Suzanne and Michael Are Getting Married: Merry Christmas! (Part 1)

Our first Christmas as an engaged couple! I knew it was going to be a difficult Christmas for me this year, but I was determined to be cheerful, and we had a nice time. Now let’s get down to the important part- the presents!

Mike and I put a spending limit on ourselves that was half what we spent last year, since we’re saving up for the wedding. It was also a good idea to put the brakes on our spending, as it’s been escalating- last year I bought him a flat screen TV. I just couldn’t top that this year!

Every year I try to make a keepsake from a part of our tree. Aw.

And from champagne corks! Jessica started it!

Mike thinks it's really cute. (No.)

So I got him a few things he asked for- a subscription to Gamefly ($12 instead of $100 for the two games he wanted- score!), some accessories for his phone (discount from sister, score again!), some clothes, shoes, a cable for the computer and some things for his guitar, which included his ‘big’ present- some type of noise eliminator thing that cost half of his total.

I did pretty good, for him. Not only did I get some good deals, some of his presents benefited me again this year (see big screen TV above). The cable was so we could watch movies from the computer on the TV (already put to use when I made him watch The Best of Amy Poehler last night) and one of the phone accessories is a car charger for our twin Blackberries. Not to mention I picked out his new clothes myself at Brooklyn Industries, a nice compromise of casual clothes I wouldn’t mind seeing him in, that he doesn’t mind wearing. Wardrobe crisis solved! (i.e. I win.)

Now for me! I got a few things I specifically asked for, like a watering can and a dance DVD. I got about 40 Ferrero Rochers (little joke of ours), a memory card to put music on my phone (plus a promise to help me load it up), 2 books plus a Borders gift card, an electronic photo frame (and something else I can't remember but I;m sure I just loooved!) Unfortunately Mike had a medical issue pop up and was unable to finish shopping, so he ‘owes me’ a few more things, which I doubt I’m going to ask him to follow through on. I’m quite happy.

Although he did flake out on one thing- for four years now I’ve been asking him to get me stuff at Victoria’s Secret, and he is just too intimidated. This year I literally spelled out exactly what kind of underwear I wanted, and reminded him again how the VS salesgirls are used to talking to husbands, fiancés and boyfriends (and girlfriends) and won’t even blink if he asks for assistance. Trust me- years ago I was one! I saw a lot of boobs, a lot of nervous significant others and my fair share of sleezoids and snickering teenagers. Everybody loved waiting on the nervous boyfriends- not least of all because you could usually up-sell the bejeezus out of them. Hell, I thought Mike might even get a little kick out of having some pretty little thing pick out panties for him (er, for him to buy, for me, of course).

But once again, Mikey was too shy. I promised not to embarrass him too much on this blog, but he swore he was going to go through with it this year, so I am calling him out!