Gift Wrapping 101

We have a large extended family and about 30 people on our Christmas shopping list.  We budget for it all year, but unfortunately the budget doesn't show up and wrap all the blasted gifts.

If I had my way every gift we buy would be plunked in a gift bag, stuff some tissue on top and delivered to the reciepient with a smile.  However I have been told "nobody likes to reach into a bag to get a gift, the fun is in unwrapping it."  Said the male who hasn't wrapped a gift in 14 years.

In order to turn the pile of purchased items into thoughtfully bought and WRAPPED gifts, I have simplified the gift wrap process this year

 1 theme of wrapping paper

Polka dots were easy to find this year and work well for young, old, boy or girl. But I guess if they want their gifts bad enough it doesn't matter if you wrap your 90 year old grandpa's in hot pink Hello Kitty paper.  It's what is on the inside that is important people!

2 coordinating colors of ribbon

1 bucket of coordinating tags

I prefer the tie-on tags versus stick on.  Mainly because you have more options for attaching the tag and they come in more sizes.  So when you are trying to jam all 5 family members names onto one tiny gift because you are too cheap to buy more then one, you will have the room you need.
I also prefer the tie-on ones because the tend to be a little less "festive" then the sticker ones.  And because I'm a type-a, crazy anal, everything must match, weirdo, I do not like using a Santa tag on candy cane wrapping paper.  Just sayin......

And if you are anything like me, it will take you about 3 weeks to completely finish wrapping the gifts for extended family members.  Most likely finishing up minutes before you are to walk out the door to a festive holiday get together with said family members and at some point realizing that you forgot someone's gift and further realizing that you have absolutely no idea where that gift could be.

But when you are done you will have a fabulous pile of gifts stacked in your bathroom, because really where else would you store them?  Under the actual Christmas tree for the almost 2 year old to unwrap daily?  Or maybe in the garage which barely has room for 2 cars it was made for because of all the other crap necessities that are stored in it?
Yes, I did resort to gift bags for several odd shaped, over-sized gifts. Or when I was just to lazy to find a box or look for the tape/scissors yet again because for some reason they just keep walking off (in the hands of the above mentioned toddler).

Happy Wrapping Y'all