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

[Micca]

I enjoy Christmas, but I find myself enjoying almost every day. It will be nice to have the tree decorated and the WDW monorail playset put together.

 

[Louise-Montreal]

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.

How is it different? More consumer driven- and if so how?

 

[mrodgers]

We just spent 9 years digging a huge hole as my wife stayed home with our 2 kids. Now that they are both in school, she has gone back to the same work 6 months ago and has even gotten a promotion. It's not the greatest pay, but as a supplement to mine it means that we can actually spend some money for Christmas this year.

Kids get more and more expensive as the years go on. Now it's mp3 players and phones (no phone yet) and expensive dolls (American Girl), etc. The stuff kids want is far more expensive than it was when I was growing up. As such, the past 9 years it's been scrimping on Christmas presents because of bills. Since 2007, it got even worse and killed us with the cost of heating oil in the winter ($1000 / month is kind of hard to absorb when that and the house payment pretty much takes the entire month's pay.)

The past 6 months we've increased our income by 60-70%, spent Bush's "stimulous" check of 2008 on reinsulating the house, and dug ourselves out of the hole enough to contemplate taking our first vacation (combined first vacation for the kids and "honeymoon" actually, since we never went on a honeymoon yet after 12 years of marriage.)

So, needless to say, the kids are getting stocked up this Christmas. It won't be just 95% necessary clothes under the tree this year.

 

[Minnie_me]

I feel terrible. My DH moved out on October 1st, needing to "think". Pretty unexpected. (I knew he wasn't happy, but never ever thought he'd leave)

So it will be a sad, awkward Christmas for us.

My daughters have no idea that this will most likely be our last Christmas in this house that we built.

 

[NMAmy]

I'm really looking forward to Christmas this year. My niece from England will be here for a visit in mid-December and will head back a couple of days before Christmas and dd will be home from college. It'll be nice to have the girls in the house!

I usually decorate on Black Friday but dd is only home for a couple of days so I've been doing a bit each weekend and I think I may do it this way from now on. It's so much more enjoyable to do it slowly and take my time. I'll have it all finished next weekend and will be all ready for the Thanksgiving holiday. I'm thinking of getting my Christmas cards around soon to knock them out early, as well.

 

[MinnieTink]

I'm looking forward to Christmas. I will be moving DD home the middle of December. She will have only one semester of college left and she will complete it in the Orlando area. I've really missed having her at home. We plan on having a quiet Christmas together. I'm sure we will spend some time at the parks before she starts student teaching in January.

The house is decorated on the inside. I won't decorate outside until just before Thanksgiving. I plan on doing some baking starting next week. All presents are wrapped and under the tree.

I only got to the second post! Wow I feel so inadequate!! Can you come to my house now and do all that stuff that stresses me out? LOL.

I am looking forward to time spent with my family, especially my extended family that I don't see much. I'm hoping to do a lot of online shopping because the crowds in the store at this time cause me anxiety. We are cutting down this year too.

 

[amyy]

I love Christmas too. Plus we are in a new house and for the first time in years I can put out my Dept 56 village. Now that we have a house I don't have a lot of money to spend on decorations for the outside which I would like to do. I love the music, movies on tv, cooking etc. On the downside there is this uproar in our state and I could have my job cut but putting that on the back burner.

 

[Terry36]

I too love Christmas however I don't think this will be the best holiday season for our family either. DH has been unemployed for 14 months now so all the extras are going to bills. He's depressed and barely talking to me. Not sure how much longer this can go on. DD's Christmas will definately be scaled back. I really don't feel like traveling 1.5 hours to my sister on Christmas; we've done this for years and she would be upset if I changed the routine. I'd prefer to stay home but don't want to see DH mowping around.

I do plan on spending as much time as I can with DD at plays, watching movies, baking and checking out the holiday lights. I will make the best of it as best I can.

 

[OceanAnnie]

We love Christmas! I'm looking for ideas to involve our family in different types of gifts, and giving. I think it's going to be a more sports themed and experience based Christmas. There will be toys, but not as many. Not because of the economy per se but because their interests are changing some and it's time.

