Snooping, oh no!

[nebe]

Oh girls, I'm having a weak moment.

It's three days til Christmas and I KNOW my present is in the house (and I have no idea what I'm getting) and FH has gone out for a stag night. I'm twiddling my thumbs and trying to watch John & Kate Plus 8 but it's starting to set in.

I have a TERRIBLE history of snooping for gifts and the last time I did it I found diamond earrings and was so disappointed I ruined it for myself. So I promised myself I wouldn't ever do it again but it's proving more difficult than I originally anticipated. It's like trying to quit smoking or giving up chocolate (which I will never do, by the way

)!!

How many of you snoop? Fess up! We could start a Snoopers Anonymous!

 

[HeartingDiamonds]

Not only do I snoop, I stage full-on searches and raids (I would do a cavity serach, if it came down to it, darn it).

This year, to avoid the problem of snooping, I bought the present myself! Saved myself a whole lotta trouble

.

 

[isaku5]

I''ve given up snooping. DH can hide things that sometimes he himself can''t find! Our DIL, though, is an expert snooper and managed to find her wedding ring long before the wedding. Our son has caught on to her devious ways (nope, not through me) and is getting very clever at hiding gifts!!

 

[sera]

I snooped a couple times when younger... sometimes I may get curious, but I''m just not a snooper (my mom is big time!). This year I already know most of the presents I''m getting anyway (my family knows how picky I am, so they usually ask what I want), but I do like getting some small surprises (I just don''t like surprises on the big things).

My ering was delivered here and I didn''t snoop... for that I get an A+ cuz I was really tempted!

 

[DiamanteBlu]

I don''t think there is anything to find here. LOL! This year we have been quite lax about gifts. I have just started getting some things for DD and Christmas Eve dinner - have not even begun to think about DH yet [except for planning to bake those orange cookies!]. I think the older we get the less we worry about it. We pretty much get what we want throughout the year with maybe a random surprise here and there [that way you not only don''t know where to look but you don''t know when!].

But, yes, I have been known to snoop in the past.

 

[Kaleigh]

I''m a terrible snooper. Was snooping at my parents house looking at presents just before my boyfriend now hubby was to propose. Hubby called me to come down stairs and I was annoyed, saying I am busy snooping, what is it that you want!! Went down stairs to see him on bended knee. That was on December 21st, 22 years ago.

I know Hubby bought me a ring for this Christmas, and am wanting to snoop. But come on I am too old to be snooping.

I have to guard my room from my evil teenagers that inherited my snooping gene. I have surprises for them hidden in here. When I leave to go out to parties I just know they come in here snooping. Things get moved, so I know they have tried to find the goods.

I moved the wrapped presents down stairs, and will be really mad if they find the few surprises that I have for them. Since they are older it''s hard to buy for them, so get what they want. But really love seeing the element of surprise and delight when I get them something they didn''t expect...

So don''t snoop, is my advice. Good luck holding out!!!

 

[E B]

I''ve snooped once or twice, but like you, I was always mad at myself for doing it.

Take a deep breath and remind yourself that Christmas morning is less than 3 days away. You can make it.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I voted, "Well I never! ABSOLUTELY NOT." only because like DiamanteBlu, there isn''t anything to find!

My husband gave me my Christmas present for my birthday. It''s a digital photo album. Now, he''s giving my birthday presents for Christmas and I''m not even bothering to look because he has super human powers via his physics degree and can hid just about anything without me having a clue where it could possibly be. Either that, or he usually does his shopping the day before Christmas to be make sure none of the gifts are found! lol

 

[DiamanteBlu]

My B-day is a week after Christmas. Maybe DH will cough something up for that - but I won''t hold my breath! LOL!

 

[rainydaze]

when i was eight years-old i snooped and found most of my xmas gifts - turns out i had found all of them! come xmas day, i had no fun because i already knew all the gifts. i kept waiting to open one i hadn''t found that would still be a surprise, but it never came. so i learned then that i LOVE surprises more than anything else; i love the suspense, the anticipation, and the discovery. i can receive a spectacular gift but if the giver has given me hints (and i almost always figure it out even with the vaguest of hints, and without even trying) and i''m pretty sure i know what it is, i''m a little disappointed when i open it. and that, for me, bites big time.

i say stay strong nebe! don''t ruin it for youself... you''re in the home stretch. hang in there and you and your FH will have more fun come 12/25!!

