Christmas Week: wrapping paper

I've done very well when it comes to wrapping paper. I haven't bought a roll in two years as I'm trying to slowly eat through my stash that once expanded into two wrapping paper storage containers. I'm down to one. I sold one last year.

This year we made our own. Not enough to wrap all our gifts, but we made two sheets. Earlier in the season, I bought stamps from the dollar store. Darling daughter had great fun printing the paper and herself.

When we were done, we wrapped one grandparent gift.

I wouldn't say making your own wrapping paper is all that economically feasible when bath time is taken into account, but it was fun.

The problem with wrapping paper

Hi. My name is Valerie and I'm a wrapping paper addict.

I'm not fooling. I'm a wrapping paper addict. I love, love, LOVE wrapping paper. I just adore it. But the problem with wrapping paper is that it collects. There are only so many gifts you can wrap in any given year. And I fall in love with new wrapping paper patterns. I buy my new loves, fall in love again and buy my new, new loves. Yep, it is a nasty, costly cycle. I've had a wrapping paper problem since I was a kid. I was always buying it or asking my mom to purchase it. I think she is still using some of the wrapping paper I bought.

It got so bad that I had two wrapping paper bins stuffed full of wrapping paper. So I decided to do something about it. No more wrapping paper purchases. I went cold turkey last year. I didn't buy a single roll. Not one. And this year I found the will power not to buy any new rolls. And it is paying off. I am slowly getting through my wrapping paper stash. If I'm lucky this year, I'll downsize to one bin. Seeing my shrinking stash makes dear husband very happy. Over the years he has grumbled extensively about my wrapping paper addiction and how my bins cluttered up the closet. Curbing my wrapping paper addiction is a big accomplishment for me. Now if I could only do something about my Christmas card addiction . . .