Grown-Up Christmas Lists
Happy December! Frankly, it's hard to believe that 2017 is coming to a close, but I am so ready. (Can you believe we started this year with Obama in office?) To celebrate the holiday season and give you a glimpse into my life, I thought I'd tell you what's on my Christmas list! I'd like to clarify that this is less of a "buy me this for Christmas" list and more of "This is what I would buy myself if I weren't spending all my money on other people and Taylor Swift concert tickets" list.
Even though I consistently made Christmas lists when I was younger, it's strange to see how my priorities have changed as I've grown up. Once you become an adult you stop expecting gifts and start buying more things for other people. One of my favorite parts of the holidays is not feeling guilty for spending loads of cash on my family and friends - I pride myself on my gift-giving abilities. Some years it's hit or miss, but I spend a lot of time thinking of presents and I am super competitive with my past selves. This takes up so much space in my brain that I almost forget that people ask me for wishlists (to be fair, no one has asked for one this year so I don't really have to make this, but I think it'd be fun to share!). I even had someone ask for my Amazon wishlist a few months ago around my birthday and I had to tell them I didn't have one because I update it so rarely. I guess that means I have everything I could ever want! (Jokes)
In actuality, my current wishlist is just VIP Taylor Swift concert tickets, but seeing as I'm splurging and trying to buy them myself next week, it doesn't really qualify for this list.
- Wonderstruck (Taylor Swift Perfume) - My current perfume is running out, and I've been dying to try this scent since it came out like 7 years ago. As if I wasn't enough of a Taylor fangirl...
- Monstress Vol. 2: The Blood - Last Christmas I received Volume 1 as a gift, and ever since I read it in January I've been dying for the sequel. This graphic novel series is so cool because not only is it set in a matriarchal society, but it has a disabled main character and talking cats with multiple tails! It also reminds me of Princess Mononoke...
- Princess Mononoke (Blu-Ray/DVD) - I have loved this movie since I first saw it in high school, and I still don't own a copy of it! This is the first Studio Ghibli film I ever saw, and I haven't seen it in a very long time. I love the world and the characters, and the soundtrack is one of my all time favorites!
- The Family Stone (DVD) - This is in fact a Christmas movie, but it's also one of my all-time favorite films in general. It's all about this huge family who come together for Christmas, but one of the sons brings along a new girlfriend who very much does not fit in the family. It also deals with cancer so cue the tears. I don't own this for my collection but I recently watched it a few months ago and it reminded me that I need a copy of it for the future.
- Canon G7X (vlogging camera) - I fully expect to not receive this, but I wanted the world to know I am interested in being a real vlogger! This is the main camera that YouTubers use to vlog their daily lives, and I have a lot of friends who love it. I want it primarily for vlogging purposes, but I also need a lowkey nice point & shoot for concerts...so here we are. It pains me that it's a Canon & not a Nikon, but because it doesn't use detachable lenses, I've accepted that it's okay. Someday I will buy this, but until then here's to wishing!
Aside from the uber expensive vlogging camera that I won't be able to buy myself until probably sometime next year or in 2019, there's nothing super major that I'm wishing for this season. In making this list, I was reminded of how truly blessed and privileged I am. I'm thankful I do have a job so I can afford to buy people gifts and to buy myself an endless list of things I don't need. (Literally, I spent over $7k on fun trips/stuff this year...don't judge me...) It reminds me that I do need to focus more of my money on other people - not just in great Christmas gifts for my loved ones, but people who truly need support. This year I donated to just a few causes, but I know I want to do more of that in the years to come.*
Now it's back to buying gifts for people! I only have a few more to shop for, but I am so so excited to see people open these gifts!!
Let me know in the comments what you're asking for for Christmas - or what you're most excited to gift to someone else!
*If you're curious, the causes that I donated to are: the ACLU (#RESIST), Delight Ministries, I Pour Life, and I also bought an album from Bandcamp because they were donating all the profits to Puerto Rico. Let me know some causes that you support/know need support!