Anybody getting excited about Christmas already?

[Mr.MouseFan]

Honestly, I put up so many lights and make so many decorations that if I were to wait until after Thanksgiving to fix what needs to be fixed, replace what needs to be replaced and then put it all up, the season would be practically over! I like to have everything in place to be able to flip the switch on Thanksgiving. Then I can focus on the baking, shopping and parties!

Here's the garland that I made last year:

 

[minkydog]

LOL DH's extended family shops this way as well... I always dread the Xmas gift exchange with them - we call it the dollar-store gift exchange. I have tried for years to convince them that we should just exchange cards and have a nice meal together, but they insist that they like to shop. So every year, we take home boxes of things they have found at yard sales, flea markets, and Dollar Tree. Ho Ho Ho.

The absolute worst was, one year, a cousin held a yard sale, and sold a vase to an aunt. A year later, by mistake, the aunt gave the cousin a lovely vase for Christmas... yup, the same vase she had sold at her yard sale. Oops.

I know what you mean. DSIL buys gifts for the kids all year long. Only, she doesn't buy with a specific kid in mind, just "kids' in general. When it comes time to give the gifts she goes to her storepile of kids' gifts and picks out 3-4 gifts. When DD was 14, DSIL gave her a Barbie tiara and a musical Barbie wand. When DS24 was 15, he got a Batman belt with matching Batman umbrella. Needless to say, my kids aren't all that crazy about opening her lame gifts. If she really wants to give them something, all she needs to do is ASK THEM what they like. Heck, at their ages what they want most is CASH. Easy-peasy.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I am finally ready!!!!

I would love to take down the Halloween, skip the Thanksgiving decor, and go straight to xmas!!!!! Part of that is because I am actually ahead of schedule on cleaning through the house and partly because DD just brought home Christmas music to practice for orchestra!!!!! We have also made plans to go to NYC for a day to do holiday stuff!!!! We were in Macys in NYC a couple weeks ago and went to the top floor to see all the Christmas trees and bought a couple items. Seeing Rockefeller and Macys just put me in the mood for the parade and the tree lighting.

OP asked about traditions:

we decorate the big live tree together one evening. We have cookies and cocoa. (We used to have a cat that would steal a cookie every year - really miss him!)

we also try to take time to do one holiday thing like a play, concert, etc - this year it is NYC. There is a local tree and Gingerbread house contest that we have meant to do, may fit that in.

I have a tradition of sitting down in front of "White Xmas" and making/organizing my holiday shopping list. We have usually seen family over the holiday and have ideas from them. If I have time, I also start the Xmas cards. Just a nice quiet day in between the busy Thanksgiving weekend and the holidays ahead.

Since I am ahead on the cleaning, I can actually start to put trees and decorations up Thanksgiving weekend. I may actually have that relaxing holiday season I always want. Though I will probably just fill it with more baking! I won't start with the xmas music, other than DD's practicing, until then!

DH will start the outside decorating as he takes down the Halloween. Around here, you never if you can count on the weather cooperating, so you do it when you can. We won't turn on the lights until Thanksgiving though!

(my MIL does the stock pile thing for gifts to an extent....not a fan!!!!!) I believe in buying WITH THE RECIPIENT in mind..it is the thought that counts and this does not involve any thought of the person you are gifting!!!!)

 

[AndreaDM]

Nah, not yet. Christmas season starts Dec. 1 for me and goes until Jan. 6. I get so irritated when people want to rip down their trees the day after Christmas. They're tired of it because they started celebrating in Oct.! Slow down and enjoy fall!

 

[skater]

If I could skip from the end of October to the end of Janyary, I'd be one very happy person! Now, if I could do the holidays the way I wanted to, then, yes, I would look forward to them.

Just wondering what you mean. I'm struggling with Christmas this year. We don't have the usual amount of money to spend on it, yet we've foolishly built up expectations over the years. I want a simpler Christmas - less commercial but I'm not sure how to go about it. How to tell the kids and still build good memories and how to please extended family members who go all out. Anybody got ideas?

