Completely OT: holiday craziness

I'm totally perplexed that someone would consider Christmas shoppers doing their thing on the 1st of December as "last minute".

Last minute would be Christmas Eve. 1st of December is darn organized in my book. :-)

marcella

I hate to tell you this, but most Americans do not consider December 2 to be the last minute. My father made it point to never *start* shopping until December 23. Of course, he wasn't known for thoughtful gifts. :)

(Yes, all my shopping is done. I still have to hand dye some silk, but I'll do that Wednesday.)

Haven't started yet. KJ

Howdy!

On the other hand why, WHY?!!!? would people want to get it all done ahead of time and miss the holiday festiveness you call craziness? 8->

"There's something in the air... It's feels like Christmas!" A couple of people in this family love to wait until the 3rd week of Dec. to go shopping for Christmas (which is the holiday we celebrate/observe); those crazy crowds & madness seem like the holiday spirit to them. I remember closing the local shopping mall one snowy Christmas Eve in Plano, Tx (1983), when f-i-l needed one more thing for someone; we had a great time just getting in and out of the parking lot. That's the year we started our Pizza for Christmas Eve tradition; Pizza Inn was one of the few eateries still open at 6 p.m. and we took home an armload of delicious, aromatic goodies. It was fun, everyone was friendly, and we saw Santa (several times) on the way home. ;-P We enjoy Christmas at Christmas time, not months in advance. That's just the way we do things. Cheers! Happy Holidays!

Ragmop/Sandy--who doesn't make holiday gifts at the last minute, not anymore... LOL

Jeez, I hardly consider December 2nd to be last minute. Saturdays are a crazy day to shop any time of year, it's really bad now. I just stay out of the stores on Saturday.

Cindy

Just wondering what you do the rest of the month?

My dear, this is hardly the last minute! I have grandkids in Georgia that I am still waiting for my daughter to tell me what else to get them so I can either buy it or order it, and get it mailed before they leave to go skiing on Dec. 22nd! I never go to Wally World on Saturday or anywhere else like that on Saturday. DH & I are retired so we learned long time ago to avoid malls and Wally World on the weekend. We did go to Target today to look at watches for the grandkids. We found exactly what we wanted, and were out of there in about 30 minutes. The store wasn't very crowded, but they had lots of checkers. DH & I do not put up a tree since it is just us, and that is more than I care to deal with. I have a little one (about 2' tall) that is prelit, and has ornaments. Occasionally, I drag it out, and put it up. It was different when the grandkids lived here, or when DD and DSIL came home for Christmas with the kids. Take a deep breath, and enjoy the holiday season.

Sherry Starr

Ahh....tradition dictates that the tree go up the weekend closest to my birthday...not sure when or why that started, but there it is. The children, DH and myself plan out how we are going to decorate the yearly gingerbread house, though this year, DS asked if we could just "watch him and 'bek" decorate it. We have holiday music playing most of the time, and we relax togther as a family. We decorate starting the weekend before my birthday - usually the saturday closest, so this year, it will be decorate tree and living room on the 9th, mom out to dinner with girlfriends that evening. The following weekend will start the baking. As DS is old enough now, and is actually showing an interest in baking, he will be helping this year - egg-free everything, of course. DD will be given her share of dough to play with as well.

That takes us to the weekend of the 16th, which is our Sunday School Christmas party, followed on the 17th, by my MOPS party. In between are DDs preschool Christmas celebration, and DSs AWANA celebration.

It is better, since we have things already scheduled, sometimes months in advance, that shopping be done and out of the way. I must say, though...DH hasn't done any shopping yet, and says he might just do it online this year.

I agree. I usually have things pretty much under control (*not* finished, though) by now, but this year seems to have slipped past me somehow. I'm not ready, but I don't consider that the "last minute" has arrived already.

Shopping now is NOT last minute IMO. I could never understand why people would buy a year in advance. So much can and does change in a year. I hate "Christmas" being pushed on is in October and November. For me, part of the season is the "Christmas Crush". Even if I don't buy, it's fun to watch the people....especially the children. Sounds to me like you are more concerned about the gifts, cards, etc than enjoying the season and remembering the reason for the season. Slow down and smell the scents of the season.

