Christmas shopping

[CutnStuf]

So, everyone got your Christmas shopping done yet. I've barely started. Got to get out and hit the bricks tomorrow. :rudolph:

[mk56]

Bummer. By the name of this topic, Art, I thought YOU were going SHOPPING to buy ME presents! What a disappointment.

[CraftyMtnMom]

Nope. Not done. On the way out the door to do it now. I swear every year I won't do this again, but yet every year, I'm still scrambling at the last minute.

Have a good day everyone and please be safe out there.

[havanaholly]

Christmas presents are something we find or make during the year and give during visits or send as soon as we can. I have one to go to the PO today, in fact.

[jdodyd]

Finished on Saturday night. Just a couple left to wrap.

[Roxxie2]

Oh my! Not done? Sounds like the other individual at my house who hasn't started! I did a lot of "point and click" online so I was done early. I panic if I don't do it early plus I was sick for most of the month of December so I am glad I didn't have to think about it.

I just have to come up with Christmas dinner and desert. :xmas:

[Dalesq]

Yes and no. There's always something last minute. Plus I still have to wrap things. :Xmas:

[Selkie]

Due to my surgery things are going to be sparse here this year. We are doing stocking items and gift cards. My daughter took me out Friday afternoon to get things for that. Then on Saturday we did some grocery shopping for supplies for the food which is very simple this year too. No big feast, just good food that is quick and easy. We won't see all the family on Christmas day, some will be on another day and we decided that would be a no cook get together - Chinese and pizza - everyone got to have a say in what we will order. Again, quick and easy.

Now, if I could just get someone to haul down some decorations so I can at least set up a tabletop Christmas tree, I'd be all set. Those attic stairs are still a bit much when you are carrying heavy items. Fingers crossed that it will happen.

[jbnmini]

Selkie- that was me last year after my foot surgery. Not much decorating, and gifts were scant.

I promised myself to start shopping early this year. Yeah, didn't happen. LOL Got most done last week, and might have to do a couple of stops today...and then shopping for dinner stuff tomorrow.

Hubby generally always waits until Dec 24. LOL

[Marysuewashere]

Everyone? You assume all forum members are christians? I get really tired of that this time of year.

[Selkie]

Everyone? You assume all forum members are christians? I get really tired of that this time of year.

Check out the thread labeled Solstice. Several other traditions were mentioned there.

Maybe you would be willing to share the traditions that your family enjoys. I know I love hearing what is special to each person.

[rodentraiser]

I'm not religious, but I like Christmas. After Halloween, it's my favorite holiday. Or would be, if I didn't have to send cards. Thankfully, I'm down to about 5 people who I think deserve a card. Unfortunately, the boxes seem to come with 16 cards in them, so I've practically been handing them out in the street. I tried sending them out again the next year to the family, but my mom caught on. How does a woman who can't remember what she saw on TV the night before or remember what book she read last week, remember the card I sent her last year?

Shopping for me was a bust this year. All online, I ordered a TP cabinet for my mom and paid for it to be gift wrapped, a shirt for a friend, and a new keyboard and a book for me (notice who's taking priority in the presents here). The TP cabinet arrived unwrapped, so naturally, my mom opened, it, the keyboard was wrong and had to be sent back, the book was not in stock and the order was cancelled, and the shirt is out of stock, but I didn't find out until I emailed the seller just day before yesterday about why it hadn't arrived.

Other presents I had ordered almost didn't get picked up. I brought my little slip down to the PO and they tried to give me another resident's package. Then they kept my slip and I didn't receive another one. So a week later, after another half hour in line, I finally picked up my package. Then I had to go back and mail my mom's other gift (I had that one sent to me so I could gift wrap it this time). Now I have a notice of something else at the PO and it may be presents for someone else or for me - I ordered 13 spice bottles (all I could find) and stupidly, didn't tell the seller to wait till after Christmas to send them.

I was going to get the McCormick 24 spices and rack set, because Amazon had them on sale for $65, but all of a sudden they are $199 and for that, I'd rather buy my own spice bottles and fill them. Which I did.

I never got the candy I was going to send my mom and her sister, I haven't gotten the cards even done, let alone mailed as of this morning, and I have my hair to wash, dishes to do, laundry to wash, and I have to go to Walmart and I think maybe I'll just keep sitting here in front of the computer. Maybe if I ignore it, Christmas will just go away. Bye, bye Christmas.

[mk56]

Kelly, I can't decide if you're having a Charlie Brown Christmas or a Home Alone Christmas. You're killing me here! :rofl:You put your troubles in a very humorous way.