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

Honestly, I put up so many lights and make so many decorations that if I were to wait until after Thanksgiving to fix what needs to be fixed, replace what needs to be replaced and then put it all up, the season would be practically over! I like to have everything in place to be able to flip the switch on Thanksgiving. Then I can focus on the baking, shopping and parties!

Here's the garland that I made last year:

that is beautiful! It looks like it was professionally done!!!!

 

[Mermaid02]

Nah, not yet. Christmas season starts Dec. 1 for me and goes until Jan. 6. I get so irritated when people want to rip down their trees the day after Christmas. They're tired of it because they started celebrating in Oct.! Slow down and enjoy fall!

You'd hate us then because we rip down the tree the day after Christmas! LOL We prefer to celebrate the days leading UP to the holiday, not celebrating it after it's over. Personal preference!

 

[Mr.MouseFan]

that is beautiful! It looks like it was professionally done!!!!

TYVM! It was my first attempt at doing a garland...lol. On tap this year are two wreaths. Hopefully they will turn out just a nice as the garland did!

 

[TanyaLovesPooh]

Yes, we are getting very excited about Christmas around here. I can't wait to start decorating and baking.

 

[minkydog]

Just wondering what you mean. I'm struggling with Christmas this year. We don't have the usual amount of money to spend on it, yet we've foolishly built up expectations over the years. I want a simpler Christmas - less commercial but I'm not sure how to go about it. How to tell the kids and still build good memories and how to please extended family members who go all out. Anybody got ideas?

Just tell 'em. There's nothing shameful about saying "we just don't have extra money to buy gifts this year." We have had a few hard candy Christmases ourselves. What we did (and still do!) is find alternatives to the expensive stuff.

*Turn on the radio and ride around the biggest subdivision you can find, enjoy their decorations.

*Make your own ornaments--collect dry pinecones, "paint" them with glue, roll in glitter, hang with a string.

*Make outdoor treats for the birds--dab suet or peanut butter on pine cones, roll in bird seed.

*Cut oranges in slices, hang them by a string in a nearby tree.

*Make birdhouses out of milk jugs, fill with seed & suet.

* Collect sweet gum balls. Spray paint them gold or white. dab with a little glue and roll in iridescent glitter. Tie 2-3 together with string to hang on the tree.

*Take the kids for a walk around the neighborhood. Stop at a few houses and sing them a Christmas Carol. Finish up with hot cocoa and a cookie.

There are plenty of other things you can do together to celebrate the Christmas season, like baking together or watching Christmas movies. Just be upfront with the kids. They'll probably take it better than you will. ( I will never forget the Christmas my kids each got a pair of shoes, a bear, and a pillowcase that I had decorated with fabric paints. That was the sum total of our gifts to them. I was pretty upset, but you know? the kids didn't seem to care. Not one complaint.)

 

[kimmar067]

I am trying to keep myself under control. I listen to Christmas music on my computer...

...I'm listening to the 'music' from the queue line [in WDW's Hollywood Studios] of Star Tours on mine...

 

[Mermaid02]

...I'm listening to the 'music' from the queue line [in WDW's Hollywood Studios] of Star Tours on mine...

I love doing that too!

 

[kimmar067]

that is beautiful! It looks like it was professionally done!!!!

...and, speaking of professional, here are MY lights from last year:

..... J/K - it's from the Osborne Family Festival of Lights....

...hope that it gets folks in the 'Christmas Spirit'...

 

[kimmar067]

I love doing that too!

...I'm 'on the Star Tours Ride' right now!

 

[Mermaid02]

...I'm 'on the Star Tours Ride' right now!

And as far as your lights go...... you do really good work!

 

[kimmar067]

 

[Mermaid02]

OT- are you using Live365? I have had problems with it since they "improved and upgraded".

 

[Tink9721]

It's still a little early for me, but I can't wait for Christmas! I love the October-January stretch. I love Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas!!

 

[Robinrs]

I'm beside myself waiting for Christmas!! I really cannot STAND Halloween, barely tolerate Thanksgiving but am the biggest Christmas fan EVER!!!

 

[Trish Bessette]

I'm beside myself waiting for Christmas!! I really cannot STAND Halloween, barely tolerate Thanksgiving but am the biggest Christmas fan EVER!!!

I agree 100%