 

[Miranda]

I am a naughty snooper! As a child I would unwrap my presents and re-wrap them. I would climb into the attic to snoop. Oh I was bad...With too much time on my hands. Now I am not much better. If I even suspect DH is thinking of something I search the glove compartment, his nightstand, ANYWHERE!!! *hanging head in shame* I have no self control when it comes to ruining surprises. Even when I don''t try to ruin surprises I manage to do it. When I was preggers with our daughter I really wanted a heat beat monitor. I mentioned this in passing to DH who in turn ordered one. Two days later I told him I was going to order one myself. Of course, he had to tell me that mine would be arriving the following day. Just yesterday DH and I had a few last minute Xmas errands to run and while we were out I wanted to drop off my ring to have a cleaning, polishing, and plating. Of course, he had been there the day before looking for a tsavorite

for meeeeeeeee!!!!! The jeweler thought he brought me in to look at the stones and so I inadvertantly spoiled my own surprise AGAIN!!!!!!!! Karma? Oh well. Good thing I don''t really like surprises anyway. Or I guess I should say I have a different philosophy on surprises. It''s like finding the gender of an unborn child. You are either surprised in the delivery room or in the ultrasound room. No difference to me.

How''d you do today nebe?

 

[nebe]

Date: 12/22/2007 11:03:43 PM
Author: Miranda
I am a naughty snooper! As a child I would unwrap my presents and re-wrap them. I would climb into the attic to snoop. Oh I was bad...With too much time on my hands. Now I am not much better. If I even suspect DH is thinking of something I search the glove compartment, his nightstand, ANYWHERE!!! *hanging head in shame* I have no self control when it comes to ruining surprises. Even when I don't try to ruin surprises I manage to do it. When I was preggers with our daughter I really wanted a heat beat monitor. I mentioned this in passing to DH who in turn ordered one. Two days later I told him I was going to order one myself. Of course, he had to tell me that mine would be arriving the following day. Just yesterday DH and I had a few last minute Xmas errands to run and while we were out I wanted to drop off my ring to have a cleaning, polishing, and plating. Of course, he had been there the day before looking for a tsavorite

for meeeeeeeee!!!!! The jeweler thought he brought me in to look at the stones and so I inadvertantly spoiled my own surprise AGAIN!!!!!!!! Karma? Oh well. Good thing I don't really like surprises anyway. Or I guess I should say I have a different philosophy on surprises. It's like finding the gender of an unborn child. You are either surprised in the delivery room or in the ultrasound room. No difference to me.

How'd you do today nebe?

I haven't snooped yet!!!!

I did eat like a pound of cookie dough though.

I'm an emotional eater. I'm working on it. I love surprises, but I'm a terribly impatient person. If I have one coming, I'd better not know about it!!

 

[Miranda]

Date: 12/22/2007 11:17:25 PM
Author: nebe

Date: 12/22/2007 11:03:43 PM
Author: Miranda
I am a naughty snooper! As a child I would unwrap my presents and re-wrap them. I would climb into the attic to snoop. Oh I was bad...With too much time on my hands. Now I am not much better. If I even suspect DH is thinking of something I search the glove compartment, his nightstand, ANYWHERE!!! *hanging head in shame* I have no self control when it comes to ruining surprises. Even when I don''t try to ruin surprises I manage to do it. When I was preggers with our daughter I really wanted a heat beat monitor. I mentioned this in passing to DH who in turn ordered one. Two days later I told him I was going to order one myself. Of course, he had to tell me that mine would be arriving the following day. Just yesterday DH and I had a few last minute Xmas errands to run and while we were out I wanted to drop off my ring to have a cleaning, polishing, and plating. Of course, he had been there the day before looking for a tsavorite

for meeeeeeeee!!!!! The jeweler thought he brought me in to look at the stones and so I inadvertantly spoiled my own surprise AGAIN!!!!!!!! Karma? Oh well. Good thing I don''t really like surprises anyway. Or I guess I should say I have a different philosophy on surprises. It''s like finding the gender of an unborn child. You are either surprised in the delivery room or in the ultrasound room. No difference to me.

How''d you do today nebe?

I haven''t snooped yet!!!!

I did eat like a pound of cookie dough though.

I''m an emotional eater. I''m working on it. I love surprises, but I''m a terribly impatient person. If I have one coming, I''d better not know about it!!

Good girl!!! You''re a stronger woman than I.

 

[Skippy123]

Miranda, your post made me lol!!! I do some of those things. I like to know what I am getting but I am worse at wanting to tell people what they are getting. I get sooooo excited buying presents that I can't wait for friends/family to open their gifts. I made my hubby open his Christmas gift early. I know how I am so now I try really hard to buy things at the last moment.

Here is an example. It was a few days before my SIL birthday and I talked to her husband about getting her a spa package (massage, pedi and mani) and I paid for it over the phone w/the spa people and they told me the gift card would be arriving in the mail. I started to think well I better tell my SIL so she is on the look out for it in the mail. gosh, I am bad but I love buying people gifts; it is the waiting that kills me

. hehehe

ETA: Miranda, (lightbulb moment) you better go fess up to your gift in SMTR in a thread Mara started for Christmas bling

hehee Can't wait to see it!

