Real Life Adventures by Gary Wise and Lance Aldrich for December 22, 2020

Ahhh yes! The earlier days of a relationship when the needs were big and the budget was small. You convinced yourselves that buying something to help you build and enjoy your life together was a gift exchange.

Rug burns! The perfect gift.

Maybe do an early anniversary gift – a new Roomba?

We have done “together gifts” for a long time. Last year it was a trip to Hawaii to celebrate 35 years together, and this year it’s new pots and pans. I love Christmas! :)

Stopped giving each other gifts a few years ago. Now we just exchange with the kids, and after Christmas each of us get to hit the after-Christmas sales and buy ourselves what we really want!

Oh a word to the wise from the (apparently) wiser—never try to vacuum pine needles—clogs up the hose and could permanently ruin a good vacuum!

We don’t really exchange gifts anymore, but most years (not this one) we’ll buy ourselves something and wrap it, then open it on Christmas Day for the other to see what “they” got us.

Carpeting is a need and a compromise as a gift when accessing how to spend limited funds. Hopefully, though, they got each other at least some small token of affection….

Our tree has a few packages addressed to both of us, “from the dog.”