I don't do Christmas shopping. No one to buy for, no money to buy if I did Christmas shop. Christmas is just another day on the calendar for me. No turkey, no dressing, no cranberry/orange cranberry sauce, no smashed 'taters, no gravy, no pie and DEFINITELY NO green bean casserole as I cannot STAND the stuff. No laughs, no peeps, no merry Christmas wishing. It's all a matter of which side o'the fence you're on - I wish I had Christmas shopping to do. I would be thrilled to excitedly wrap a gift I'd bought with love for someone I love and get all excited with anticipation about their opening it.

[Debra from Olde Cape Cod]

Merry Christmas mk. :xmas_tree:

[mk56]

Debra, and to you and yours! Thanks for the warm wishes.

[kat57]

Not every Christian celebrates Christmas,MS. But as this title has the word "Christmas" in it,everyone here has the personal choice to skip any such labeled thread. I,too,would love to hear about your choice of faith/beliefs,if you have one and care to share that with us. The Greenleaf Forum is here for us to gather in harmony to share and enjoy our love of dollhouses and dollhouse miniatures,but I also enjoy learning the other aspects of our members lives. Personally,I love the choice and chance to read all the 'Chit-Chat',which is what this particular topic falls under.

[Roxxie2]

Posted 4 minutes ago

Not every Christian celebrates Christmas,MS. But as this title has the word "Christmas" in it,everyone here has the personal choice to skip any such labeled thread. I,too,would love to hear about your choice of faith/beliefs,if you have one and care to share that with us. The Greenleaf Forum is here for us to gather in harmony to share and enjoy our love of dollhouses and dollhouse miniatures,but I also enjoy learning the other aspects of our members lives. Personally,I love the choice and chance to read all the 'Chit-Chat',which is what this particular topic falls under.

Perfectly and beautifully said Kat!

[Marysuewashere]

I scoped out the thread because I thought it might have some ornaments-to-minis tips. Sorry for the grinchiness. My bad absolutely. Think about election season, and how tiring it can be. That is how the end of December is for non-christians. It is inescapable and can cause some serious frustration. I have to run several errands, but I have been putting them off because I dread dealing with the retail environment and the annoying "merry christmas" from salespersons and checkout clerks. The assumption that everyone is the same marginalizes those who are different.

Have a happy December. Enjoy the start of winter. Celebrate a joyous New Year. And please forgive the grinch for not holding back.

[me-barbie]

I admit it....I am "one of THOSE"

I was done in October. And I have already half finished for next year.

[mk56]

I admit it....I am "one of THOSE"

I was done in October. And I have already half finished for next year.

The Poster Child for Christmas Shopping! Congrats, Barbara! I hope you accomplishing your goal has resulted in a little less stress and more time to enjoy your loved ones this time of year. But my excuse is I have a gene you don't have that caused me not get my shopping done. I have the procrastination gene! That's my xcuse and I are stickin' with it!

[joannie]

I am done (she says happily) Merry Christmas everyone! (And from an ad I saw on TV - it's not what's under the tree that counts...it's who's around it!!)

[L Swearengin]

Shopping here has to be done early since the packages need to be mailed out. My spouse and I buy for each other year round, so waiting for the 25th is not necessary. Took packages to Warrensburg and let the kids open them early, I like being there when they open them. Besides I wanted to open mine, even though I knew what they were. My daughter wouldn't let me start building though HAHA!

[rodentraiser]

I scoped out the thread because I thought it might have some ornaments-to-minis tips. Sorry for the grinchiness. My bad absolutely. Think about election season, and how tiring it can be. That is how the end of December is for non-christians. It is inescapable and can cause some serious frustration. I have to run several errands, but I have been putting them off because I dread dealing with the retail environment and the annoying "merry christmas" from salespersons and checkout clerks. The assumption that everyone is the same marginalizes those who are different.

Have a happy December. Enjoy the start of winter. Celebrate a joyous New Year. And please forgive the grinch for not holding back.

Look at it from another perspective. These are all people enjoying our pagan Christmas tree. And very few of them even know it.

I don't know any salesperson who would dare say Merry Christmas or anything else, as a matter of fact. By the time I get through driving around for an hour to find a parking spot, fight throngs of people just to find out something I wanted is out of stock, broken, or too pricey, search for something else, stand in line to check out for over a half hour only to get up to the register and find out the item I have is a store display with no price tag and I forgot my wallet anyway, all I want to hear is "Your total is..." and "You may go now." Those clerks aren't dummies. They take one look at the wild-eyed hag in front of them and they know if they say Happy or Merry anything, they'll get a smack on the nose.

