like that's why I love Farm Boy, because they only have the
basics, like they only havepretty much ingredients, they
only have food.
They don't have any like bitsand bobs, they only have a
couple options of everything,ifs that sometimes they only
have one option.
They don't have like huge binsof sale things and whatever.
(25:12):
And then you feel like you'reinclined to purchase more, like
whenever I shopped at biggergrocery stores.
Yes, it's kind of inconvenientif you need laundry detergent,
but I love going to CanadianTire for that anyways, like you
know, farm Boy and Canadian Tireare like my favorite two stops
in that sense.
But if it's all one stop shopand gone, then I always go to
Walmart but then I end up buyingmore stuff because there's
(25:33):
clothing and there's pharmacyand there's toys and there's
whatever, like I just feel likeI always buy more than I need
when I go there, especially ifI'm in like an emotional
shopping mood.
So I feel like emotionalshopping is like a scary thing
because the high feels good.
But then, even just when youcome home from the store
sometimes you feel like, oh man,I wish I didn't do that.
(25:55):
But then it might not even beright away, it might be the next
day or a week later.
You're like, oh, I said Iwasn't gonna do that, I said I
wasn't gonna spend money on that.
I said I wasn't, I said I wassaving, I said I wasn't getting
gifts and then you just feellike, oh, it kind of takes the
fun out of it, right.
So that's why this year I waslike trying to be really
thoughtful, like spend the wholeyear thinking about what I was
(26:16):
gonna do and what I was gonnaget and just be really
thoughtful about it.
And even I'm so proud of myself.
I told you a bit already aboutlike how I'm not, how I like
stop myself from buyingunnecessary things, but like,
even in the moment, I feel likeI'm doing a really good job of
being like do I really need this?
Do I really need?
And then, because I started alittle bit early this year I've
always been like a week beforeChristmas shopper Oopsies, but
(26:38):
because I started a little bitearlier this year, I feel like I
have a week to think about it.
It's like okay, like I'm stillthinking about this in a week
then I'll go back and get it.
If it's not there, it's notmeant to be.
If it's there, then great.
So I just feel like really goodabout that.
I'm trying to take the likeemotional high, the dopamine,
out of shopping because it canbe dangerous.
(26:58):
And so I think, when I amfeeling this year like I was
like, oh, when Roke gets older,are we gonna start putting more
things under the tree?
But I think I'm still feelinglike less is more and I always
love spending our money onexperiences and I think this
year, especially since we travel, like travel is something so
(27:19):
important.
I think it's so important tolike me, and especially now that
we have gone and traveled as afamily.
As a family, it's something soimportant.
Not that we're gifting eachother travel this Christmas.
We are not, because we have alot of forced travel coming up
Not in a bad way.
I'm actually so grateful andlike I'm so excited, but we have
a year full of stuff, that is,other people like lots of
(27:40):
weddings and stuff going on thataren't gonna be local.
So I am so grateful for that.
But it's one of those thingswhere it's like I wanna save my
money for those types ofexperiences and being able to go
and have weekends away or beable to say yes to when someone
(28:02):
has a destination wedding,things like that.
It's like I wanna save ourmoney for those types of things.
And I know like, also, rosebirthday is close to Christmas.
It's not super close.
This should not be thebeginning of the year, so it's
one of those things where it'slike I know her birthday is
gonna be here so soon she'sgonna want I know this year for
sure she wants a birthday party.
So she's gonna want a birthdayparty, like a birthday party
(28:23):
with friends, which we haven'tgiven her yet.
So it's like I know she's gonnawanna do something like that.
So it's like let's save ourmoney for those experiences
instead of just filling thehouse with stuff.
And also, when you have kids, Ifeel like everyone always wants
to get them stuff like friends,family, and so that's already
sometimes overwhelming.
So it's like I really don'tneed to be held accountable to
(28:44):
getting her gifts because I'mgonna get the one robot dog she
asked for and I kind of likethat.
And I also love to be able toget her things throughout the
year, like if she wants a squish, be able to stop by Dollarama
and let her to pick out a squishor go for donuts after school
one day.
Like I like doing things likethat, I like the year round
stuff and I feel like that's howI had it when I was growing up,
(29:06):
like there was never reallysomething that I wanted, that I
didn't get to have.
But I also feel like that mademe not want lots I don't know
how to explain it, but like Ifeel like there wasn't.
I wasn't like wanting excessiveamount of things or like being
like kind of unrealistic with mywants, especially because I
(29:26):
knew that I could work and makemoney and get things that I
wanted, but like yeah, so I kindof like that balance.
I like the less pressure on theholidays and I've always been
like that.
