Cheap Gifting

Okay, so I was at Target today and a little episode I luckily witnessed inspired this post. Also, I find it conveniently timed near the holidays, especially considering our economic crisis and blah blah blah...

I'm walking out of the store with my incredibly exciting toaster oven when I hear this mother yelling at her 4 year old that her behavior is 'unacceptable' and she's 'tired of this shit'. I'm intrigued, of course, so I stare like the rest of the trailer trash nearby. Yeah, the kid was (most likely accidentally) swiping a copy of Tinkerbell on DVD. Kid read my mind... Really looks like award-quality work, there.

The incident reminded me of my childhood. Yeah, I know, sad already. But on many occasions, when I was little I didn't have any money, but I felt my mom needed a gift for her sacrifices made as a mother. Soooo, my little ingenious self decided it was a risk I was ready to take. Either we would shoplift her a gift, or she would just have to unknowingly buy it for herself. She deserved it, right? For mother's day one year she received a lovely hanging planter by surprise, and for her birthday one year I made her a card at one of those custom card stands. She did actually find out about that before the checkout... She didn't find it so sincere. Another time she unknowingly purchased a few bags of her favorite candy for Christmas. She was delighted on Christmas morning and puzzled at my resourcefulness. I think this is a lovely idea for those stressing out about finances near the holidays. Just go shopping with someone a little more 'secure' than yourself, and hope to God they (or the cashier for that matter) don't realize their extra item/s. :)

P.S. - Let's not let this one get back to Momma M. I'm 23, but it really doesn't matter...