On the plus side this year, I want everyone here to know that I have finally done it. Took me almost 35 years, but: I MANAGED TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE SEASON WITHOUT HEARING ANNOYING CHRISTMAS MUSIC!!

Now, don't get me wrong. SOME Christmas music is fine, as long as it's tasteful. However, 99.9% isn't and I dread going into stores and hearing Jack Pack and the Rats mutilate Silent Night yet again. But this year? There was silence. Peaceful silence. This year's going down in history.

[rodentraiser]

Kelly, I can't decide if you're having a Charlie Brown Christmas or a Home Alone Christmas. You're killing me here! :rofl:You put your troubles in a very humorous way.

I don't do Christmas shopping. No one to buy for, no money to buy if I did Christmas shop. Christmas is just another day on the calendar for me. No turkey, no dressing, no cranberry/orange cranberry sauce, no smashed 'taters, no gravy, no pie and DEFINITELY NO green bean casserole as I cannot STAND the stuff. No laughs, no peeps, no merry Christmas wishing. It's all a matter of which side o'the fence you're on - I wish I had Christmas shopping to do. I would be thrilled to excitedly wrap a gift I'd bought with love for someone I love and get all excited with anticipation about their opening it.

Actually, ,my troubles are humorous now because I did finally get the cards done and mailed and was delighted to see a woman ahead of me dump about 40 of them into the box as well. I'm not the only procrastinator and that makes me happy (doesn't take much, some days).

My hair is washed, my dishes are done, I'm doing laundry after the holidays, my mother called me to let me know her package arrived (and was actually CIVIL to me), all the other presents are here including 4 of my spice jars (and they're GORGEOUS), so that means the other package at the PO is either the shirt or the rest of the spice jars. Whichever, they'll keep until Friday, which is when I'll go pick them up.

MK, I don't have anyone to decorate for either. I used to when my brother would visit, but according to him, I am now a welfare leech because I get food stamps. Then I used to at least buy a small tree when I had the dogs, and I don't do that anymore either. And when I called my mom a couple days ago to let her know when to expect her package, I got yelled at for buying her anything. She's got a point...she sends me money for Christmas and I use it to buy her and everyone else presents....LOL And I don't like going out to Christmas dinners myself. I don't like yams, mashed potatoes, green bean salad, cranberries, stuffing, or gravy.....I'm thinking pizza for Christmas dinner this year. Who's in?

The best present I got one year was when I was wandering the mall with no money and one of the stands gave me a free hot apple cider. That made Christmas that year.

But I have to admit, Christmases when I was growing up were never happy, so I really have nothing to miss. Christmas is like a blip on the calendar to me too. This is why we have dollhouses. I can't wait to get mine done so next year I can decorate it up for Christmas with a tree in the bay window, presents underneath it and the whole schmear. And this time I know the dog in front of it isn't going to eat all the popcorn off the string....

And, um, by the way, if anyone wants to adopt me at Christmas, I have a list, oh, maybe a couple feet long, of all the things I want and most of them are under $5...... Just sayin'.

And hugs to you, MK, on this holiday. {{{{{{{{{{HUG}}}}}}}}}}}

[Deb]

...I'm thinking pizza for Christmas dinner this year. Who's in?

I'm in! I make all kinds of untraditional meals for holidays In fact, I'll cook you a turkey dinner any day of the year except thanksgiving. LOL! Bruce and I both had a lot of holiday issues from families and former marriages so when we got together we decided to blow out all of them and decide what we wanted to do to make the day our own. The first thing we decided was that our families caused too much stress and we couldn't figure out why we'd want to ruin a perfectly good holiday by hanging out with people we don't like. So that got crossed off the list first. (admittedly that's kind of extreme but trust me, it was a good choice for us, albeit an unconventional one) The second thing we did was change the food to anything we wanted. I've made homemade pizza, sub sandwiches, pork chops, lasagna........even one memorable year when Bruce and Lee asked for beanie weanies, fried potatoes and cornbread. <happy grin> Works for me! After that all traditions sort of fell to the wayside. Some have been picked up again like decorating the house. I threw myself into it this year primarily because it was a good way to get me up and doing something creative. But we still do odd themed trees (the alien tree is one of my favorites) and practice weird habits on the holiday. We also tell friends that we don't want to exchange gifts because most of them have families and kids to think of so we take that off their list for them and we silently make a donation to a charity instead. The only rule we have about what we do for holidays is that it can't be something that causes stress. We spend time with friends and do only the things we love and it's working out quite nicely.

Kelly, I'll adopt you. We'll just tell people that you're tall for your age.