Too much, too soon

[BarbieH]

Whew. I got a lot of Christmas preparation done this weekend, but it got to be a bit much, you know? Three types of cookie dough, decorations, shopping (gift and grocery) ... I'm glad I'm getting things done, but it's bad when it's a relief to get to work again on Monday!

[Paulette]

Barbie....I'd say you are way ahead of the game.....good for you.....and well done.....I don't even have my tree up yet.....the tree is out....but the decorations are still in the attic....and it is soooooooo cold in Missouri today that I don't know if I want to sit up there and rifle through everything to find what I need. Brrrrrr.!!!

[MaraJade]

I don't even celebrate xmas, but I do know a few family members who are getting me things so I am shopping for one or two gifts for each person (six people). I've barely started. I just ordered a few things today, but it's going to take a couple weeks to get here. I have to get a move on. Honestly, I have no idea how you all do this every year. whew!

[BarbieH]

It was lots of fun at first. :)

I will hit one early-morning sale each year, and this last Saturday was my day for doing just that. Anybody remember Johnny's line from the move AIRPLANE:"There's a sale at Penney's!!" Well, that's what I went to ... at 7 a.m. I didn't hit the rest of the mall, but purchased a b-day gift for my sister, something or other for my spouse (who also reads here), and bought a gift for my Mom to give to Dad. She can't get out by herself, so I either take her or buy something by proxy.

So far, so good. I stopped at Farmer Jack's on the way home, and found a sale on things like, oh, meat. Buy one package, get another one free. I had so much meat to pack into the freezer, I felt like Lucille Ball in that infamous episode where she accidentally cooks a side of beef she got as a bargain. ("Grab a fork and some ketchup and welcome to the biggest barbecue in the wooooooorld!")

Then I started the turkey stock from the Thanksgiving turkey carcass. I still don't have the stock in the freezer, but the back porch is a real fine walk-in cooler right now.

Then we started putting out the decorations, and I was thinking about the cookie dough, but it was all catching up. Besides, there was always Sunday, and I could do that and clean bird cages ...

It's so easy to lose what the focus of the holidays is supposed to be.

[Janie]

Barb, you are way ahead of me! Because of my injury (ribs) I did NOTHING all weekend. That's not true, I did go to the bird fair but I had to do that, to save money you know! :D Got my outside lights up before I fell and always have my tree up by now but, not this year. It's being delivered tomorrow and may just sit in the corner (in water) for another week till I can get around well enough to do the %&*#@ lights! I spend one day on lights and a second day on decorations and it is a LOT of work! Shopping? :eek: I've done almost nothing! My hubby and I don't really exchange but he did ask me if there was anything I'd like this year. I told him that the bird room that he paid for was enough to last me for the next TEN years! :D (it really is!) I have so much to do and feel so little like doing it that I'm overwhelmed! :(

[Buy A Paper Doll]

Here's what I've done for Christmas:

1. Put a wreath on the front door.

Uh, that's it.

[Janie]

Thank you, Jennifer! I feel much better cause I'm ahead of you! :p

It's nice to know you're ahead of someone, right? :D Course you were on eggie watch so you have a good excuse! :)

[Buy A Paper Doll]

My philosophy is, don't put the Christmas decorations up for so long that you have to worry about dusting them.

[Janie]

Jennifer, :rofl:

[bellarains]

I did good this year. Tree up, wreaths out, Santa's in the yard. I got most of my gifts bought and wraped. The mantle is done, and the table centerpiece. I'm not putting my Christmas village out this year, just not enough room in this house. I'm gonna have hubby make shelves in the new house and leave my village out year round :happy: Oh, well, just kidding, but that daggum village is a PITA!!!! Pretty though :) All I have left is the dining room table. We are going to MIL's this Christmas though, so I may not do that either. Getting lazy in my old age :roll:

[butterfly1061]

Let's see...

