Generally speaking, how are you feeling about Christmas this year?

[golfgal]

Thanks! But $19.99 PLUS $8 S&H??? Holy Moly!!! I've seen them (although NOT the zebra ) at Kohls for $14.99 AND I have a 20% off coupon!!! (I should be on the Budget Board! )

I checked the black Friday ads to see if anyone has them on sale, Walgreen's has them for $9.99 BUT....the Zebra ones aren't due out until January so that is why you can't find them:

http://www.walgreens.com/search/results.jsp?Ntt=snuggie&x=0&y=0

Personally, I am very excited for Christmas. I keep wanting to go out and shop but I am forcing myself to wait-one, because I don't know what anyone wants yet and 2 I will be mad at myself for not waiting until after Thanksgiving because I enjoy shopping during "Christmas" season at the stores.

 

[FireDancer]

I am looking more forward than normal for Christmas this year. I am looking more forward to winter in general than normal. I am one of those strange people that likes winter normally, at least until about mid February when I am just tired of it. I found a lot of winter activities in the area late last winter so maybe I am just looking forward to trying more out again this winter. Who knows.

I only buy for 3 people. My nephew, my mom, and one of my friend's kids that I am very close to, they are like family. I don't really equate Christmas with presents. Growing up we were not very well off so Christmas was usually one a couple of small presents and one somewhat big one that my brothers and I all shared. It might be because of this that I don't really need gifts to be happy and don't feel the need to give them to anyone to prove I value them. Like I posted on the other thread I am much more interested in experiences than gifts.

The things I look forward to at Christmas are going downtown to see Christmas lights and the Cleveland orchestra play Christmas music. The holiday parties where you spend time with family and friends. The decorations up at the stores and around the neighborhood. The parks around here do winter hikes where they talk about the origin of Christmas traditions and serve you hot chocolate.

I don't have kids (yet hopefully) but when I do I don't think the thing I will look forward to at Christmas is getting them presents, it will be doing those things above with them. As it is I take my friend's kids out to do some of them. Almost all of my Christmas memories as a child are not relating to the gifts I got, they are related to the things we did together. I would hope to do the same for my kids.

 

[Hillbeans]

For me it's still too early to get excited. Once December rolls around i'm sure i'll be more in the spirit.

 

[ilovejack02]

I am really looking forward to this year.

I dont have tons of presents planned, but I plan on full out decorating, which I am taking a break from right now LOL. Between football today I have been dusting and putting up my Snow Village. 1 tree is already up, two more to go!!

I plan on lots of arts n crafts with DS7 ,and lots of baking. I already have my menu planned for xmas day and all my baking goodies planned.

First weekend of Dec, I am hosting a party for DS .. we will decorate gingerbread houses.


I am going with my parents in Mid Dec to Natchitoches, La to the Christmas Festival of lights.
If you have seen the movie Steele Magnolias.. this is the town it was filmed in and this is the festival you see in the movie.. so excited. The trip is during the week and just for a night, it is with my parents church group . I am debating on taking DS7, but hate for him to miss school, but hate for him to miss trip. It will be nice to spend some time with just my parents.

My inlaws are coming in and we plan on spending lots of time together, prob just snuggled up in the living room, with lots of movies and lots of yummy foods.

SO EXCITED THIS YEAR!!

 

[wdwfan16]

I love the holiday season. I love to buy gifts to give to others. I love to give to charities too. We have begun the inside decorations and hope to get the outside done next weekend.

 

[RitaE]

Toys R Us Online has Zebra Snuggies for around $20 shipped and when I search store inventory all the local stores here appear to have them. Really if it is that important, I'd spend the extra $5 and get it taken care of - especially with so few people to shop for.

As for Christmas - ah, it's only Nov. 15th. We aren't exactly frugal but it isn't a multi-month extravaganza around here either.

 

[wdwfan16]

I saw zebra snuggies at Walmart for $14.99.

 

[Pikester]

I'm feeling weird about Christmas this year. This will be the first Christmas without my Beana (Grandmother) who passed away in August.

 

[pigletgirl]

I'm not terribly excited as I was in the past years. Its pretty much due to the fact that we've had family troubles and I really don't like going home to them. It's also the first year that I will be spending half of the day over at my dbf's home. I get to meet all of his extended family.

I'm actually ready for the new year. I couldn't of said that in previous years.

 

[GeorgeG]

I'm really not into Christmas and this year I'm really dreading having to go to New York. I'd rather just spend the day at Epcot. Actually, I'd rather spend any day at Epcot.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

I love Christmas and I'm very much looking forward to it

 

[JerseyJanice]

I'm feeling pretty good about this coming Christmas. I got a lot of my shopping done already, so as the day approaches, I can concentrate on doing the things I enjoy most, like baking and crafting.

To Tracey Savage It sounds like it's been a tough year for you.

To Babytrees Hope that somehow things get better.

 

[Caradana]

I'm feeling enchanted with Christmas this year. I have the music playing, the decor on its way up and I am feeling the spirit of the holiday. We have been very blessed this year, so there's a huge attitude of gratitude that I want to pay forward during the holiday.