I'd like to involve the kids more in donating this year, expanding the spirit of giving.

 

[EthansMom]

I only buy gifts for DH, my parents, DH's mom, and we do one $10 "generic" gift with DH's family that goes into a pile which everyone picks from, along with cookies and a small gift for DH's grandparents. I don't know what to get ANYONE but my mom this year. MIL, of course, has to be difficult. She "apparently" wants a Snuggie, but only the zebra one, which I can't find ANYWHERE.

They have them for $14.99 at http://www.target.com. You can get free shipping if you spend $50 or more... or you can check (online) availability at your local Target store. I hope this helps!

 

[minkydog]

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..[/QUOTE

As my kids have gotten older my ideas about what constitutes a great Christmas have changed. It's less about toys, decorating, and gifts and more about making time for people we love. We kick it off on Thanksgiving day. DD16 puts up the tree and does the lights, then I help her decorate it. Usually, her 4BFFs make an appearance,too. They go outside and string up the porch lights.

DD16 always wants to see the Atlanta Ballet Nutcracker, and this year she wants my mother to join us, for her Christmas gift. I managed to wangle tickets for opening night. We're all going to dress up in our party clothes, just us girls, for a night on the town.

We'll all go to DDs big Christmas concert--it's always very very good. Like, university good, with the orchestra and everything. It's the highlight of the season

The weekend before Christmas we always reserve for our kids friends. This year DD wants to have a sleepover in the living room, with cookies and a gift exchange. It costs me 2 bottles of soda and a pizza.

On Christmas Eve, I start a low country boil--potatoes, corn, and shrimp. We'll go to the Christmas eve service at church and afterward we drive around & look at the lights, listening to Christmas CDs, as usual. After we come home, we open our Christmas Eve gifts--new jammies! Then the girls take the boys' stockings and the boys take the girls' stockings and....lets just say the Big Guy shows up

And on Christmas day we'll open our stockings(nuts, candy, oranges, bananas, and a kiwi by special request! very Little House On The Prairie ), then have a big breakfast and open our gifties. This year DH & I aren't really giving each other much. I don't need a thing! We watch videos all day while DD16 and her friends run in and out. Take Christian for a long Christmas walk. Eat turkey, ham and pie

 

[luvmy3]

I feel terrible. My DH moved out on October 1st, needing to "think". Pretty unexpected. (I knew he wasn't happy, but never ever thought he'd leave)

So it will be a sad, awkward Christmas for us.

My daughters have no idea that this will most likely be our last Christmas in this house that we built.

 

[luvsJack]

I am looking forward to it just because of some different things we are trying to plan to do for the season plus its dgd's first Christmas and just seeing her see all the lights and decorations will make it a happy holiday.

But, a bit on the anxious side too. Dh's work is picking up and that is a good thing but I am so afraid that it will bottom out again. Christmas always slows things down for them so much.

 

[C.Ann]

I feel terrible. My DH moved out on October 1st, needing to "think". Pretty unexpected. (I knew he wasn't happy, but never ever thought he'd leave)

So it will be a sad, awkward Christmas for us.

My daughters have no idea that this will most likely be our last Christmas in this house that we built.

I am so very sorry.. I can imagine how hard that will be for you and your girls..

 

[monkeybug]

I too love Christmas however I don't think this will be the best holiday season for our family either. DH has been unemployed for 14 months now so all the extras are going to bills. He's depressed and barely talking to me. Not sure how much longer this can go on. DD's Christmas will definately be scaled back. I really don't feel like traveling 1.5 hours to my sister on Christmas; we've done this for years and she would be upset if I changed the routine. I'd prefer to stay home but don't want to see DH mowping around.

I do plan on spending as much time as I can with DD at plays, watching movies, baking and checking out the holiday lights. I will make the best of it as best I can.

