Gift Registry. . .

A long time ago my buddy Linds (What up Lyman!?!? Miss your face!) started telling me about this great philosophy that she had about gift registry. She basically said that you should be able to register for gifts like at Target or Macy's any time - birthdays, house warming, because you had a bad day, whatever. Everyone should have a standing registry at all major department stores just IN CASE someone feels like buying you a gift. Frankly, I agree with her.

Sidenote: more people should participate in random gift buying. It's fun to give someone something for no reason. They are surprised and you are excited and oh, I'm getting excited talking about it! it's so fun!

So really, why should only the engaged and preggers people get to have all the fun? Sometimes I want a registry just so I can play with the scanner gun but mostly, I'd like the convenience of never having to take back a gift. That's the point of the registry, right? Get the person things that they need or would like without doubling up with the other people that might be on the same hunt. Well I submit for your pondering: Why does that only apply when you are having a baby or getting hitched?

I, for instance, like to read which in turn leads to an unhealthy spending habit on books. I love buying all sorts of books and a week doesn't generally go buy when I don't discuss, to some extent, a book that I'm reading or a book that I've heard of that I'd like to buy. People know this about me and I generally get a book at most holidays and special occasions. (Good thing I don't have an unhealthy liking for diamonds or anything! Books are cheap!) Anyway, there have been several occasions when I've had multiple copies of these fine pieces of literature because "frequent discussion of books" + "unhealthy spending habit" + "need for gift" = buying the same thing for me when I already own it because I can't control myself and wait for someone to get it for me. You get the point. If I had a registry, I could mark things off as I received them and add things as new items came out that I liked and hazzah! Gift-return free forever.

Enter my new passion: Amazon Wish List. I am going out on a limb and telling you that I think everyone should have one and manage it accordingly. I don't normally endorse things like this so take note!

If Amazon were a normal site like say, OldNavy.com or something, you can see why it would get boring to make a wish list because all that would be on it is clothes. Not Amazon, no, no. Because of the very eclectic nature of the site, you can put anything (literally) on your wish list! Watches, books, dvds, clothing, anything. It's basically a gift from above. And it's SO easy to use. . . just find an item that you like and click once and it's been added. Then, when someone wants to know what gifts you may be in the market for, they can just jump on Amazon and take a look! A-mazing!

Amazon also offers this great feature where you can put in important dates to remember and will send you reminders to do your shopping. I haven't used it yet but I think it's brilliant. I generally remember birthdays but only on the day of. . . er. . . or the day after! What can I say, I'm not perfect.

Now I know what you are thinking: "I don't want to have to pay shipping on something." No, no! You don't have to. Just because you can see the list on Amazon and see what they like doesn't mean you have to buy it there! You can just get an idea of what I want and find it elsewhere if you are so inclined or if time doesn't allot for shipping.

So I know this blog sounds like I'm just telling you where to find the list of gifts that I like (which to this point, it kind of is) but that isn't my whole point. . . hahahaha. I would REALLY love it if everyone had a list! I waste a lot of time looking and pondering and searching for what I think people don't have when if they just had a up-to-date gift registry, all of our lives would be a lot easier when it came to gift-purchasing. Plus, who doesn't love getting what they want? That's what I thought. No hands.

Linds was right, as usual.