The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Christmas has changed a lot since I was a kid. Our gatherings have gotten smaller, our menus have changed drastically, and our gifting has gotten more strategic. One thing, however, has remained constant: My mom has yet to find a way to label her magazine-worthy wrapped gifts so she can remember who gets what, and it has become one of the most looked-forward-to parts of the holiday.

It’s not for a lack of trying: She’s tried using color-coded wrapping paper, which works wonderfully if you stick with your plan 100 percent of the way. She’s tried color-coded bows, which worked great until the ca...