I'm so sorry! I hope you have a Merry Christmas in spite of the stress your family is going through. My family had a Christmas like that once. We had family members who were beyond strapped, and they had 4 kids. My Mom decided that year that we would have an Old fashioned Christmas. The entire extended family rented a cabin in the snow (it was about $50 a couple) and decided that instead of buying gifts we would do a yankee exchange with home made gifts (I still crack up at some of the "gifts" my male cousins thought up!). We went ice skating in a barn, stayed up late playing games, baked and cooked together, built snowmen and igloos, went sledding and on moonlit walks. We cut down a tree, drank gallons of hot chocolate, window shopped, caroled the other cabins (those poor, poor people who had to listen to us!!!), and really just laughed at how ridiculous we all were! (my aunt and uncle slept on an air mattress on the kitchen floor, and Grandma was a late night snacker!!) You know what? 7 years later that's still how my family celebrates!!! Every year since! We have since added more traditions (all free or extremely cheap) than any sane family really should have. I wouldn't go back to the old way for anything. (and my parents used to spend thousands on our gifts) My kids get very few store bought gifts, but they have the BEST memories! I really think Christmas becomes even more magical when you stop spending all that money, and really focus on making memories.
I hope you and your family have the best Christmas most magical (because it really, really is magical if you want it to be) Christmas ever. Ever!!!!

 

[Tracy Savage]

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.

Did you hear anything about a Christmas movie museum at Great northern Mall? I just wondered if it was worth heading over.

 

[monkeybug]

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!!

I love your shopping bag idea and just might steal it!! My older brother has Champagne taste on a beer budget and I know he would love some gourmet dinner items. Awesome idea!!!

 

[crz4mm2]

Spending a LOT less this year. Starting a new job on 12-01 which pays less. So have to plan ahead for that.
I am making some gifts. I love doing it and HOPE the recipients like them too.

 

[monkeybug]

I am over the moon excited for Christmas (as always)!
We are a little bummed that we will not be able to spend it with my extended family as usual, but also kinda' looking forward to just hanging out with my little family!
We always go cut down a tree the day after Christmas. I bring along an air pot of hot chocolate and we listen to Christmas music on the drive to the tree farm. We string popcorn and cranberries for the tree while we watch Christmas movies, and this year I'm stealing an idea somebody mentioned on another thread and we are going to "camp" under our twinkling tree in the living room!
We do a doorbell ditch called the 12 days of Christmas, and have choosen the perfect family for this year. Their Dad is off to Afghanistan and Mom is young and far from home. We are already planning way's to drop silly little gifts and printed out Christmas stories and games on their doorstep with out getting caught.
We are renting an itty bitty little cabin in the snow for a weekend of sledding and snowball fights.
Going to the National Tree (free! Hooray!), Sight and Sound Theater, and on the Polar Express train.
We are also hosting a Polar Express party where families are coming over for cookies and hot chocolate (in jammies of course!) and bringing their favorite Christmas story to read aloud (now that I type that I'm not so sure what's polar expressy about that, but I already bought silver jingle bells as favors so I'm stickin' with it!)
My neighbor is having a "Tacky Christmas Sweater" party! She is asking everyone to wear Christmas sweaters (tackier the better) and bring a "tacky" treat to share (ding dongs, twinkies...that sort of thing) She is going to take mug shots of all of us and the tackiest sweater wins a prize. Did I mention I'm pretty sure my neighbor is a genius??
OK I could go on forever, but I'll spare the poor person that made it this far into my post and stop here!!

 

[DVCLiz]

I can't wait for Christmas!!!!

We are having a big extended family Thanksgiving with a lot of activity during the long weekend, so I am looking forward to December because it will be much, much slower for me!!!!

I have made my Christmas list and am thisclose to finishing the shopping for my
DDalmost16 and DD21. I have ideas for almost everyone else and everything that can be shopped for online or ordered ahead of time has already been ordered/shipped. I waited too late last year and it was stressful but I LOVE the presents part of Christmas and I would hate to skip it or cut way back, unless it was a budget issue.

We will have our usual traditions - watching Christmas movies, going to pick out the Christmas tree, decorating the house, getting together with friends, etc. We will also have our religious traditions. I don't think you have to give up the commercial, secular side of Christmas in order to feel the "real meaning" of the season. You just have to remember to participate in your religious activities as well.