The tree's up, garland on the mantle, wreath above the fireplace that matches the garland, stocking hanging, handmade snowman wreath on front door, snowflake lights in the ground, spiral tree beside snowflakes, garland and bows hanging on porch railing and handmade mailbox decoration done. I haven't put out my collectables yet. :D

No shopping done - no money :p

[BarbieH]

No money here either ... but that's what the plastic is for, right? ;) If I'm ordering online, it's got to go that way, anyway. And it's definitely worth not having to drive around on a mad scavenger hunt for gifts.

One bummer, though. I ordered some really inexpensive curtains (like $9.95/panel) from Overstock, just to block some of the drafts from the larger windows. Their courier (in this case FedEx) claims to have delivered it because I didn't require getting a signature. They also said nobody was home the first two times they tried to deliver, which seems odd since it didn't require a sig ... anyway, I WORK FROM A HOME OFFICE. My office window looks out onto the street; I see every vehicle coming and going. I was home every day they said they attempted delivery, and the day they said it was actually delivered.

Somebody swiped my curtains. >: >: >:

I registered a complaint with Overstock, and FedEx is starting an inquiry. If they choose to insist that the package was delivered, I'll be taking it up with my credit card. I *can* prove I was here.

[Janie]

Barb, get Miss Gracie to vouch for you! :D

Btw, I've had that happen....I was home, they said they "tried" to deliver, they lied! I hate when that happens!

[LauraO]

Barb, get Miss Gracie to vouch for you! :D

Btw, I've had that happen....I was home, they said they "tried" to deliver, they lied! I hate when that happens!

No, let Miss Gracie set the mean postman straight :p :p

All I have to say about X-Mas is BAH HUMBUG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Angelwing]

We usually have everything set up the first weekend of December, but that didn't happen this year. I work every weekend (for over two years, now), so I don't help a whole lot. I do a bit of decorating, maybe help with the baking (cooking isn't my thing) but I'm generally too tired after running around for eight hours beforehand. I think there's one batch of christmas cookies made so far. ;p I also haven't done any of my christmas shopping, mainly because people won't tell me what they would like. So I suppose I get to guess.

[Z28Taxman]

Next year I'll probably be giving away masked lovies babies to everyone as I'm sure the house will be full of them by then. :whistle:


Hmmm, can I be on your chrismas list? I'll send you a card. :lol

[butterfly1061]

Heather,

You could have an auction to help pay for the postage :lol We'd make you rich - well, sort of :p

[BarbieH]

Wow, I want some of that energy I had last year. I'm not even close to having that much stuff done, and it's a week later in the season. What's more, I don't care! :p

[Elle]

The only shopping I have left to do is for my husband. I didn't ask for anything this Christmas since I have been absolutely spoiled all year with Max and other expensive things Dan felt I deserved. Dan says that the vet bill for the cat is his Christmas present. I'd still like him to have a little something to open up Christmas morning.

Not one decoration up this year. We don't actually put up a tree or any decoration for that matter. I don't know yet if I'm working Christmas or not so all we bought so far is the turkey and the cranberries.

I'll either sit back and laugh after work on Christmas day or I will be running around like a mad chicken with it's head cut off next weekend. :rofl:

So Barb, you are way ahead of schedule compared to some other people. Good work!:)

[jknezek]

Well, my fiance who is Christian insisted on getting the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. This poor little Jewish boy had no idea how much trouble this was. Bought the tree, set it up. Then the lights. Then the ornaments. Whoo, finished right? NO.

Then the decorations around the house. Down come pictures, shelves are cleared, knicknacks stored. Why? so new pictures can go up, shelves can be filled with other stuff, and more knicknacks come out. OK, done, right?

NO. Need the train to go around the tree. Got the train off ebay. Set it up. Didn't work. Spent hours reconditioning the motor and track. All set? Yes. Done?

