How to get what you really want

In recent years it has occurred to me that the best way to get what you want is to ask for it.  Case in point;  For most of our married life, buying gifts for me has been a struggle for Bill.  It isn't that he doesn't like to buy me things...he just hates to shop...and he has bad ideas (razor blades?).  Enter the world wide web and the solution to his shopping phobia.  For the past few years, in the weeks leading up to Christmas, I have emailed him a list of things I would enjoy receiving.  I include links to them (usually on Amazon) and give him a budget.  Problem solved. This makes Bill very happy because he gets to choose something he knows I really want and he doesn't  have to go inside a store.

This year, for my birthday, I decided to extend this same gift of happiness to my children.  I sent them an email telling them that what I really wanted this year was a new fireplace screen thing.  We have done updates throughout the house and the old shiny brass one just wasn't cutting it anymore.  Here is what we had:  (Try to look past the goofballs standing in front of it.)

I sent all the kids a link to the kind I wanted and suggested that they elect someone to coordinate the purchase, shipping and installation (I am, after all, a world-class control freak.)  It worked!!!  Here is my new fireplace screen thing which I received early in a little birthday celebration/installation party this week:

I LOVE my birthday gift!!!  It makes me VERY happy, and I appreciate everyone going along with my plan.  Now--didn't that work out beautifully?

Thank you, everyone!