Tuesday, December 23, 2014

How (Not) to Hide a Christmas Present

The inspiration for my post today was provided by my cat.

Our curious cat!
The other morning, I awoke to the rustling of a plastic bag.  I got up to investigate and, sure enough, the cat was the cause of the noise.

The afternoon and evening before had been filled with baking, errands, a quick dinner, and my son's school choir concert.  I began to get a headache around dinner time. By the time we got home from the concert I barely managed to write the next day's post and crawl into bed.  Somewhere along the way, the shopping bags with my purchases landed on our bedroom floor - and stayed there.

Waking up to noises made by my cat is nothing new.  For some reason, rather than just meow or come and pounce on me, the cat has figured out that if he causes an object to make noise, it will irritate me enough to get out of bed. Plastic bags are his favorite noise maker!





He just has to know what is inside!
The rustling noise that particular morning? The cat had found his Christmas present! Several bags were on the ground, but he had ripped open the one with his present in it - and he was investigating the package of jingling bells I had bought for him.

This made me laugh - and got me thinking about all the places I have hidden Christmas presents from my family and pets over the years.  I would tell you where they were - but my husband and my kids read my blog, so that would give my secrets away!

We encountered a new problem with keeping gifts hidden this year. Amazon Prime (free shipping!) makes it easy to order gifts on line, with just the click of a mouse.  We didn't think about needing to be able to identify who should open which package though  - and none of us specified the recipient's name on our orders. Instead, the default address had them all addressed to my husband!  This has gotten a little confusing; as packages have arrived, we've had to try to figure out whose was whose! So far, we have guessed well, and no surprises have been ruined.


Our guesses haven't been perfect though.  One day last week, I got an email from Carrie Groneman. She is the blogger whose book was one of the prizes I won in a giveaway contest a few weeks ago.  She was concerned that I had not received the book, as she had not heard from me.

I suddenly realized what may have happened.  Sure enough, one of my family members just assumed it was something that had been ordered for me, and they hid Carrie's package! As soon as located it, I opened the package and emailed Carrie.  I'm looking forward to some free time during the next week, to read her book, A Mother's Shadow.

Thanks Carrie!

Do you have good hiding places for your gifts?

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17 comments :

  1. I use my closet for most of them and inevitably I find things I meant to wrap and give after Christmas is over! Hope you have a wonderful Christmas, Susan!

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    1. At the last minute I realized I had forgotten one I stashed in my closet this year too! Hope your Christmas was wonderful Marie!

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  2. This is so funny Susan. Just last night, two packages arrived from Amazon, and we didn't know what was inside. Luckily my sister was on the way over, so we had her open them and decide who could see them! Your cat is so smart. Hope your head is feeling better!

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    1. It makes me feel better to know we are not the only one who made this mistake!

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  3. I used to use my closet, and then I had to get creative, because little people love to snoop in the closet (of course). But "getting creative" with my present-hiding means I usually end up forgetting at least one present every single year. It never fails!

    I'm so glad you found Carrie's book. At least it was put it a safe spot! lol

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    1. I was relieved we found the book too Kim - and embarrassed so much time had gone by without me thanking Carrie! Now I just need some free time to read it! I hope your holiday was wonderful!

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  4. Mwah-hah-hah! I have discovered the joy of hiding in plain site. My daughter just left to go to her dad's for Christmas, blissfully unaware that her Christmas present was sitting out on my dresser the whole time. Yes, in an unmarked box. But I get boxes all the time, so nothing unusual to look at or sniff around for. My husband's presents are in similar boxes scattered about my office.

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    1. I have used this trick too! It is amazing how sometimes things are just overlooked! Hope your holiday was happy!

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  5. I am an expert at the gentle art of pinch/poke/rattling parcels to determine what they hold. To the extent that gifts are well hidden from me. Spoil sports.
    And our cats open gifts too. Theirs, ours and any they happen accross.
    Merry Christmas.

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    1. I used to pinch/poke/rattle parcels, but one year I discovered Christmas morning how disappointing Christmas morning actually could be if I guessed the contents beforehand. Now I like to be surprised. What is it about those curious cats?!

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  6. No hiding place....I bring them home and wrap them immediately.

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    1. Good for you Delores. If I wrap too early, I forget what's in them!

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  7. Too good. Sometimes, they don't get discovered till Halloween . . . the next year . . .

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    1. You really must be good at hiding things, Diane!

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  8. It depends on whom it's for and how big it is as I tend to hide presents in a box in a closet or leave them out..

    My cats did the same thing this year, one of them found the bag that had all their toys for their stocking.

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  9. Boy am I behind! I used to have an older couple who lived next to us and he once told me that he hid all of his wife's gifts in the oven because for 40 years she never had opened it. They ate out every single night!

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    1. That's a little scary. Hopefully one year she didn't decide to surprise him, and cook!

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