NO. We've got all this Christmas stuff. Fiance feels bad. Where's the Hanukkah stuff? What Hanukkah stuff? I've got a menorah. It goes on a shelf. Some candles, we're all set. Not good enough. Off to the store. Walmart, KMart, Target... boycotting Hanukkah decorations this year, interesting. Off to the Jewish store. New menorah, many dreidels. Lots of stuff to hang.

Down comes some Christmas stuff. Up goes Hanukkah stuff. Room is balanced right? No. We need a Hanukkah train. Back to Ebay. No such thing exists. Buy a blue train. Buy some Jewish Trinkets. Hand decorate the train when it arrives. Buy a new train car, buy a spare menorah. Glue the menorah to the car. Lay out the track.

Guess what? It doesn't work. Take train engine apart. Replace a few parts. Put train back together. Still doesn't work. Take track apart, clean track. Buy new power connectors. Put train back on track. One train runs clockwise, one runs counterclockwise. CRASH.

Large outside track isn't large enough. Buy a new piece of track. Cut track. Fit together. Tape down track. Put train back on. Run trains. PERFECT.

DONE??? YES.

Oh wait... time to buy gifts. Christmas gifts for her family, Hanukkah gifts for my family. Big Christmas gift for her. 8 little Hanukkah gifts for her. Thousands of stores. Hours of fighting shoppers. Start earlier next year and order everything online.

Done??? FINALLY.

Fly up to NJ for Hanukkah this Friday. Long weekend up north. Come back, work a few days. Clean the house for Christmas Eve at our house. Christmas at her parent's.

Done??? Oh no... then we'll have to take it all apart again...

Life was easier for a single Jewish boy....

[zlatushka]

Jeremy....:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

That was too good. We'll pray you make it through the holidays intact!!:lol

[BarbieH]

:lol:lol:lol A Hanukkah train?? :lol:lol:lol I know some folks who will get a big kick out of that!

After all that trouble, I should think you ought to have your relatives come to your house, to see all those lovely decorations. No wait -- then you are FAR from being done! :D Scrub the house, bring out the good dishes, research everybody's favorite traditional recipes, shop some more (groceries this time), wash the good dishes (even though they were put away clean they seem to collect smudges; don't ask me how this happens), find appropriate table linens, clean the good silver. What, no good silver? Time to shop again ...

I'm tired just thinking about it!

We only just put a little fake, prewired topiary on a table yesterday. There's a box of decorations sitting in the livingroom. Being lazy suddenly feels very good.

[butterfly1061]

This year I put out the yard decorations on Thanksgiving weekend, including the new ones I bought after christmas last year. I also decorated the fireplace mantle and hung the wreath above. The tree? Nope, not this year. I don't have time with christmas shopping & working a part time job aside from my full time job. Instead of the tree, I sent out christmas cards. I'm tired. I plan on doing "cookie/bread/soup mix in a jar" for gifts at work. Better than shopping for everything. :2cents:

[Asue]

You'll be glad you got everything done before the holidays.
Trust me, there's nothing like having that one item on your list and having to contend with the rest of us last minute shoppers.:p

[Janie]

Jeremy, my husband is Jewish, too and is helpless when it comes to putting the lights on the tree (lucky man!). I've spent the last two days fighting those lights, blowing fuses and cussing up a storm but at least the lights are on, all 1500 of them. Maybe that's over-kill, ya think? We also light the menorah (caught the cabinets on fire one year) so we do it all. :D

[Z28Taxman]

Jeremy, my husband is Jewish, too and is helpless when it comes to putting the lights on the tree (lucky man!). I've spent the last two days fighting those lights, blowing fuses and cussing up a storm but at least the lights are on, all 1500 of them. Maybe that's over-kill, ya think? We also light the menorah (caught the cabinets on fire one year) so we do it all. :D


So you're using 2 religious traditions to burn down the house! :rofl:

[Kathryn]

Well, finally put our tree and inside decorations up today while listening to Christmas CDs. Hubby was busy outside in the barn, so it was just me and the dog all afternoon. Somehow I lost her amongst the clutter of boxes and packing papers for the ornaments and lights.