Glad we don't decorate on the weekend closest to my birthday. Sounds like you need to eliminate some December activities.

I like to shop. I don't have to do it just on Saturday though, so that helps. I put off starting because I'll just shop right up until you can't shop any more.

When DD was young, she changed her mind every day about what she wanted so I always waited as long as possible to shop for her.

It really stopped being about the gifts a long time ago. Now, it's about the food. I spend a fortune on specialty items. Clementine oranges used to be a favorite this time of year. Now, you can get them almost year round. I also do lots of baking and cooking.

Cindy

I learned a long time ago that doing less 'stuff' makes everyone around here happier. For some reason I can get really down this time of year. It has gotten better but I still look forward to January and the idea of a new start with less stress.

Since ds has been with the police dept. he has worked most holidays. This year he is at the academy so he will be home and we'll all be together on the 'real' day. We have downsized on presents a lot. I think I am the only one around here that still believes in Santa and I am not real big into getting presents anyway.

I try to do handmade type gifts at other times in the year. Never last minute because it just isn't fun for me.

Tomorrow is decorat> Howdy!

Ohhhhhh Larisa! As the song says... "It's the most wonderful time of the year". There's no way I could purchase / make things for anyone a year in advance. I'm one of "those" people who truly loves the Holiday Season, and I get annoyed with Christmas displays in October. I love seeing downtown Seattle lit up on the day after Thanksgiving. I love the hustle and bustle, the ringing of the bell for Salvation Army, the smells of gingerbread, cinnamon and Christmas Trees, the spectacular window displays, the music, the way people hold the doors open for each other, and help with dropped packages, the egg nog, the candy canes, the gathering of friends, the collections for the poor and the homeless and the general beautiful spirit and good will towards all. I don't view it as "craziness". Granted, there is much more to do this time of year, but..... how fortunate are those of us that are able to "do" it? I love every single day from the day after Thanksgiving to December 26th. It's a lovely, lovely time of year, and I feel truly blessed that I am able to get out there and participate.

Patti in Seattle

DH and I make [local] charitable donations for our gifts to people, and an acknowledgment is sent to our giftees from the organization.

Next weekend I will brave the stores/mall/parking lots with DMIL so she can do her Xmas shopping. This is a lot of fun for her but once a year is enough for me ;) (Yes, I do take Mom out every 3 or 4 weeks all year-round to go pausing through stores)

As of today our local Wally World is open 24 hrs a day until Xmas Eve.

3AM sounds like a wonderful time to shop, as long as you don't have a basket. That is when shelves are being re-stocked so you have to dodge pallets and wrapping plastic instead of people.

G> Shopping now is NOT last minute IMO. I could never understand why people

Now here's a crazy. I went to the local Goodwill store and came home with a buggy full of previously loved dolls. They were all a bit grubby and nekkid. On the first test, I discovered happily that 409 cleans up a doll just fine with no sticky feel or damage. I passed up the ones with ratty hair but a few of them did need some love. Setting them with curlers failed, the success was my pencil-size curling rod set on low. The best part was that none of them complained or wriggled. There's a patient long line of them now - 6 have pink gowns and bonnets with so much lace and ribbon that they would remind you of a bubble bath. A few need 'big girl' clothes and I'm just not sure what to do with one. Her name is Ariel and her hair is Crayola red. Maybe she wants to be a princess. The platinum blonde tells me she's a bride doll. I wish you could come join me, this is such crazy fun. Polly

"Patti S" wrote ..> Ohhhhhh Larisa! As the song says... "It's the most wonderful time of the

Whatcha gonna do with 'em, Polly? Sounds fun, I'd help ya if I lived closer.

Cindy > who loves dolls. Even at 51. Remember how they smelled? That rubber/plasticy smell? That says Christmas to me. LOL.

Uh-oh, Cindy. You're right. I can make the dolls better than new but they won't have that special new smell. The dolls will be going to the battered children shelter. Whatever am I going to do about the smell? No offense intended to the fans of Febreeze but that won't do at all. Associating with peppermint might work . . . any suggestions? Polly

"teleflora" wrote >