When Sophia or her sister Anne unwrap  presents,  you should grab a seat, because it will take a while.  
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In their family, wrapping to disguise the gift is almost as important as the gift itself.  And on Christmas day, the family takes turns, examining and guessing what each gift is before they slowly unwrap it.  
The goal is to guess correctly, then unwrap with the largest piece of wrapping paper intact.  

So at the then of the day, they have a stack of reusable paper, a mound of crumpled paper and many boxes!   In addition, this year, Anne ordered  items from Amazon that came in oversized shipping boxes.  Neither Anne or Sophia throw things away if they can use it for something, so they've come up with a few unique ideas. 

If you are wondering what to do with all your boxes, here are their suggestions:  

Use the boxes for:

1. Repacking  the Christmas ornaments after the  holiday, (especially if you used the original boxes to ship gifts to relatives )
2. Temporary furniture  -- Stuff one with paper and tape securely.  Cover with a cloth to make a temporary side  table (just don't put anything heavy on it)
3. A puppet show.  Cut a hole in the front,  make one dimensional puppets from the piece.  Wrapping paper can be used for the a curtain or to decorate the puppets.
4. A disposable sled -- cut a side or knock down flat and sit on to slide down a hill if it snows.  Or try it on a steep wet hill if you don't have snow. 
5. A giant chess game --  measure squares and piece them together with tape.  Use bows of different colors for the pieces 
6. Extra cushions for under your yoga or exercise mat 
7. The car -- A trunk protector,  temporary floor mats  (for those dirty jobs) or to check if oil is leaking
8. Garden paths -- cut into the desired width and use in the spring.  Keeps weeds down, mud off shoes and eventually breaks down into mulch. 
9. And if none of those appeal, recycle!  Most communities have recycling programs for paperboard and corrugated. 

Can you add to the list?  If so, please comment.  

The holidays are in full swing now.  I'm always amazed when someone says they are all ready for Christmas and it's not even December 20th!  Sometimes it's because they are super organized and started in September, but it may be they have a different perspective - maybe they just buy less.

It's fun to give gifts (and nice to receive them) but gifts aren't the only thing we can do  to make our lives and those around us more pleasant or joyous.  Think of it not as a day, but a season of continuous giving.  

Little things can warm the heart and make someone's day: 

A smile 
A laugh 
Your attention if they've been wanting it 
A hug (you might want to limit this to close friends and family)
Write a note to a loved one, expressing what you appreciate about them
Send a note to someone you've been meaning to get in touch with
Hold the door a little longer to keep it open for the next person
Let the harried woman with the little kid go in front of you in line
Let someone have the good parking space even though you got there first

Can you think of more?  Please add them in the comments. 

​Keep smiling!