I feel like it feelsoverwhelming, and so something
I'm doing to really like helpwith that overwhelm is, now that
it's the week before Christmas,I talk about decluttering all
the time.
(29:46):
Cute, I literally amdecluttering all the time.
I feel like no matter how muchI get rid of, there's more stuff
to get rid of.
So I'm really really, reallytrying to every day spend 10
minutes decluttering a space inour house.
I also think because of Ro justgrowing all the time it's like
I gotta get rid of her clothes,not just keep it.
That's what overwhelms me withlaundry, when I fold things
where I'm like I know thisdoesn't fit her.
(30:07):
It's like just donate it, stopkeeping it.
So, anyways, I am just trying tobe really thoughtful with
decluttering so that that dayafter Christmas, no matter how
much I try to not over getthings, you always end up with
stuff from people here or thereor whatever hostess gives.
And I'm just trying to makesure that, like, I feel the
(30:28):
least amount of overwhelm andthat I have space to put the
things that are coming in andthat I let go of the things that
serve me no longer.
So, yeah, I just feel like thisis what I'm feeling around gift
giving and I'm grateful aboutit because I feel a lot of peace
there where, like even lastyear, I felt like the week
(30:49):
before Christmas I had thatpressure like just get the
things, buy random things here,there, whatever, even food, like
for stockings.
It's like I'm not a huge, Ilike candy, I like chocolate in
some sense or the other, butlike I like it when I want it,
so like then I'll go buy it, butlike other than that, it's like
(31:10):
I just want my terries,chocolate, orange and I'm good,
and so I'm trying to like noteven buy, like excessive things
like that, like random thingslike fillers.
Right, I'm being thoughtful,even with the stockings, I'm
being super duper thoughtful.
So I think once you put thoughtinto things, it adds meaning,
(31:31):
obviously, and it does take offpressure to just like more and
more and more.
And I don't want to wrap thepresents either.
That being said, I don't evenhave wrapping paper, so
hopefully this.
But I think that the robot dogis probably not something you
wrap.
You would stick it in a bag.
So we're good, we're groovy,good.
(31:53):
Oh, I actually just remembered Ineed to get our gag gift.
I would call it a gag gift.
We always do a secret Santa andI need to get that gift.
I always forget Trevor's alwaysprepared.
He like thinks about itliterally the day after
Christmas.
He's like oh, I know I'mgetting next year for the gag
gift and I'm like, ah, I need todo that, but I just want to be
(32:15):
Less.
Less is more.
That's really where I'm at inmy life Less is more, which
means that I need to spend lesstime online and absorbing and in
stores, and absorbing that likemore, like.
I feel like every time I walkinto a store, I really rarely go
to the mall.
I went to the mall recently andit's like oh my gosh, I didn't
(32:36):
even know all these thingsexisted.
And then it's like I wouldliterally never thought of any
of this stuff if I didn't walkinto the store.
So it's like being balanced andalso knowing, like, what mood
you're in.
Like, if all of a sudden I'm ina shopping mood, don't go
shopping, don't go shopping, dosomething else, go for a walk,
do something else, clean, getrid of.
I feel like that's a good thing.
(32:57):
Cleaning.
If you're in a shopping mood,which means that I feel
energized, it's like okay,instead of doing the shopping
right away, it's like clean outthe front hall closet.
I still haven't done that, butstill need to.
It's like clean out the fronthall closet and then, if you
have the energy to go shoppingor you have the urge because
you've just been like, bombardit with everything that you
didn't need in your life.
Right now that you've gottenrid of, I feel like that's a
(33:18):
good thing, that it's like ohwait, I don't actually need any
of that stuff.
So, yeah, how are you feelingthis year about gift giving?
Do you love it?
Like, do you love this time ofyear?
Is this just like your lovelanguage to a T?
Do you feel overwhelmed?
Do you feel like things justbecome so much and I really
(33:39):
wanna.
Where do you find the balancein creating kids who are
grateful, because I do feel likesometimes it does feel
overwhelming, like to have yourkid have to unwrap gifts in
front of other people and youwanna make sure that they
understand and it's not likejust going to the next thing,
(34:01):
the next thing, which is alsowhy it's like I want it to be
something that they want andsomething thoughtful, because
otherwise it's just like okay,what else, what else?
What else, what else?
Yeah, it's a fine balance, buthow are you feeling Like?
I'd love for you to DM, havesome conversation with me,
because I feel like every yearI'm changing and growing, but
(34:24):
right now it's definitely lessis more.
I even brought out I was foldinglaundry this morning.
Laundry is really just draggingme down these days.
I have so much of it I'm like,so not on the ball with my
laundry, but anyways, I wasfolding laundry this morning and
I brought, and usually I justlike make a pile where it's like
oh yeah, this is a donation.
