Christmas Presents: On-line Shopping or Facing the Masses

This has to be the first time in my history of Christmas shopping I am 99% complete--not wrapped, but the gifts are bought.

Between running both kids to basketball, meeting editing deadlines and the day job, I have discovered the wonderful world of internet shopping. As my beautiful niece would say, "You punch on the keyboard what you want and they deliver it to your door the next day. Oh, and you don't have to pay." Wishful thinking, Maisy.

Now I don't normally do this. Every year the dh and I dredge through the mall, store to store, window to window and immerse with a ton of bags. It's hot, crowded, and by the end of the day we've had it. Of course we always encounter the slap to the head moments like, "Do you know what we forgot?" At times, it's downright frustrating.

I have to admit, it is rather satisfying to have the UPS guy ring the doorbell and my package is delivered. No fighting for parking, no crowds and no misery. There is a little thread of guilt I'm plagued with by not shopping the traditional way, but it quickly fades after meeting the first rude holiday shopper.

What about you? Internet or do you bravely face the masses?

Halloween Adventures

Halloween rocks. No really, it does. Not only is it fun for kids of all ages, but it's my birthday. Hey! Before you even think about it! I've heard all of the jokes before! You're not funny! Yep. I'm the super cool mom who shares her birthday on the day when the veil between the living and the dead are meshed. What can I say? 

Being on the lower side of 40-ish, I've had a lot of Halloween adventures over the years. You remember--the times when getting into innocent mischief was not risking a lawsuit or someone wasn't running out of their house with a gun in hand.  

Toilet paper, soaping, I've done it all. I have to say my favorite was corning. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure... You take a handful of popcorn kernels and whip it at an aluminum sided house (no windows, please!) The sound was unbelievable, especially when you strike at the same time from front to back. Yep, our neighbors would thunder out of the house cursing up a storm while we hid behind a bush. Good times and clean fun.

One of my fondest memories was when I'd hang with my neighbor, Jimmy. He had this amazing talent of always finding us different 'activities' to get into. It was around Halloween and he had a hideous monster mask. He stole one of his mother's sheets and borrowed his little cousin, placing him on his shoulders. When he covered them both with the sheet, they looked like a 7-foot hunchback. Directly in front of Jimmy's house was a stop sign. He'd wait for the cars to stop and then dash out from the side of his house and scare the--well, you know what he scared. Those were the days when we could stay out until midnight and play in the street with not a care in the world. *sigh* 

What were some of your best Halloween adventures?