It will be here sooner than you think. Who has started their shopping? Anyone done?
What's on your wish list?
Who doesn't even want to think that far in advance?
I'm about 70% finished.
I really want a solar bird bath. I did buy some things for me for hubby to give me, an angel garden sculpture, a bird feeder and a copper bird bath.
seems jen buys for herself:)
We arent going crazy this year.Just bought the new house and grandson is in college in Florida and grand daughter goes next year.
My whole family (4 daughters,two SIL's and two sig others) draw names and buy a secret santas.
We also have a spending limit of $30.00. so we have to be creative.
The two grown grandchildren in college are added to the adult draw too.
They moaned but when it was explained 30 dollars was themost they could spend , and I was happy with a bag of bird seed or a promise to wash my car, they calmed down.
The house has one teenager who plays online XBOX games. We couldn't get her to help decorate the tree last year.
I am hoping that's not already this years tree! I can't believe it is NEXT month. Does anyone else dread getting out all the decorations only to put it all away in a month? I shouldn't be such a grinch lol.
I have started shopping, always do all yr. around since my family & my brother's family insist on living all over the country. His family gets books so those come out periodicaly also. I have told DH that I need a chair for this computer since the one I am using is a high kitchen chair which belonged to his mother.
Oh gosh no, not this year's tree, that's from about 2-3 yrs ago.
My hubby LOVES it when I do my own Christmas shopping, keeps him out of the stores(since he has not taken to shopping on line). I do about 95% of my shopping on line.
I do my decorating in phases. I first do a winter theme after Thanksgiving (mostly snowmen) and all of that stays up all winter. About the 2nd week in December I start doing more Christmasy decorating, the tree is the last thing to go up (the week before) since I keep it up thru Russian Christmas( Jan 7th).
I love this time of year!!
Wow - you're early, Jen! Haven't started yet. I will soon. I start decorating Thanksgiving weekend.
I love to decorate but start about a week before Christmas.
This is going to be a very lean Christmas for us. We have eliminated exchanging gifts with friends and neighbors and will just make do with the bare necessities. Ever since I worked in retail years ago, I have been discouraged with how out of control the whole holiday season has become. Maybe if and when the economy turns around, we can do more, but we still have one in college and are trying to help him through that. We've tried to prepare everyone that things are tight, and we cannot afford a big Christmas this year.
I stopped the lavish decorating because I grew tired of having to take everything back down and stash it away again. BUT... I don't have small children or grandchildren, so adults are much more understanding about the situation.
Please don't think I'm a Scrooge! We are just trying to get through these tough times.
I def can understand. We used to buy 2 gifts for all my nephews when they were little (there were 7 of them at the time) 1 clothing item and 1 toy. The Christmas I started working back in retail I decided we were crazy. When you work retail for 17 years you get tired of all the commercialized stuff and you're also so physically tired that you're not in the mood to decorate.
Now we do individual gifts( or sometimes 1 for the couple) for local family and I'll send a centerpiece or some treats for my sisters' families in FL and CO.
JoAnn, I'm also limiting my spending to $30 per person this year, as I went a little overboard last year, and I really don't make a lot of money. I love giving gifts to people, but my budget prevents me from getting much. I will have to be creative, too.
Tir_na_nog, I, also, dread getting out all the decorations just to have to put them away in a month. Just so much work! I have a friend who leaves her indoor decorations up all year. She is crazy about Christmas. That's a lot of dusting, though. Maybe I'm a scrooge, too. Personally I don't like all the intense commercialization of Christmas, and I think people give their children way too many things. I guess I better quit while I'm ahead on that subject, before I get booted off, but it's just not what Christmas is all about.
Mamasita, I don't think you're a scrooge. Just being practical, and I feel the same way. Wish I had money to do more, but with prices going up on so many things it makes it tough.
Karen
Here's a picture of my Dad's dog Buffy (on the right) and my dog Patches and the Christmas tree in 2006.
Oh yes - people go way overboard, especially with kids. We try our best to keep sanity and do our best to make sure they realize the true meaning of the holiday. I'm not into spoiled brats.