Date: 12/22/2007 10:28:22 PM
Author: rainydaze

i say stay strong nebe! don't ruin it for youself... you're in the home stretch. hang in there and you and your FH will have more fun come 12/25!!

Oh my cuteness, that made me laugh Rainydaze!!! I love what you posted. Yes, stay strong everyone; I hate when I have nothing to open that is new!! hehee

 

[Miranda]

Date: 12/22/2007 11:46:53 PM
Author: Skippy123
Miranda, your post made me lol!!! I do some of those things. I like to know what I am getting but I am worse at wanting to tell people what they are getting. I get sooooo excited buying presents that I can't wait for friends/family to open their gifts. I made my hubby open his Christmas gift early. I know how I am so now I try really hard to buy things at the last moment.

Here is an example. It was a few days before my SIL birthday and I talked to her husband about getting her a spa package (massage, pedi and mani) and I paid for it over the phone w/the spa people and they told me the gift card would be arriving in the mail. I started to think well I better tell my SIL so she is on the look out for it in the mail. gosh, I am bad but I love buying people gifts; it is the waiting that kills me

. hehehe

ETA: Miranda, (lightbulb moment) you better go fess up to your gift in SMTR in a thread Mara started for Christmas bling

hehee Can't wait to see it!

Date: 12/22/2007 10:28:22 PM
Author: rainydaze

i say stay strong nebe! don't ruin it for youself... you're in the home stretch. hang in there and you and your FH will have more fun come 12/25!!

Oh my cuteness, that made me laugh Rainydaze!!! I love what you posted. Yes, stay strong everyone; I hate when I have nothing to open that is new!! hehee

Hehe! Nothing *really* to confess yet. They only had an oval and I really want an emerald cut. I'll see what they get in and I'm doing a bit of research on my own. I need to enlist my good friend Harriet! This will likely be an anniversary gift. Since DH let the cat out of the bag I will have to micromanage the project. I did happen to pick out something *else * little though! I've been with MIL and DD at the ballet today and haven't had time for pics, but, that's my goal for tomorrow!!!

ETA: Sorry for the threadjack!

 

[orbaya]

I don''t snoop because I want to surprised. If I snoop and figure out what I''m getting, I don''t want to have to ACT surprised towards the giver. Besides, I know hubby would be really bummed if he found out that I went looking for the gifts...it would ruin it for him too so I don''t snoop. I know I''d be disappointed if I were the giver and the recipent did that.

 

[gailrmv]

I''ve only done it once. I snooped and found a silver necklace in DH''s apartment (back when we were dating). Then it took forever for him to give it to me. Turns out it was something his grandma bought for him to give me and he forgot about it. Weird, huh? So, I''m not really a snooper anymore, but that''s usually b/c there''s nothing to snoop for - anything major we usually talk about beforehand! Also, since I pay our bills, I usually see stuff on the credit card statement before I even get the gift - how disappointing is that?!

 

[Rhea]

I'm in recovery and have been clean for almost 2 years.

As a child I would pick the lock on my parent's guest bedroom and go look at gifts. I've been known to unwrap and re-wrap before but I think that's how my snooping ways were found out. I've since become a much better present wrapper.

For past boyfriend's, yes, but not so much. I'm an excellent guesser and would always guess correctly and they would be very disappointed that they weren't going to surprise me.

My husband, knowing my previous convictions and wanting to avoid the temptation so that I can continue to stay clean, hides the presents at his parent's house. The couple times that they've been in our appartment I have found them, not necessarily through snooping but because the flat is so small that we literally use every nook and cranny. I don't have my parent's house to hide stuff in for him so he often accidentally finds my gifts for him as well.

I'm still a good guesser though and have to stop guessing and act surprised even if I've already figured out what it is. I can honestly say that I've only been surprised twice in our five year relationship.

 

[Girlrocks]

Bet this guy wished that he hadn''t peeked!!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,318009,00.html

 

[Ellen]

I did the same thing as rainydaze. I don''t remember if I saw everyone, but I saw enough to ruin my xmas. I''ve never peeked again, as I too found out just how much I love surprises. It was really easy for me, especially since as you get older, life holds so few nice ones anyway, I treasure them even more.

I have seen hubby come home from shopping and put a sack for me in his dresser drawer more times than I can count, and I don''t even think about peeking.



Addy, I hope your post was meant to be humorous, because I found it very.

Girlrocks, I heard that on the radio yesterday!

 

[zoebartlett]

I don''t snoop anymore but I did when I was little. My parents used to hide presents for my sister and I at their friends'' houses but we always found a few that didn''t make the trip.

 

[lyra]

I was a terrible snoop as a child. I would open and rewrap. Have done that a few times as an adult too!

This year I've been pretty good. I'm not looking at the bank acct. online until after Christmas. It's a dead giveaway, and my husband hates that I have this option.