 

[Silent1CB]

I'm not feeling terribly excited about it this year - as in shopping and such.. Not sure why, but I just made up my mind that I don't want to spend the kind of money I have spent in the past - which has always been pretty frugal..

Maybe the "consumerism" aspect of it has finally caught up with me.. I only buy for 5 people, so it's not like I have a ton of people to get things for - yet it seems like even my "frugal" ways of the past are really a bit too "lavish" - if that makes sense.. LOL..

The cookie baking tradition with my DGD is a must, but there too I want to cut back on the number of varieties.. When you're baking almost 12 hours a day - for 3 days straight - I think it's time to "cut back"..

Talked it over with my DD and her DH and they too would like to shift the focus this year.. Make it more about the real reason for Christmas; enjoy some family time watching Christmas movies and specials; play some Christmas games; ride around at night and look at decorations; etc..

What - if anything - will you be doing different this year?

Also - if you have any additional "fun" ideas that don't include "shop, spend, wrap, repeat", please feel free to share them.. Low key, non-stressful stuff..

Our families dropped all the consumerism non-sense years ago. Its great. No gift shopping. No stress. No cooking & baking galore; spending your entire months food budget on one meal. Food coming out of your ears and months of trying to lose the weight.

Its one day. One nice meal - not too crazy. About 20 people. No longer sit down because of the number of people we are now up to. And everyone is happy.

Actually, this year, we've all decided to get together on Dec 26 instead, so people can enjoy a nice quiet Christmas at home for a change with their own families & kids, or do something they enjoy, or visit other family and friends. Everyone seems happy about this decision too.

 

[SDFgirl]

I'm not really in the Christmas spirit yet, I like to wait until after Thanksgiving to start feeling Christmas-y.

However, we are also focusing on a more meaningful, less consumer-oriented Christmas this year.

I got tired of feeling obligated to get our loved ones "stuff" that they don't need. So we are getting all of our close family members the same thing this year. I ordered these really cute reusable grocery bags from etsy.com for everyone. We'll be stuffing them with gourmet groceries - pastas, olive oil, marinara, wine, whatever. And of course I'll make some homemade cookies to go inside! I think this is something that everyone will appreciate and actually use. I know that I would love to get something like that, as opposed to another object that will just sit around and collect dust.

Another reason I'm really happy about Christmas this year is that my DD is just now old enough to get excited about Santa, carols, stockings, etc! I've already taught her "Jingle Bells" and we're working on "Rudolph." I love that I can share the magic of Christmas with her!!

 

[Kitty 34]

I'm really excited about having Thanksgiving dinner for my parents, my sons, one of my brothers and his family.

Hopefully, when that weekend is all over with my excitement will carry on into the Christmas season.

 

[Feralpeg]

...off-topic, but, Peg, how did it go with your book??

Well, I have several in process. I submitted one of my children's picture books to an agent. Now, I wait to see if the agent is interested. They told me I'd hear one way or the other in 30 days.

The critique of my young adult novel went very well. They came up with some good suggestions. I am considering what to change and continuing on. It will be several months before this one is ready to submit.

I have two other completed picture books, but I want to wait to hear back from the agent on the one I submitted before I do anything with the others. If the agent decides to represent the one I submitted, it will make getting the other two through a bit easier.

Thank you for asking!

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I have everything decorated inside. I want it all to be ready when DD comes home for Thanksgiving. So, this afternoon, I decided to bake some cookies to freeze and get a jump on things. I put on a Disney Christmas DVD to listen to while I was baking to really get in the mood. Unfortunately, it was a poor choice of DVD. It had a little thing about Mickey Mouse and Pluto. Pluto messed things up while Mickey was decorating for a Christmas party. He yelled at Pluto and Pluto ran away. All Mickey wanted for Christmas was to have his best friend back. Silly me! All I could think of was my Griffin. I had to have my best buddy put down a couple of months ago. He was 13 and suffering. Now, I'm in a bad mood. What a dumb thing!

 

[eliza61]

I'm not feeling terribly excited about it this year - as in shopping and such.. Not sure why, but I just made up my mind that I don't want to spend the kind of money I have spent in the past - which has always been pretty frugal..

Maybe the "consumerism" aspect of it has finally caught up with me.. I only buy for 5 people, so it's not like I have a ton of people to get things for - yet it seems like even my "frugal" ways of the past are really a bit too "lavish" - if that makes sense.. LOL..

goodvibes

My dh and family is from Portugal, if you really want to see how consumer driven our holidays are, spend one in Europe. The difference is mind boggling.

I'm pretty lucky in that my kids are older so it's a little easier to explain to them the realities of the recession and they dont want alot. unfortunately they tend to like higher priced "toys"

This year and the last 2 thanksgivings we served meals to the homeless. We love it and it gives them a real sense of how blessed they are. I think they really like helping others.

 

[luvmy3]

I love the Christmas Season and am looking very foward to it this year. We have definitely cut back on the gifts but the whole spirit of the Holiday will be what it always is

AKL- I saw the zebra snuggie at Rite Aid this past Friday.

 

[happygirl]

Stressed and overwhelemed