You go, Victor! I don't have kids, but I've witnessed too many people spoiling theirs.
Karen
I am about 1/2 way done..... Jen you are not alone... I actually started in August
LOL
No one here for christmas so we go to church Christmas Eve & open a few presents in the morning. Our three girls exchange presents for the children, not each other. We have never exchanged gifts with friends, just family. I'm afraid that the local gifts program is apt to have more families in need this yr. they serviced 35 families last yr.
I know what you mean, Iris. I volunteer at a local food pantry, and I'm telling you there are many more people in need this year than in previous years. And sometimes the shelves are quite bare, sad to say. They do holiday food boxes and a gift program as well.
I have been there myself when we were kids. My family was always needy. I don't make much money myself, and if it weren't for the fact that I live with my father, I would not be able to live on my own in this state on my salary. But I make a little too much to qualify for any services. Anyhow, I feel good about giving back to my community by working at the local food bank.
I don't know if anyone here is familiar with Ashwood Garden in Ohio, featuring the daylilies of Richard Norris. This year he introduced a daylily called MEMORIAL TO STEVE in memory of the late hybridizer from Ohio, Steve Moldovan. It's $200 (too expensive for me), but all the proceeds of the 2008 sales go to a local food bank there. I think that is great on his part to do that. Not only is it a great idea, but the daylily itself sounds like it is quite exceptional as a new hybrid, a northern rebloomer that has excellent plant qualities and gets absolutely covered with blooms. If I could afford it I would be jumping on that one.
Karen
I also dont give to friends and my brother and sister get a note that I gave to the Heifer Fund in their names.
Just my imediat family has a holiday dinner as my 4DD's live in the area. My grandchildren are college age so they will get the "green" gift.
I've been buying little things all year. Stan's still not too light on his feet with the broken ankle, so I imagine that I will be doing the bulk of the shopping. We make a lot of the gifts we give - neighbors get tea rings and cookies, we always make something for the kids and grandkids and I make for nieces and nephews. We love to give gifts, and have always given to the area church council's gifts for families. This year we are also doing the Shepard's Purse Shoebox program through the local youth fellowship. We exchange gifts with friends who this year took on four teenage nieces in need of a new home, to go along with their five children, so we will have fun coming up with some interesting gifts there - half of them have worked for us this year one way or another, with regular chores and with the extra need for help.
The decorating waits until after Thanksgiving. I hate the fact that we are rushed through the autumn season. I put up wreaths with leaves and seed heads, et cetera, some working for two seasons with holly and cedar greens. The picture is from two years ago. Sometimes I get lights up, one year we did all of the rose fences, but you couldn't see them for the snow. Usually, I get some up on the porch at least.
for some reason the picture won't post.
This message was edited Nov 7, 2008 8:50 AM
Anyone want these? 2 small planters possibly early Mccoy. The ram measures 5-1/2 by 4-1/2 inches. The thing on the right the wilderbeast kill in Africa.... 4 x 4 inches. The planter hole about inch and a half long and 3/4 in wide. They are crazed and not perfect. The only thing they are good for is a cactus or to start roots in water. Just pay the shipping which will be around 4.80. I can figure it out when I get your zip. I do have a paypal account......
No wreath on the door anymore since we replaced the wooden door with fiberglass, warmer & part of out window replacement to help with heating bills. We do have outside lights, small bulbs on a tree, but that is it for outside. Tree & family decorations inside. I have small swedish wooden christmas trees on the mantle piece as well as the crech scene & a advent calendar. Putting the tree up is ok, taking it down is a pain.
Kathleen, my friend's church is doing that shoebox program, also. We do angel tree outreach at our church.
Iris, they have those wreath hangers that go over the door, I got mine for a $1 at a craft store.
I want one of these advent calendars...
http://www.gardeners.com/Potting-Shed-Advent-Calendar/HolidayTraditions_Cat,36-838,default,cp.html
They have a bird house and woodland animal one too.....too cute!!!
Sent our 2 shoeboxes down to a senior center to be wrapped & sent on. It's getting more difficult to find shoeboxes.
I started in August too Allison..country fairs is a great place to pick up some homemade gifts.
