Winter has arrived and so have my shopping issues

  I suppose now that we have a fine blanket of snow covering the ground that doesn't disappear with the morning sun I should just go ahead and admit that winter has inevitably come.  At least it has up here in the arctic tundra of upstate (not Albany but waaaay upstate) New York.  I have my first cold of the winter season and I've been taking Emergen-C to try and knock that bitch out before the holidays.
  With the admission that winter is here, I should really get my butt in gear and get to the Christmas shopping.  I love giving gifts on Christmas, my bank account doesn't love it as much.  I know it's not the whole point of the season, but seeing the joy on someones face when I nail it and get the perfect gift makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  I'm a shopping slacker though.  Every year I have grand intentions of going out early and having everything done and every year, without fail, I find myself scrambling in the last week to finish shopping and start wrapping.  This year I'm telling myself that I'm going to win the giant lottery and so I have to wait for that.  Those hopes will be dashed tonight so then I'll think of another excuse.  Don't get me wrong, I have some stuff squirreled away in the closet but I've barely made a dent so far.  I was talking with a friend at work who told me that she was already done and wrapped, WRAPPED!  She started back in July.  She puts me to shame! 
  My mom is the worst to shop for.  You could ask her a million times what she wants and not get an answer.  She doesn't want to put us out.  When my brother and I were younger, she told us that she wanted  Youth Dew powder from Estee Lauder so ever since then, it's our go to.  I shudder to think of how many boxes of Youth Dew she has piled up in her house.  My brother is an uber-geek so he wouldn't be to hard to shop for, if he didn't buy everything he wanted for himself before Christmas!  Bill, basically my step-dad but he's not married to my mom, never wants anything and is super hard to buy for as well.  One year I bought him ice fishing tip ups (poles basically), ice fishing poles, for God's sake!  These people are taunting me but I will get them something awesome, as God as my witness, I shall not be denied!  Ok, rant over, as you were people.  I did mention that I love this gift giving crap, right?