ETA: After having typed this, I'm suddenly feeling very weak. Yikes. Give me strength, I've been so good!

 

[Rhea]

Lyra, you can be strong. I know what you mean about feeling weak. After typing in this thread and the other on snooping I''m feeling a strong pull to snoop. 36 hours, we can make it, Lyra and Nebe!!

Ellen, it may have been funny but it''s oh so true!

Nebe, how are you doing? Are you home alone again?

 

[Ellen]

Don't snoop you guys. You just ruin your surprise, and then there's nothing to look forward to, and you'll have to fake it.

Be strong!!

You can do it!

<------- DO NOT TOUCH

 

[Mara]

I've ever only snooped for a gift once and it was when I was sure he had the e-ring in the house and I opened up his sock drawer to get something and saw a ring box in the back. And I was like do I open, do I not etc. Well I didn't and it wasn't it anyway.

But I really don't understand snooping I guess. If you do find something and open it, your gift is totally ruined. For me I love the element of SOME sort of surprise. If you do find something as well and are sure it's for you, then it turns out it isn't..YIKES! OR what if it's for someone else. Hahah.

So nope, not a snooper. I've learned that it's much more fun to be surprised. Also I think I'm too lazy to snoop, opening something then re-wrapping it seems like such a chore hehe. Even if I am the one who chose it, and I know that it's under the tree for me and I know WHAT it is, if I haven't seen it yet then it's still a surprise. What I typically do is send Greg a list of things I'd want and then I don't really know what I got from the list. This season I do know at least one thing I got for sure, and it's under the tree crying to me...but I haven't seen it and I won't til Xmas morning!!

OH and random add but it would have been easy for either of us to snoop this season. I used my Amazon Prime account a lot during the holidays because of the free 2 day ship on anything Amazon ships themselves...so 1/2 of Greg's gifts came from there. I gave him my login and all that so that HE could shop my wish list and buy from there if he wanted and take advantage of the 2 day free ship. So he could have gone into my order history and looked, but I told him not to. AND then they sent me the order confirmation and shipping conf because it's all in my name and email and all that, AND sent the packages to my name as well. BUT because I'd already finished my shopping before he placed his orders, I just put them aside and said I think those are for me....hehee. If I was a snooper I would have had a field day with that one!

 

[dani13]

Ohh... you're so good, Mara. I've totally ruined so many gifts for myself by snooping. I do it, and then I always regret it. That was years ago though, I haven't done it in awhile...I realized soon after that by snooping I only spoil things for myself, so why do it? Sometimes its still hard to resist the urge though!!

 

[nebe]

Date: 12/23/2007 12:16:20 PM
Author: Addy
Lyra, you can be strong. I know what you mean about feeling weak. After typing in this thread and the other on snooping I''m feeling a strong pull to snoop. 36 hours, we can make it, Lyra and Nebe!!

Ellen, it may have been funny but it''s oh so true!

Nebe, how are you doing? Are you home alone again?

I''m good. I ended up watching Becoming Jane instead of snooping. I didn''t eat anymore cookie dough either! Now lets see if I can make it through the next two nights!

I too used to stage full on raids of the house when I was little, and I''d try and pick the corners of the wrapping paper to see if I could tell what my gifts were but I haven''t done that in years now. I have to wrap FH''s gift tonight and I want to just give it to him! I''m terrible about that kind of thing as well.

I''m still on the wagon though, and that''s all that counts!!!

 

[rainydaze]

Date: 12/23/2007 3:50:34 PM
Author: nebe

I''m good. I ended up watching Becoming Jane instead of snooping. I didn''t eat anymore cookie dough either! Now lets see if I can make it through the next two nights!

I too used to stage full on raids of the house when I was little, and I''d try and pick the corners of the wrapping paper to see if I could tell what my gifts were but I haven''t done that in years now. I have to wrap FH''s gift tonight and I want to just give it to him! I''m terrible about that kind of thing as well.

I''m still on the wagon though, and that''s all that counts!!!

just keep saying to yourself ''i know i can, i know i can....''

i hear you on the giving issue. snooping isn''t a temptation for me but darned if i''m not bouncing of the walls with anticipation over handing out the gifts i''m giving.... i can''t wait!!! i''ll get some relief tomorrow as that is when my family celebrates together. merry christmas eve eve!!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

My husband tends to work from home the couple of weeks before Christmas so I CAN''T snoop. He''s always here!!!!!!!

I''m certain he does it on purpose.

 

[nebe]

So I'm sitting on the floor in the living room wrapping gifts for FH's best friends' kids. Doing my thing, humming and everything!

FH... asks me to wrap my gifts (there was an "S", I caught it!!)

...are you KIDDING me? Well I NEVER

I told him no (with a "hmph!" sound) and explained my snooping history and how I was so proud of myself for not snooping last night when he went out and he changed his tune to supportive mode.

Men! Sometimes!!