The holidays must be getting closer

[BernardandMissBianca]

Everything on the boards is slowing down.

What are we doing for the holidays? Going anywhere special? When are you putting up decorations?

We are having Thanksgiving and Christmas at my mom's house which is conveniently next door. We usually rotate Xmas with my dad's sister but with the baby it's much easer to haul her stuff 200' than 2 1/2 hours away. Since we went to WDW for xmas last year I'm going all out this year decorating. I bought wreaths to hang on every window outside, lights for the gutters and a pine tree we have outside. I also bought plastic ornaments to hang on the tree outside. I think we'll go cut our tree down on the 9th. DH has to go out of town that week so I want to get the tree early.

I haven't decided what to get the kids yet. I think they may get the Disney digital cameras. I have a few small things but the big stuff is tough this year. They did make a list though so I guess I should peek at that.

What else is everyone doing??

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

I noticed we were quiet around here, too! It's so funny. . .I have to sneak to look on the boards while I'm at work (and no posting!), so I'm hiding in my little corner looking up the boards and. . . NO NEW POSTS! I wondered where we had all been! Maybe the planning swaps for next year thread wore us out!

The holiday season is always such a busy, busy time! We are going to see "Santa Clause 3" tomorrow to get in the holiday mood. For Thanksgiving Day, we go to my MIL's house. It's me, DH, MIL, FIL, and SIL--her husband is in Iraq this year. The day after Thanksgiving, it's SHOPPING DAY! DH & I are going to go Wednesday evening and do our actual shopping. Friday, we're just going for "fun", and then coming home by lunch to watch football and put up the tree, providing I can get my house clean this weekend! Then, next Saturday, we are going to KAMommy and crew's house for the annual "holiday gathering". . .or the annual pig-out fest! The next day, it's Thanksgiving at my mom and dad's! Beginning Wednesday, I will eat enough to feed 100 people!

I am determined to get my tree up next weekend amid all of this craziness! I LOVE decorating for Christmas, and I never throw anything away decoration wise. My brother says my house looks like Christmas "threw up". I have all of the ornaments from our childhood, plus others on one tree, and then a Disney tree as well. Plus we decorate everywhere with Christmas stuff and we decorate the outside! It's awesome! And I must watch "Christmas Vacation" after decorating!

DH & I are buying each other annual passes this year for Christmas. Then, because we wanted something else under the tree (we're as bad as kids! ), I am getting him a new game for the XBox 360, and he is getting me a Cricut cartridge. I think this works out well!!

Now, I'm in the holiday spirit! Off to think about that cleaning the house thing!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

How long have you and KAMommy known each other? Did you meet here and then realize you were neighbors? Lisa and I were like that, we meet here and then realized we live 3 towns over. It was funny, now we meet 1/2 way at Dunkin' Donuts from time to time.

 

[StitchIsOurHero]

Actually, KAMommy and I have a rather bizarre story. She and DH worked together at her old job--where DH still works, just in different departments. When he started there and met her, she mentioned something about being originally from a small town about 45 minutes south of Knoxville. That was the town where I grew up. We were a few grades apart in school, so we didn't know each other from there, but we did ride the same bus when we were little. . .we just didn't know it! I didn't meet her until she offered to come by and check on our animals when we were gone on vacation about 5 years ago. We've been friends ever since! When we bought our house, it turned out that we are right at a mile from their house. I guess Walt had it right. . .it is a small world after all!

 

[New England Eeyore]

The holidays have started, I guess - there's a radio station in Boston that has already started playing nothing but Christmas music, 24/7 from now until Christmas. My DH has it on right now.

My goal is to have the majority of my Christmas shopping done before December this year. I already have my DH's gift, and he's already given me mine early (a digital camera). The kids are teenagers so they're getting pretty much one big gift this year. I've already made about half of my Christmas cards, so I hope to be in good shape for the holidays before I head off on my WDW holiday weekend with my girlfriends December 1.

Decorating is a bit of a sore spot in our house this year. I usually do a LOT, but this year is our first year with our new kitten. He's 8 months old and he's definitely still a rambunctious, energetic, curious little kid - a Christmas tree would be a full-on disaster for us (and a heavenly playland for him.) I have so many ornaments that have sentimental value that I don't want to have broken (and they would get broken.) There's only one place in the house for the tree to go, and that's the room that Lucky spends the bulk of his time in when we're not home, so that's not fair to keep him out for a whole month. The boy can jump and he's strong, so I know he could pull the whole tree down with fairly little effort. So I figured we should skip the tree this year. In a year, he'll be older and (hopefully!) calmer. But DH is not at all happy about that and the kids are ready to revolt. Any suggestions?

