I am not a good wrapper, no matter how you spell it (but on occasion I can bust a move to a rap song – a discussion for another day). This time of year my focus drifts back to how little I enjoy wrapping holiday gifts. I think my lack of excitement shows on the gifts, but then I wonder if anyone really cares about how they look on the outside.

There was a time when I spent an inordinate amount of time and energy on the wrapping. Indeed, the wrapping itself was a gift in-and-of-itself. Perfect creases and folds, beautiful tags and elaborate bows and ribbons – I used to get an “A+” for presentation. Alas, that was back in the days when I didn’t have kids and I only had a limited number of items to wrap. Four kids and two grandkids later and let me tell you – the fact that I even get the wrapping paper out is a testament to my fortitude.

The best thing that ever happened to folks who are over the act of wrapping are gift bags. I do not have any idea what gift-wrapped challenged individual came up with the idea to make decorative bags that gifts can just be dropped into, but it was nothing short of brilliant. These days these bags are available in every conceivable size and design.

The really nice thing about using a gift bag is that it still looks like you made an effort (which is more than can be said about some of my wrapping results). Plus, in my family we recycle gift bags. We have a couple of them in the rotation that have been around for five plus years – a sturdy gift bag is worth its weight in gold.

Of course there are difficulties with recycling when someone pulls a rookie mistake and actually writes the person’s name directly on the bag. The only avenue then is to cover the previous year’s name with a label with the current person’s name. The problem is the covering labels need to get bigger every year and after awhile the prettiness of the bag is overwhelmed by the giant covering label. But rookie mistakes aside, gift bags are (at least in my mind) the salvation of the un-inspired and un-enthused gift wrapper.

You might think my apples would not fall far from the tree, but in this case – not so much. Perhaps it is because they are still on the lower end of volume. There is hope that I will have at least one child that appears to be carrying on my utilitarian sense of gift wrapping. Cheyenne has instituted an approach wherein all the person’s gifts go unwrapped in one larger box and that box itself is wrapped. The box then gets a label and that is it. As Cheyenne says, “I don’t do bows.” Plain, simple and to the point…however, she does spent an untold number of hours creating cards from scratch for every family member that are full of heart and creativity. These cards are the first thing that everyone sees when they open their boxes and they are the gift she is the proudest to give (regardless of what else is in the box).

It seems like Cheyenne has the right idea. She realizes that it is what is on the inside that matters and she wraps and creates accordingly. And the truth be told, the things we all remember most are the things created with great heart. I can exactly remember my Cheyenne card from last year, but I cannot tell you one thing about how the wrapping looked.

Lessons in wrapping, delivered by a 10 year old – oh, the unexpected joys of the season.

Day one hundred and fifty-four of the new forty – obla di obla da

CC