With eight days left till Christmas, my finger is itching for the panic button. Dean and I agreed, it’d be a much lighter Christmas this year, after all Milo just turned two, and he’s only beginning to feign interest in boxes wrapped in frilly paper.

This year hasn’t turned out to be the greatest for us financially. That massive deal Dean was working on was supposed to float us into next year but it didn’t pan out, despite all the hours, diligence, blood sweat and expletives.

Since going freelance, I’m thankful for the clients I’ve gained, the people I’ve met. I’m thankful my gaps in between contracts weren’t wider. I’m back now with a former client, within their dark moody walls and trickling jazz music as we type on 2014 pearl white Macs lit by the glow of high-priced table lamps. I have my red pen and my seasonal pages and it’s quiet work in a busy hectic world. The check won’t come till 2014 so all holiday purchases are in the name of Visa. And I’ve come to terms with it.

But I cannot NOT get my parents something for all they’ve done. I can’t NOT get my best friend in Boston something. She sends our gift to us before everyone every year. I can’t NOT get something for my little sister in Denver and my younger brother in Austin. I can’t NOT get something for my husband, even though he calls himself Scrooge, the eternal present pessimist. The analyst. The ‘here’s three reasons why I don’t need this‘ and you should return it for a refund.

But there’s got to be something under the tree for him, he still deserves a little magic So last night, I googled ‘gifts for picky husband’, ‘gifts for the guy who has everything’, ‘gifts for metrosexual husband who is still a guy’s guy’… and what it yielded were things like 100% cashmere briefs with embroidered heart on the bum, an oversized engraved bullet/money stasher, a mile of land to own on Planet Mars and a Ferrari driving experience (which made me laugh if you read this post).

And in Dean’s typical fashion, he comes up with the perfect gift for himself last minute. This AM he texted me a picture of a knife sharpener. (Good I am not still watching Dexter.) He learned about this $23 knife sharpener in a cooking class we went to a couple months back. I’m also going to get him his first fresh shave with hot towels at a local barber, not the Leave It to Beaver kind, a vintage Rockabilly kind where they swim in tattoos and serve you bourbon.

So I’m wondering if I can ask a favor. If you have any other gift ideas for a guy like mine (and their really aren’t many), can you comment and let me know?

Also, besides Thomas the Train track parts and play food for my little man’s kitchen, any other must-haves for a newly minted 2-year old boy?

Toodles and tinsel,

M