Forgotten Oats and Gift Giving!

Wednesday nights I usually stay at the fiance's apartment, because his soccer games are on Wed nights. This entails a busy Wednesday morning of packing clothes and other usual overnight bag items, but also packing up my breakfast and lunch for TWO days! I had a leftover half of banana, which for me means Oatmeal! I packed up all the mix-ins...pumpkin butter, pumpkin, ricotta, granola, and white choc. PB! It was on my way to work yesterday that I realized...I never packed the actually Oats!!!

Good thing I had two days of breakfasts...I had today's planned breakfast yesterday and bought a new container of oats last night :)

My other breakfast was just as tasty though... 1 slice of Arnold's Double Fiber bread (they were out of Double protein...for the second time!), PB, raspberry fruit spread, and a banana!Lunch was equally delectable. I made another salad with baby lettuces, shredded carrots, and chopped green beans. This time I also added some walnuts and dried cherries!
Another homemade dressing...this time: EVOO, balsamic, honey, and Dijon mustardGreat flavors! Just a tad sweet from the honey to compliment the nuts and dried cherries.

Because the fiance's soccer game was at 10 PM(!!), we did some Christmas shopping and dinner beforehand. Dinner was delicious Thai food (no pics), but I have leftovers for lunch...YES!

I also had to get presents for the Salvation Army giving tree kid that I picked this year. There is one of those giving trees every year at my roommates work so I tell her to get me a tag of a child as well.

I had Malanya, age 8, who wants a game for 3 people or more! Well we were in the game aisle at Walmart for a LONG time...what do 8 year old girls like!?!

Finally I chose a new game and a classic...I kind of want to get that Pictureka game for myself...read about it!, and how can you go wrong with Twister!

I like to get a few other things in addition to what they asked for...this could very well be the only things he/she is getting this Christmas.

I also bought her some hair elastics, a 2 pack of gloves, fun new toothbrush, a set of markers, and a sketch pad!

We still had time to kill before his game so we hit up the HUGE Hannafords near where his game was in southern NH. I used to shop at Hannafords when I lived in NH, but there aren't as many in Mass. I did get some of the granola I've been missing...French Vanilla Almond...yum!!!! I was excited to put this on my oatmeal this morning.

I made my oats in a big mug since I didn't have my usual bowl. I also had no measuring devices for my liquid! Turned out great though...the usual: oats, water, milk, half of a banana. Stirred in: a little over 1 tsp pumpkin, and 1 tsp ricotta, a little pumpkin butter and maple syrup. Topped with the new granola!, and a spoon of White choc. pb.

When I got back to my desk I added a few choc. chips and PB chips from my trail mix...I was dying for the melty chocolate bites!

I enjoyed this with a medium Cinnamon Sticky Bun coffee with milkWell I am about 95% done with my Christmas shopping. Roomie just sent me the name of another Salvation army kid...there are still 4 left!!! Fiance is going to do this one...his name is Allan, 11 yrs old, wants a Red Sox gym bag! So we are going at lunch (he works down the street from me).

I love this type of gift giving! In fact I love all gift giving...except 1...Yankee Swap!! Fiance's family has one every year (this sat), and its just a $20 gift, but for some reason I am starting to HATE these things!!

First, I never know what to get...I know I know your supposed to buy something you want, but I can never just do that. Something with my personality gets my brain going to try and think of something everyone will like. I never can think of that gift, and then I just feel like I am wasting $20 on something random to possibly end up with something else I don't even want! $20 is a lot at the end of all my other Christmas shopping.

I would MUCH rather spend money on a nice present for someone in particular that I think they would really enjoy. I know that's not the point of the Yankee Swap...they are just supposed to be fun...but it's just never that fun to me. Also because it's not technically my family, I would never say anything or not participate.

Ok enough complaining...anyone have an idea for a Yankee Swap gift?? How do the rest of you feel about Yankee Swaps??