Anyone else thinking about Christmas yet?

[Sunshine1528]

I love Christmas but basically because the families are together at one time and I have oodles of nieces and nephews to watch - I love little children. Now I have a grandson who will be 1 1/2 this Christmas so he'll start catching on soon.

I begin picking things up here and there so it doesn't hit my budget quite so hard. But this year I actually started a Xmas fund at my Credit Union so I should be prepared a bit better $ wise.

We also bought season tix to our local NHL team home games so my adult children will receive a couple of games - voila ! 6 gifts already bought and paid for !

I am assuming this year we will all be strapped more than usual and that is when I start doing more of the homemade or smaller gifts that can make a bigger hit. Sometimes when we are all in this boat of not being able to have the extras we are used to, those little things we can't treat ourselves to are the best gifts. A gift card for a local restaurant for a dinner out is a treat for some, movie tickets since they are getting outrageous, or video rentals with a big basket of goodies like chocolate, popcorn, Hot Tamales, hot chocolate or a bottle of wine, etc. Try putting together some theme appropriate gift baskets - they can be fun and much less expensive than something that won't be used or appreciated.

 

[amyg]

Yes I've already started thinking about Christmas!!! I love the holiday season for some reason; I always have.

I'm like Cynthia; I get all my shopping done early. My favorite thing to do is get it all shopped and wrapped early, then go to the mall (or Union Square in SF!) the few days before Christmas and watch everyone. Try it; it's loads of fun!

This year will be rough due to the same old money reasons, and because my dad bought my mom really nice jewelry for their 40th anniversary last year. I used to get her some fun earrings or a necklace but now she has the nice stuff that's all she wears! Can't blame her though.

The holiday got much better when DH's family switched over to a Secret Santa plus gifts for the kids; much much easier to think of stuff for one or two adults instead of 12-15!!

I love the whole thing; DH puts so many lights on our teeny duplex it's hilarious. His favorite part. We also love putting up our village; we do that Thanksgiving weekend. It makes my workout area smaller for a month but that's okay! It's special to me since DH a long time ago said "of all the things we dream about, the village is something we CAN do now (in our apartment) so we're starting our village this year."

Last year we didn't see family and I missed it (a surprise to me how much) so I'm really looking forward to celebrating with everyone this year.

 

[JennieR]

Jennie,
I'm a fellow scrooge! I hate the holidays. I hate the fact that since Labor Day, stores not only have Halloween candy but Christmas displays as well!
I hate the expectations, the unrealistic holiday traditions, the whose house are you staying at? are u coming for Christmas this year?, the pressure to create a perfect holiday, and most of all I HATE the fact we've never had any money to do a nice Christmas for our kids!
I'm already in my pre-holiday funk b/c my hubby and I both have birthdays in the next 2 weeks as well as our 20th anniversary and as always...NO MONEY to celebrate.....
we're aiming for a trip to McDonald's followed by window shopping at WallyWorld! Haha! LOL!
Sorry about the rant...did ya notice, I'm not a fan of holidays?

Becky

Ah yes, Bah humbug to all.

 

[dbelden1]

I admit I got into the Christmas Holiday much more when we lived in the Pacific Northwest (also in Alaska) so you actually get the 4 seasons and SNOW. Now that we are in Vegas while it's not exactly 90*'s in December, it's not snowing either! We didn't even buy a tree last year! oye!!! we don't have kids and are pretty far from family so we just didn't get into it. Hopefully this year will be different

 

[THARTMAN]

I love Christmas!!!!!! I started a list of gift ideas...have not started shopping, have been saving money... can't wait for Christmas songs and movies!! Especially it's a wonderful life and national lampoons Christmas vacation.
Tracy

 

[fit44]

Especially it's a wonderful life and national lampoons Christmas vacation.
Tracy

I think those are fantastic movies

We made watching Christmas Vacation on Thanksgiving a tradition. I even have a set of wally moose mugs to toast to the beginning of the holiday season!

We quote lines from that movie all the time. Gotta love cousin Eddie

 

[MAYNARDSMOM]

Oh How I LOVE Christmas movies!! That one is a fave of mine also - Christmas vacation. We are trying to get the extra money together to go down to Florida this yr for Christmas. It will be the last year to have Christmas in my grandparenst house (they finally sold it after both of my Grandparenst have passed, my folks live in it now) I have so many fond memories there. I told my boys last night we can watch all of our Christmas dvd's on the l-o-n-g ride down from New York!! What fun that will be....at least for me.

 

[fit44]

A Christmas roadtrip sounds like so much fun!
I've always wanted to spend Christmas on a beach with my family. Many dream of a white Christmas, I dream of a white sand Christmas

I love Christmas Story.....you'll shoot your eye out! LOL
The Grinch both original and the one with Jim Carey,
Miracle on 34th street.

 

[Liann]

Jennie,
I'm a fellow scrooge! I hate the holidays. I hate the fact that since Labor Day, stores not only have Halloween candy but Christmas displays as well!
I hate the expectations, the unrealistic holiday traditions, the whose house are you staying at? are u coming for Christmas this year?, the pressure to create a perfect holiday, and most of all I HATE the fact we've never had any money to do a nice Christmas for our kids!
I'm already in my pre-holiday funk b/c my hubby and I both have birthdays in the next 2 weeks as well as our 20th anniversary and as always...NO MONEY to celebrate.....
we're aiming for a trip to McDonald's followed by window shopping at WallyWorld! Haha! LOL!
Sorry about the rant...did ya notice, I'm not a fan of holidays?