I actually have a chair in ourbedroom which had a pile on it,
(34:46):
and then I threw it all behindthe chair.
So behind the chair there is awhole giant thing that I need to
stick in a bag and bring toValley Village, but I just love
that I did that instead ofactually going to get the bag.
Anyways, I actually brought thebag out today because I was
folding on the main floor, whichI rarely do.
I usually fold in the basementor fold upstairs, but I was
folding on the main floor and wekeep our garbage bags on the
(35:09):
main floor, or like our bluerecycling bags, which are the
ones that I usually fill fordonation.
I was like I'm gonna just grabone and start it.
So now I have a bag started andnow I'm like, okay, later today
I'm actually gonna do that.
While I go to pick up row, I'mgonna drop off some stuff at the
Valley Village and I'll feel somuch better about it.
And, ooh, then I'll get my 20%off coupon and I can run inside
(35:31):
and see if they have a robot dog.
Woo-hoo, perfect.
Wow, I forgot about that.
Also, that's the best thing.
Q.
If you go to Valley Village,you don't even have to donate a
lot.
You can just donate one thing,but donate something before you
go in and then you get your 20%off coupon.
It's fantastic.
But yeah, that's how I'mfeeling this holiday season with
(35:51):
the gift giving.
I'm in a good place.
I feel like I'm in a good place.
Everybody is pretty muchchecked off my list.
I feel like I didthoughtfulness.
There's just a handful more ofthings that I almost bought
yesterday at the mall, but itwasn't exactly what I wanted.
I think I need to go somewhereelse, I'm not sure.
But anyways, there's just ahandful more of things.
And my brother.
(36:12):
I don't know what to get mybrother this year.
We usually don't do gifts, buthe always gets something so
thoughtful for Rosie Likeliterally he always gets Rosie
the best gift ever, because Ifeel like they just vibe, they
like the same things and so Ineed to get him something, but I
don't want it to just be likewhatever.
So I don't know.
He always likes British candy,so I can hit up.
I know Walmart has like aBritish candy aisle so I can get
(36:33):
him a couple of the curlyWhirly's he loves those.
But then I want to get himsomething cool.
I don't know.
I don't know what he wants.
I haven't talked to him in awhile.
It's like I don't know what hewants.
So, oh, you know what he likesdoing.
Oh, I have such a good idea.
He's gonna want to go rockclimbing while he's here.
He loves bouldering and so I'lljust pay for his bouldering
(36:56):
passes while he's here Okay,perfect, let me write that down,
kids, or else I'm gonna forget.
Bouldering pass for Richard Okay, awesome, and maybe I'll go
with him one day.
I know he likes spending timetogether.
Everyone loves spending timetogether, and I actually haven't
been to the bouldering gym hereyet.
Trevor's been but I haven'tbeen in something me and my
(37:17):
brother used to do when we weregrowing up.
As we did rock climbingtogether.
We would go to this rockclimbing gym in Toronto and he
loved it, which is probably whyI went because he would take me
my brother's older than me, so alot of those activities he was
able to take me and then my momdidn't have to worry about
childcare in that moment.
So, yeah, and I liked it too,but I was not as good and I
(37:41):
probably will not be.
Actually, you know, my upperbody strength is probably the
best it's ever been, because Ihave row and I literally pick
her up like all the time.
Yeah, so I might actually benot that bad.
I'm not holding my breath, butI actually don't think I've ever
bouldered or bouldered.
I'm not sure if he's gonna dothe rock climbing or the
bouldering.
I feel like this is abouldering gym that's closest to
(38:03):
us, but I'm not sure, becausebouldering I find really
difficult, like rock climbing.
At least someone can like hoistyou up, which is cheating.
That's cheating, but like,anyways, that'll be fun.
Okay, yeah, and I wonder if Iwonder how old the people need
to be to go, because mybrother's actually coming down
for a whole week, which is soexciting.
Normally it only comes down fora couple of days, so we'll have
(38:24):
some good quality bonding time.
Yay, okay, I'm so excited.
Thanks for figuring that outwith me.
Other than that, I think I haveeverybody that I'm doing gifts
for.
We don't do gifts for too toomany people, just the immediate
and that makes us feel.
That makes us feel good andless overwhelming.
So, yeah, and I just need tofigure out my gag gifts.
(38:46):
So if you have any good likegag gifts, they don't have to be
like funny, but I think it'slike a $20 limit.
Yeah, I don't think it's morethan $20.
It might even be a $15 limit, Ican't remember.
And it's for my like secretSanta with my family, and
basically we do like the whiteelephant where you pick out a
number from the hat.
Last year I got a microphone.
