After stalking the USPS tracker way more than I’d like to admit (and getting way less done at work than I’d like to admit), my gift arrived today! Unfortunately I had to be somewhere after work and only had enough time to see the box before I was out the door again - the curiosity about killed me! Inside the box were four wrapped presents and a card, which I read first. The card was so sweet and offered clues to what two of the presents were: a crime book and a book for my 4 year old that my Santa had loved as a kid.

I happened to open the crime book first (‘I’ll be Gone in the Dark’, about a woman’s search for the Golden State Killer) and was so surprised! I’ve been wanting to read this one for awhile now so I’m so happy to finally be able to! For someone who isn’t into crime books that much my Santa really killed it with this book! Pun absolutely intended.

The next present I opened was actually the book for my 4 year old. This one surprised me as well! When my Santa said the book was one he loved as a kid I wasn’t sure if the book would be an older book (meaning my Santa may be older) or a more recent one (meaning my Santa may be younger). The book was ‘Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type. I didn’t have this book as a kid but my little brother did and it’s hilarious. For anyone who isn’t familiar with it, a farmer’s cows go on strike after the farmer denies their request for electric blankets, leading to a farm-wide standoff. I’m so excited to share this story story with my 4 year old - he loves silly books and books with lots of repetition (Caps for Sale is a current favorite) and he is going to love this! Thank you, Santa, for including him!

The third present was a book called ‘Mistletoe Murder’ which looks like a really fun read. I’m not the best about reading from a variety of authors (I tend to get lazy and stick with my go-to’s, a habit I’ve been meaning to break) so I’m really excited to try Leslie Meier’s book out! Just need to light the fireplace and make some cocoa. Thank you, Santa, for getting me out of my comfort zone!

The final present was rectangular but looked too big to be a book. I was right, kind of! My Santa got me a deluxe hand lettering kit! I mentioned in my Secret Santa info sheet that I love crafty things, love experimenting with different fonts, and love wall art/things to decorate the house that I’ve made myself. I’m so excited to use this kit. The kit includes a book with instructions on lettering and some really neat ideas, such as how to make ombre watercolor fonts and even how to make maps! I think for my next house project I will make a map of Kansas for our living room. The book is also really neat because it has lettering tips and techniques from seven different artists, so there’s tons of creativity there! The kit also included a paper pad and watercolors/paintbrush, colored pens, and a black felt pen. Thank you, Santa!

I’m so touched by how thought out all of the gifts were - each gift was so perfect! I’m looking forward to enjoying every one of them! Thank you again, Santa, and I hope you have a fantastic year and a wonderful Christmas as well!