Operation gift hiding: mission impossible or not

WANTED…..hidden staircase in the study of my massive house that leads to massive covert crafting room in the basement where I store all of my crafting accessories, gift wrap and holiday presents that I’ve already purchased that need to be hidden from my children for another month.

REALITY CHECK…..I live in a pretty modest house with a finished basement, unfinished attic and not an inch of spare closet space for hiding my gifts. PS – I haven’t purchased any of them yet anyway.

I’ve learned over the years that in order to be a successful gift hider you must be patient, sneaky and prepared for a multistep process. The multi-stepping is essential to your mission because you must not be sloppy and you need to give yourself enough time to be thorough in each step and cover your tracks.

1 – After shopping it’s possible that you will need to keep gifts in the car for sometime. Be patient. Bringing items into the house if you cannot complete the mission will end in colossal failure. Use a large recyclable bag or tarp for covering items while they are awaiting their exit.

2 – Stealthily transfer gifts into your home. This must be done when recipients will be out of the house for an extended period of time.

2a – Consider wrapping presents at this point before bringing gifts to their final hiding spot but only if you have enough time to finish. If you run out of time during this step you will have to abort and there is a possibility of mission failure.

 

3 – Place gifts in their long term hiding spot and make sure to remember where you put them. Forgetting your hiding spot will also lead to a failed mission.

I recommend hiding things in the attic or furnace room. Realistically, these are places that even the most curious will overlook for snooping. If you have a pedestal washer/drier you can put some small giftables in the pedestal drawers. If you’re tall, use your height to your advantage. Not everyone can access the top corners of cabinets and closets. Another strategy is to think dust bunnies. Where are the most? Obviously these are the corners that everyone forgets about. Slide some small items in these tucked away places.

Throughout the process it is imperative to remain cool and calm. The last thing you want to do is blow your own mission and make others suspicious.

Where are your favorite hiding spots? Best getting busted story? Please share and most importantly, enjoy your mission.

Written by Jodi Aishton | Space Therapy Montclair LLC