Becky

Lol, I could have written your post! My anniversary, birthday, and DH's birthday are all within weeks of Christmas. It all always gets lost in the chaos that is the holidays and we never really celebrate any of it. Even Christmas we don't really do anything as a couple, just go to my parent's house for dinner on Christmas Eve. This year is going to be even worse because all of the inlaws (16 of them) are flying and driving in for 2 weeks over the Christmas holidays. I don't know how to even begin to buy presents for that many people not to mention the 12 nieces and nephews and 3 sisters, their DH's, etc... on my side! Plus having all those people in my house for 2 weeks while I am still trying to work and take care of my 3 doggies, etc... I'm thinking about moving into my workout room and installing a lock on the door. Halloween is my favorite holiday and I'm not even hyped for that yet because I'm so busy getting the house ready for the guests. So, I guess I'm with the bah humbugers.

 

[Gayle]

I don't enjoy the holidays at all. I'm so not looking forward to Christmas. I know, I'm a scrooge.

I hear ya JennieR! I really dislike the giant spend-fest that the holidays have become. DH and I stopped exchanging gifts a long time ago, and we haven't had a tree in 10 years. I actually started giving away my Xma$ ornaments. My sisters think I'm nuts.

A few years ago, our extended family agreed to do a secret Santa with a $25 spending limit, instead of buying an individual gift for everyone. The idea was a hit! It took so much stress off the whole day, and let you be more creative with that one gift.

 

[lioness]

I get called a scrooge around the holiday season because I don't decorate. I don't put up tree. I don't even have ornaments. My family doesn't exchange gifts anymore. We do however adopt a needy family and lavish them with toys, gifts, food, and stockings. It's so much more fun. The holidays I had as a child were magical. It's nice to be able to give that to another family.

 

[LaughingWater]

I can easily see how having to buy so many gifts would sour one on Christmas. We limit our gifts to our parents and own children (I have 2, with 2 gifts per kid).

Having everyone staying at my house for longer than a couple of days would have me heading for the airport myself.

Most of my family lives here, so we don't have much in the way of visiting relatives. Our typical Christmas = lots of Christmas lights and food.

Our favorite Christmas movie ~ Bridget Jones's Diary. I know...weird. But it makes us laugh, and it begins and ends (happily!) with the Holidays.

We do however adopt a needy family and lavish them with toys, gifts, food, and stockings. It's so much more fun.

That's cool!

 

[Gayle]

We do however adopt a needy family and lavish them with toys, gifts, food, and stockings. It's so much more fun. The holidays I had as a child were magical. It's nice to be able to give that to another family.

Very cool!

 

[berry99]

Yep, I am done Christmas shopping. I just spent $1200 on plane tickets to see both of our families, so I think that's their gift. I may also donate some money to everyone's favorite charities in addition.

 

[berry99]

Our favorite Christmas movie ~ Bridget Jones's Diary. I know...weird. But it makes us laugh, and it begins and ends (happily!) with the Holidays.

My fave Christmas movie too. I also watch Love Actually between Thanksgiving and Christmas every year too.

 

[purple_magada]

I love the holidays. I enjoy cooking and having family over. The only thing I have bought so far for Christmas is a Wii. I ordered it over the summer b/c I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find one come the holiday season.

 

[LaughingWater]

I also watch Love Actually between Thanksgiving and Christmas every year too.

Excellent choice! If only we could have a PM like Hugh Grant. I love when he goes knocking on random doors:

[the Prime Minister is knocking on doors to find Natalie]
Harris Street old lady: Aren't you the Prime Minister?
Prime Minister: Yes, in fact, I am. Merry Christmas.
Harris Street old lady: Oh.
Prime Minister: Part of the service, now. Trying to get round to everyone by New Year's Eve.

 

[jtlane25]

Oh my gosh...with 4 kids...I'm shopping year round for gifts and stashing them. I got some awesome deals at the end of the season on clothes at JCPenny's last May for winter clothes....guess what my pre-teen girls will be getting???? A wardrobe that my receipt said I saved (are you sitting down?)....$805!!! Can you believe that.... Every thing was marked $2.97!!! Also, clearance toys I pick up year round too..... It's the inlaws that I typically start thinking about this time a year....I make homemade kiddie stuff for them. Last year I did mirrors with handprints of each child in a different color and printed that Handprints on the Wall poem....they loved it! Man...how do I top that????

But, you are not alone....I'm early myself!!

 

[dragonf1y]

I love Christmas, everytime I start singing a Christmas carole outside of December, my DH gives me a dirty look. I love the time spent decorating my home or anywhere else. I love buying presents and getting presents. I have already started my Christmas shopping. Snowflakes are my favorite Christmas decoration and I found a new ornament a couple of weeks ago.

 

[mackenzie]

I am almost done with my Christmas shopping. I always start in July. After Halloween, I just like to sit back and relax with my candy cane candle burning, an endless cup of hot tea, fresh baked cookies and a good book (if my 4 year old allows that one).