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

Yes, go to your local Dollar General or Family Dollar and get one of their $6-$10 trees. They are about 4 feet. Not very big, but just big enough to not look silly and then go to your DollarTree and get a bunch of NONbreakable ornaments. Or make paper ones, like stars or use cookie cutters to make shapes. Just don't do lights. Knew of a kitty who burned the inside of his mouth chewing on cords. Luckily it shorted out before serious damage happened.
So when your kitty knocks down the tree, nothing will break, just pick it up and put the nonchewed ones back on. If you put a special bed under the tree, he may like that so much he wont disturb the rest.

 

[jennyL]

I realized its been slow but I'm really busy at work so not on as much. LOL I'm actually at work now so I shouldn't be posting but I have to have little breaks every once in awhile. hehe

We are hosting Thanksgiving this year in the new house. We are having 17 people so anyone with suggestions let me know. The most I've ever hosted was 12 and that just seems so much more manageable. LOL Then my sister is staying with us till Sunday so she and DH can start decorating while I'm out shopping. She loves decorating as much as him so I said go for it. I really only like doing the tree so once they get that up they'll wait for me.

Christmas is a crazy time for DH and I. We spend the night at my moms and do the morning thing. Then we head to my dads for lunch and his moms for dinner. I eat so much that day its crazy. Of course me being the planner makes sure everyone is having different kinds of food so I don't eat the same thing every stop. Hopefully this will be the last travel year for us since we've been saying that we don't travel when we have kids and we are getting ready to start trying so next year if everything goes right we will stay home. Thats something my parents started when I was young since its just too hard to travel with all the presents and everything and I completely plan to keep it up. Its actually something DH agrees with since he always traveled at the holidays and hated it since he wanted to be home with his friends.

Ok well back to work for me so I'm not stuck her all day.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

N.E.E. If you put the tree in a corner could you wrap twine around the trunk towards the top and anchor it to the wall with some hooks? That's what my mom used to do when we were little. I would also go with plastic ornaments. He has to learn now to leave it alone or it will make it worse. He'll be more set in his ways by next year.

SIOH - that is a bizarre story. It is a small world sometimes.

Jenny - Buffet style all the way!
If you want sit down, we always fed 23 and the grown ups were at 1 table and the kids were in the living room at another table. I guess it depends on how much space you have.

 

[ddavis860]

N.E.E. I did this when I had a kitten... No lights, and NO TINSEL, and none of my good ornaments. First we got the artillery together...a couple of cans full of marbles to shake, 2 water guns with long streams, and some old shoes. We set it up early in the morning on Saturday. Then all weekend as we were watching TV and he got at the tree we attacked with the noisemakers, yelling, water guns, and tossed shoes in front of him. It really didn't take long, but he wasn't bothering the tree much after that. Actually, the following year, it was just a refresher, as when the tree came in, he just disappeared... Just a thought to try...

 

[ddavis860]

I'm still putting my dining room back together from DH's great painting idea. I keep wondering how I had all this stuff in there, cause it isn't fitting back the same...

We stopped going away for the holidays when my DS was 3 and I was preggers with my 2nd. He was due in February and I was HUGE, uncomfortable, and not fit for company...I told everyone they were welcome to visit, but I was making my own traditions for my family starting with that season.

I work this Thanksgiving, so we are having ours on Wednesday. This is actually thrilling my DSS24, as he can have 2 full dinners, instead of splitting it between his Mom's and our's.

Our Christmas/ New Year's schedule came out last week, and everyone is so jealous of mine...I don't work any of the holidays, so I have a lot of time off! WAY COOL!!! Guess that makes up for the Thanksgiving on Wednesday....

 

[rlovew]

For Thanksgiving this year we are going to Walt Disney- although the trip is for my 30th birthday not really for Thanksgiving. We will be driving about an hour away on Thursday for Thanksgiving at my grandmothers.

Christmas this year will be a rather lonely. I have 5 brothers and sisters but this year due to DH's work schedule we are staying home and now that mom and day live in Maryland rather than a 2 hour drive away in Miami we won't be seeing them. Normally we would spend some of the time with my sister and her 2 children but they are going to mom and dads this year. We will visit my aunt and her family on Christmas day for dinner.

As far as shopping is concerned most of our gifts were delivered last weekend when we saw all of the family for my niece's baptism. I still have to finish my mothers grandchildren scrapbook and get something for 1 brother in law. Of course my DH and I haven't shopped for each other. He still has some money left to spend on my birthday. We don't have children but we start shoping in January. We like to take weekend trips and tend to visit the little shops in each town. As we find something perfect for someone we just buy it and I have an area in the closet that we keep the gifts until birthdays and Christmas.

I am thinking about taking off to Disney for a few days of my Christmas break. I teach school and we have off for almost 3 weeks this year. I would go during the week for a couple of nights but I am not sure yet.