I think I told you that aboutthat a couple episodes ago, but
(39:10):
I did the microphone and it wasactually so popular and, yeah, I
don't know what to do.
This year we do have a random,but I then I feel bad.
Okay, I was gonna say we dohave a random Chromecast that
came Trevor got for free becausehe like registered for
something with Google and it.
But it's a Chromecast and aSome console that's a Google run
(39:33):
console.
I feel like it's called aSteedier's, I don't know what
it's called.
Anyways, we have this for awhile, but I feel like we don't
need it and I always think like,oh, we should throw it into the
, the gift Rotation.
But then I feel bad when youget a gift that's like way out
of the because a Chromecast is.
I don't know how much Chromecastis, but it's definitely more
(39:54):
than $20 but like when it's wayout of the Price limit.
But then is that also the pointof it?
Is like we got it for freebecause it was like a
Promotional gift, or you gotsomething really good on a deal,
or is it like not fair?
I'm not sure.
So I do have that I could putin, because I feel like
Chromecast are really good andit does come with like a
(40:15):
controller thing that playsgames I don't know, I don't know
how it works and like aSubscription for, like a promo
subscription for three months orwhatever for this system, but
more importantly, it has theChromecast in it.
That's what I would think, butanyways, I'm not sure.
Let me know.
Let me know if you've ever hadlike a really good Gag gift
because I always try to bethoughtful with those ones as
(40:36):
well, like I don't want to justget something random that's
gonna become trash, you know.
So let me know what you've donefor Secret Santa's that's like
within that $20 limit or less,because I need to get that, I
need to get that gift.
Okay, sir, I think that's itfor this episode.
Let's get into our recipe of theday.
(40:57):
This is something I haven'tmade yet, but I wanted to make
so bad last year, for sure I'm.
I don't even know why I didn'tmake it last year, but I wanted
to make it for a while.
But last year I remember I waslike I want to make this so bad,
I want to make this so bad.
Even my mom was like, oh Grace,we should make this.
And I was like, oh my gosh, mom, I was thinking about that too
and we didn't make it.
And since we're talking aboutgift giving and the holidays,
(41:19):
this is just a gift that I thinkis so easy and heartfelt.
I haven't made it yet, but I'mpretty sure it's easy because it
only takes one ingredient, well, maybe two, um, butter.
I want to make butter, homemadebutter.
I just think what a fun thingto do, and you can Do it in like
different butter molds.
I'm pretty sure I'm not goingto go get a butter mold.
I don't have one.
(41:39):
I bet you could probably justuse like a silicone mold too.
Like, make a little we do have.
We do have a unicorn siliconemold that I got to make row
unicorn ice cubes, what sheloves.
Maybe I can make unicornButters.
She would freaking love that,because row loves butter.
She would just eat butter onits own.
But yeah, and then you get toadd like the flaky salt to it.
(42:00):
I think that's such a funhostess gift which, like you
could actually use.
That would also be good forlike I keep going at a gag gift,
but for a secret sienna, if youwent and got like a crusty loaf
of bread or even made somebread, but that makes it a
little bit, a little bit morecomplex.
Um, but honestly, making breadis even that complex.
But yeah, we're making buttercubes.
I'm so excited.
(42:20):
I'm so excited.
I just want to, like, make myown butter and taste it and wash
it.
So, yeah, we're making buttercubes.
And if you're needing a lastminute fun little gift or even
just a fun activity for you andthe fam, like that's a fun
activity During this holidaytime when you're all off just
chilling make some butter, makesome bread.
(42:41):
So yeah, yay, I will post thatvideo on tick tock, on instagram
, on youtube.
It will be a viewer of uber.
It will be uber accessible.
It will be uber accessible toall of you.
I love you all so much.
Thank you for coming andjoining us on day seven of
podmas.
We are officially a week fromchristmas.
(43:02):
This is when it gets excitingfor me.
This is when it gets exciting,like I'm just excited to get to
spend time with so many family,because my true love language,
like on top of all, my actuallove language, is time spent
with one another.
What is it called time spent?
Quality time.
That's it.
That's my actual leveling,which is quality time.
So I just get so excited forlike the good times that we get
(43:23):
to spend with people.
I literally haven't reached outto any of my friends to have
one-on-one, because usually wealways do our one-on-ones Like
the week between christmas andnew years, if we're gonna do
that.
But I got to reach out, I'mjust like that's, that's what I
mean by like it hasn't clickedyet.
Like usually it's like the weekbefore christmas, today and
onwards, all of a sudden it'slike, oh yeah, yeah, christmas
(43:44):
is here.
We gotta spend time with people, not buy things.
Okay, I love you all so much.
Hugs and kisses what.
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