I buy all my grandaughters Christmas dress's and I spoil the heck out of them cause I can. lol
My DD is one who went over board with the gifts...this year she has a different outlook. She spent over 200 for a kitchen set last year for the girls and they played with it maybe 5X. They asked for it to be moved out to the garage as it was taken up to much room in their playroom. They haven't touched since. With the price of gas and oil she has come to the realization that they won't have psycological problems if they don't get what they want....only if they don't get what they need. Big difference!!!!
At least now you can sell stuff on ebay and recoup some of the $.
Instead of gifts this year, our plan is to spend an overnight or two at a place in Lancaster, Pa. that has an indoor pool/play area. So our kids' families can spend time together doing somthing a little differently. That will be 13 people. (5 of them 4 and younger)
taking a trip to the christmas tree shop today... going to TRY and behave though ... wish me luck
:)
Good luck, and have fun! I find that sometimes I walk out with a cart full, and sometimes empty handed.
We are going to New Orleans for Christmas for 12 days. We rented a tiny two bed room condo in the French Quarter. My 93 year old Mom is joining us to spend the holidays with our son who moved down there in Jan of this year.
I will get something green to decorate or a wreath. But not much else. I will take the old family stockings to stuff with silly or needful things, mostly food, toiletries, or office stuff that we will buy down there. Presents will be books, most of which I have already ordered. Some new, but many out of print or used copies. Books relating to New Orleans and cook books for the son. A couple of gardening books from Santa to me. I will mail the box as I don't want to take them on a plane. The trip is our present.
I have been hunting eBay for a fun thing I do for my mom for Christmas. I send her an old fashioned glittery German advent calendar for Dec 1 with 23 small gifts that are numbered and wrapped for her to open each morning until she joins us in New Orleans on the 23rd. I give her mostly little Christmas pins or earrings or her favorite little candy treats or books. She loves it. Not much she needs at 93. We have a couple of real gifts for her for Christmas morning.
I will miss having a house to decorate and the dinner parties. But DS is now the Chef De Cuisine of a great fine dining restaurant in New Orleans called Cuvee, so he will be feeding us well, unless we give him the day off and we do the cooking. Mom makes wicked pralines and rum balls. So she will be bringing those.
And to give you all a laugh once again. Here was our tree last year. OPPS. Don't buy a crooked one! Patti http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=4311159
Patti that sounds wonderful!
Sounds like a great trip.
Patti, that trip sounds like it will be lots of fun, and you will be spending Christmas in a warm place, which is something I would like to do. Oh, your poor tree!
Karen
We went out to dinner tonight (I know, early, we are usually just leaving for dinner right now) to the "Beale Street Cafe". The food is good, and we just decided to go to New Orleans for spring break. It'll be fun.
ooooohhhhhhhhh Patti... what a terrible photo of your tree from last year... I would have cried... but your trip sounds wonderful
I didn't do too bad shopping yesterday... did manage to spend $100.00... but got tons of stuff including the serving set I have been searching for... it had two gravy boats, salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, sugar, creamer, and a serving dish made out of ceramic... all for $12.99
love that place!
WOW, what a great deal!
it's a hit or miss store... but I can spend an hour just looking at everything
Actually I'm going there today after looking at their ad this w/e. I've been wanting a turkey for the garden for Thanksgiving, and they have one.
my wife never stops buying christmas gifts. it is a year long quest for her. she tends to go overboard, especially when it comes to our two boys, actually men since they are in their 30's.
one is married and so there is our precious DIL to buy for and mone is dating his girlfried for over 3 years so thats close to having another DIL..
she will set up the christmas treee BEFORE thanksgiving. it's artifical but it has over 1500 lights on it. her favorite movie is "it's a wonderful life" so i bought her years ago the town show in the movie complete with the bank and soda shop.
i do quite a bit of outside lighting. i have a 24 ft. flagpole and i run a 3 ft by 3 ft lighted star up to the top. also have lights running from the bottom of the star to the bottom of the flag pole.
i hope you don't mind my adiding a few pictures from last christmas. this is our dining room table with the tree in the background