 

[New England Eeyore]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm still really leaning toward skipping this year because it would be a tree just for the sake of a tree, not "my" tree. We could for sure do the behavior control when we're home, but the problem is when we work the kitty's alone for long periods of time. He's figured out that the rules only apply when we're around.

I'll leave it up to DH. If he wants a tree with no lights, no tinsel or garland, nonbreakable ornaments and no metal ornament hooks, then by all means he can be in charge of it.

 

[jennyL]

Jenny - Buffet style all the way!
If you want sit down, we always fed 23 and the grown ups were at 1 table and the kids were in the living room at another table. I guess it depends on how much space you have.

We are definetly doing Buffet Style. I actually have three tables right now so I can seat 15 without getting the folding chairs out. My problem is glasses and silverware but since my BIL and SIL are coming and its her parents and sister pushing us over my limit she's bringing some of her stuff. LOL Since she basically invited herself and them its the least she can do.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

I'll leave it up to DH. If he wants a tree with no lights, no tinsel or garland, nonbreakable ornaments and no metal ornament hooks, then by all means he can be in charge of it.

What was I thinking? I mean the first think I do after dinner is turn on the lights on the tree. I think I could stand a tree with minimal ornaments, but it would be awfully sad with no lights. Lucky for me my three kitties live in the barn. They don't get a tree. So just forget that not well thought out idea.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

Okay, now I can not get the Charlie Brown Christmas tree picture out of my head. It is all your fault.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

We are definetly doing Buffet Style. I actually have three tables right now so I can seat 15 without getting the folding chairs out. My problem is glasses and silverware but since my BIL and SIL are coming and its her parents and sister pushing us over my limit she's bringing some of her stuff. LOL Since she basically invited herself and them its the least she can do.

I saw a neat wedding idea in a mag or on tv and this might work too. Ask each person coming to bring their own table setting silverware and all. It was beautiful and made the table unique. Then buy basic cloth napkins at Walmart. You could make napkin rings from scrap paper too.

 

[jennyL]

I'll have to rememebr that one for when I have friends over. I think my family might think that is weird. LOL I actually have place setting for 21. I received 13 for my wedding and then my step-grandmother said your pattern matched the one I gave which I of course had just sat up on a shelf years ago. LOL However the only difference is that mine is an electro-polished white and hers is more of a try white so next to each other you can tell but on different tables no one will notice. I think my SIL can just bring her own silverware and stemware.

Well back to work today. Why do major projects always seem to be due around a holiday? Do they not know that we have other things to be doing?

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Why do major projects always seem to be due around a holiday? Do they not know that we have other things to be doing?

Tell me about it, I got the brilliant idea to paint my living room this week. It won't take long, I plan to paint while the kids are in school. But I bought 2 different trim paints, I can't decide which one I like better.
Off to clean the living room and pray that it stays clean for 2 days so I can move furniture...

 

[lewdyan1]

You guys are making me tired with all this Holiday prep talk. I am now finished! I place my order with Wild Oats and I pick up a completely ready meal on Thursday morning! Oh, and my sister bought all the paper goods so we are ready to go!

 

[PrincessNancy96]

What are we doing for the holidays.. Oh you just had to ask!
Let's see.. Thanksgiving will be just the 5 of us.. Ssons are w/ their mom..but will be here on Friday and thru the weekend.. I love to cook so I'll have enough food cooked in one day to get us through the weekend.. I'll even pack leftovers for the games we have all weekend.. The boys have a travel basketball tournament just an hour away!
We'll put up our decorations the next weekend.. because we are too busy this weekend.. I have to get the garland wrapped around the house and the lg. bulbs up.. I did lights last year but I don't want DH to climb the roof in the snow this year... (it's bad enough I came home to him climbing it to blow leaves off)... We decorate 2 trees in the house... and the house looks great inside.. Our family says "we puke Christmas" around here.. I'm telling you.. my house gets nice and cozy...and than when I take it all down (notice I put I in there.. not we)... our house seems to increase in size.. Everyone room has a theme.. The bathroom is our snowflake room.. Our entry is the reindeer room, our hallway is the angel avenue.. The kids have themes too... I just love Christmas...
Which reminds me.. I really need to get started on my homemade gifts.. I'm going to be doing altered quart paint cans filled w/ goodies for my babysitting kids, gallon paint cans for the parents/inlaws..
The 23rd we are getting together w/ DH's family.. My parents haven't decided when they want to do Christmas.. Oh, wait! It's my turn to have Christmas.. I better get on that.. She did Christmas last year! Cool, more cooking and left overs!!!
I hope everyone has a fun, safe and happy holiday season!!!