Christmas next year will be different because _____

[kinntj]

I would like to not be wrapping last minute next year. Also to give my nieces cash instead of presents that they say thanks, but are not enthused about. CASH from now on for them!

To also Christmas shop throughout the year during sales for other family members.

 

[RayaniFoxmur]

We will be able to be with family again, and our Christmas Club account will be building the whole year which means presents for everyone!

 

[-Hope-]

...we will rent movies to watch with dh's family. I never really understood people who watched movies on Christmas but after yesterday that's exactly what we'll be doing next year. My SIL and nieces are so negative, gossipy, and judgemental that it nearly ruined my Christmas. I usually just keep quiet but I have learned that if I don't speak up then my kids might take it as a sign of my silent AGREEMENT so when my kids are overhearing things I speak up. For example when they started talking about how stupid it was to have a black Santa (yep, you read that correctly) I had to speak up and tried to be subtle about saying to dd "There's nothing wrong with a black Santa is there Kya?" She piped up, "No, noone knows what Santa looks like for sure anyway." I got ICY stares and much eye rolling. At another point we were playing a game and dd9 mentioned that when we played another time one of the questions was to name your least favorite family member and she thought that was mean. Well, SIL and nieces not only proceeded to name all of the people they don't like but also tried to get dd to answer too despite my objections and her obvious discomfort. I overheard my FIL say something later about me wanting to debate everything because I spoke up in these two instances despite letting MANY other things slide.

I would love to just say no more but I can't. Dh always defends me and is on my side when push comes to shove so I can't complain (much) and after his mom passed away he just realized that for better or worse he wanted to spend time with his family. I'm okay with that as long as I can keep my kids from being influenced too much by their ignorance which I've been able to do so far. But when ds asked if he could watch the movie my mom had given him I jumped at the chance. It was so nice and quiet the rest of the time and when the movie was over everyone was tired and ready to go home. I've decided we will watch a movie (or three or five, lol) every year.

 

[MizTink]

I would like to not be wrapping last minute next year. Also to give my nieces cash instead of presents that they say thanks, but are not enthused about. CASH from now on for them!

To also Christmas shop throughout the year during sales for other family members.

i always swear i'm not going to save the wrapping until the last minute, but every year i stay up 1/2 the night of christmas eve wrapping! well, this year i ended up terribly sick. it hit me around 8pm and i tried my best to keep going but just couldn't do it. i only wrapped about 5 things! thank god my 2 oldest (16 & 18) stepped up and did it for me!!!
NOW I SWEAR I WILL NOT LEAVE ANYTHING LEFT TO DO ON CHRISTMAS EVE!!!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Sounds like a lot of us have the same goals.... So when do we have to be done shopping?

 

[1957]

Next year, I'll be spending Christmas with grown kids and grandkids. We do an every-other-year thing so they can spend the Holidays with their in-laws, and we are scattered all over the US. I've already bought the 1/2 price wrapping paper this morning, and will be ordering stuff from this year's catalogs for the discounts.

Next year, I WON'T receive the family "Chia Pet" that we've been re-gifting since the 80's. This year, the kids sent me the Shark steam cleaner (love it!), and they managed to slip the sucker into the box it came in. I've been saving a Nordstrom's gift box, paper, and maroon ribbon for two years, so high-maintenance DD (Wal-Mart? What is that??) is getting Mr. Chia next year.
I once got it in the zipped bag-holder part of an upright vacuum cleaner. We go to great lengths to disguise it! One year, my oldest son, who was in NYC with his girlfriend-now-wife, took it to Tiffany's to have it gift-wrapped. (She was shopping elsewhere). The engagement ring (definitely NOT from Tiffany's) was taped onto Chia's bottom. The original box has been flattened to fit and taped and re-taped. Still has the original Walgreen's price sticker on it. Doncha just love family traditions???

 

[Sparx]

i had the ideal christmas this year, i hope nothing changes next year.

 

[luvsJack]

Sounds like a lot of us have the same goals.... So when do we have to be done shopping?

