- books
- pens
- mint gum
- yarn
- movies
- doll house sets
- etc.
She wanted to know if there is anything missing from the list that she should add and my one piece of advice was to be specific with her items.
- Which books? Paperback or hardback?
- What type of pens?
- Which brand of gum?
- What color yarn? What brand? How much?
- Which movies? What format?
- Which doll house sets? What size do her people need? And again, what brand?
- etc
Not only is a vague list harder to buy things from, there is a good chance that the items my parents select wouldnt actually be things she wants.
It would be like walking into a music store and expecting the guy behind the desk to recommend a new artist to you with no information about what sort of music you like or what messages you are looking for.
I told my sister she would be a lot better off to find items she wants on Amazon and leave links to specific items she wants.
Usually I dont create an official wish list but am trying to also be direct. So far its working!
1) Compact travel bag.
A few weeks ago I was looking for a bag that folds up into a very small pouch which can be placed in a carry on in case you need extra space. I hadnt found one I liked on Amazon but did find one in a local store last night I really liked.
It was a duffel bag which folded into a small pouch the size of computer mouse.
So, last night while we were at the store I told my mom:
me: hey I really like this
me: hey you should get it for me for Christmas
me: Like literally you should buy it now so you dont have to make another trip
She did.
2) Dehydrator
I had also emailed my dad about possibly getting a food dehydrator this afternoon:
my email:
Hey I also really want a dehydrator for Christmas. And if we can pick one out sooner so I can dehydrate things over Christmas break that would be cool. You can dehydrate fruit and vegetables. And we have a lot of cans and if any are going to expire, you can dry the food to extend the life by 7-8 years. Then you can rehydrate!
I wanted one in like 2013 but it would be cool to get one and there are several on Amazon on sale. Thoughts??
He replied right away: OK. Pick one out & we can order it as your Christmas present
So yeah. I'm drafting this the afternoon of Black Friday so thats kinda why Christmas shopping is on all of our minds today.
But I thought I would share because its a good lesson. Sometimes all you need to do is ask.