DD and I have set that goal! For some reason I always start my shopping on Black Friday, next year we plan to FINISH any shopping on Black Friday (have to have some excuse to hit the stores that morning!)

 

[luvwinnie]

Hopefully my kitchen floor won't be ripped up next year! We had a leak underneath it.

 

[Swimnoid]

Next year I am going to make more than one shoe box for Operation Christmas Child and I'm going to pick up stuff throughout the year for it so it doesn't sneak up on me at the last minute.

Other than that Christmas was pretty good!

 

[spacemermaid]

i had the ideal christmas this year, i hope nothing changes next year.

Yes, me too! Except I wouldn't mind if it could be celebrated at Disneyland next year

 

[Bearvet]

Ds20 & DS14 were in a car accident Weds (12/23) night (black ice)- everyone was okay, but we were all shaken up. He was driving DS16's car and totaled it. This has definitely put a damper on Christmas this year, yet it also brought us much closer together. I hope next year we won't be dealing with anything like this again.

I also agree with the wrapping - I always seem to leave it until the last minute. I'll try to wrap most things earlier next year.

 

[solotraveler]

Christmas next year will be different because I will (hopefully) do a much better job of planning ahead.

I just don't feel like I did much of anything for the holiday this year. I had so many ideas of things to see and places to visit, parties to attend, meals to make.... and none of it got done. So next year I'm going to make a concerted effort to do more and really make the most of the season.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

DD and I have set that goal! For some reason I always start my shopping on Black Friday, next year we plan to FINISH any shopping on Black Friday (have to have some excuse to hit the stores that morning!)

Sounds good to me.

 

[Minnie]

My kitchen won't be torn up so I can really decorate the house

Other than that I hope for another Christmas like this year

 

[Jordans_Mommie]

I will buy some gifts for myself, wrap them and put them under the tree for me to unwrap on Christmas morning.

I did enjoy watching my son, my Mom and my Granny opening all of their gifts from me, but I was a little sad that I did not have one thing to open on Christmas day. I know that it is a silly thing to be concerned with, it hurt my feelings a bit that no one even tried to get me a gift. My baby is only 5, so there wasn't much that he could do, but my Mom is another story.

 

[DisneyCP2002]

Next year I really hope to be in WDW or somewhere else. I also plan to have my tree up and houses up well before the week before Christmas.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I think next Christmas it's going to be my whole family. This year it was just my parents, sister, me, my grandparents, one of my aunts and uncle, and one cousin. Next year my grandma said she wanted all the out-of-state relatives to come as well, as she has something planned.

 

[phragmipedium]

I hope to continue these things which happened this year:

-Wrapping presents as I purchased them
-Giving up early on my annual baking gifts and deciding to go with gift cards instead for extended family
-Charitable giving
-Having our holiday time with DH's side of the family be just his mom and sister, rather than his extended family, because it's so much less dramatic and so much more laid back and comfortable for everyone

Next year, things will be different because:

-Our first baby will be here!
-I'll shop earlier throughout the year
-Unfortunately, I think this may have been my last Christmas with my great grandmother, and I'm glad I recognized it and spent a lot of time with her.
-If a certain part of the extended family still comes to my side of the family's gatherings, and especially if they have stirred up drama the week before Christmas with the rest of the family like they did this year, I refuse to allow them to make me tense and will instead address the issue with them before they arrive for the holidays, and then spend time with others rather than pretending everything's great. I'm hopeful that before next year's holiday, they will realize that they don't really enjoy coming and we don't really enjoy it either, and that we will all have a better holiday if they stay at a distance.

 

[kkmcan]

Even though we just had the most amazing Disney vacation (WDW, 3 night Disney cruise), we will be home next year for Christmas and I'm so excited!

It really didn't feel like it was Christmas at all. I didn't get to enjoy my tree, house decorations and lights at home. We all missed the anticipation and countdown to Santa coming and most of all my family's Christmas Eve celebration!

I would love to plan another trip to WDW but not at Christmas time.