Hubby ordered pizza and we sat and enjoyed the music and lights this evening.

Last two years we haven't put up the big tree because of all my surgeries. But all three girls and their families will be with us this year so the effort was worth it. (Last year I bought poinsettias and made a pyramid next to the fireplace...festive and easy)

We just experienced 10 straight days of snow on the ground here, so no outside lights are up yet. They are still in the attic....maybe I'll get to them this week before the next front moves in. It's harder to do with knee replacement, shoulder reconstruction and pending neck surgery...so may just set out the yard lights and call it done. The lifesize nativity scene will remain in storage again this year. It's been too windy to set the panels up.

Candies and cookies still to be made are toffee and pecan crisps. The fudge and peanut brittle are now in the tins.

Dinner will be simple...everybody loves homemade tacos....and everybody can help cut and dice the fixings.

We'll do Christmas the Saturday before Christmas so the two with children can have Christmas day at home with their children. The year we did our Christmas two days after the actual day, was the only time I hit the sales.
I always fill the girls' stockings with fingernail and beauty goodies..started when they were young teens and even at 27, 30 and 34, that's what they enjoy ransacking the most.

I hate shopping in crowds so I started my list back in October. This year I also made several different kinds of soaps (the old fashioned way using lye and lard or tallow) and they had to cure out 6 weeks. Only have two people left to buy something for and then get to start all the wrapping. Good thing someone invented seasonal bags and sacks!!! And course, everybody likes money to hit the sales themselves.

I really think Jeremy's rendition has us all beat!

[jknezek]

1500 lights??? yikes. We put 5 strands on the tree, 2 more on the ??garland?? And that was it. As it was, I did the lights the wrong way twice. Started with the wrong end so when I got to the bottom of the tree, I had two female plugs. Not sure how I did it twice... Must not learn very well.

It does amaze me. Hanukkah is a lot easier. Or at least it was, until my fiance decided we needed to decorate for it. Not sure what the decorations have to do with the holiday. I'm guessing about as much as a Christmas tree and Santa have to do with Jesus's birthday. But hey... it sure looks nice and festive...

[ottermom]

We usually have a huge tree. We're not doing it this year for 2 reasons: 1) We have a new puppy who gets into everything and 2) I just don't feel like it this year! It's been so dang warm it doesn't even feel like Christmas to me!

[butterfly1061]

1500 lights??? yikes.I think that's how Janie hurt her back last year. Christmas lights! If she had a pre-lit tree, she'd add lights to that too :rofl:

[Buy A Paper Doll]

Well ... I took down the Thanksgiving decorations two nights ago. The lights are in the bushes outside. The nativity is on the buffet table. There's a wreath on the door.

The Christmas tree is in a box in the foyer which is where it's been sitting since I bought it the day after Thanksgiving. I might just wrap lights and tinsel around the box, plug it in, and be done with it.

[Janie]

1500 lights??? yikes. We put 5 strands on the tree, 2 more on the ??garland?? And that was it. As it was, I did the lights the wrong way twice. Started with the wrong end so when I got to the bottom of the tree, I had two female plugs. Not sure how I did it twice... Must not learn very well.

It does amaze me. Hanukkah is a lot easier. Or at least it was, until my fiance decided we needed to decorate for it. Not sure what the decorations have to do with the holiday. I'm guessing about as much as a Christmas tree and Santa have to do with Jesus's birthday. But hey... it sure looks nice and festive...

Jeremy, my husband ask me the same question every year: What does the tree have to do with the birth? :D Yep, your answer is the best....."it sure looks nice an festive!" :D We were given a new menorah a few years ago and it's shaped like a baseball diamond and plays "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and it did take my hubby a little time to adjust! :lol The lights and ornaments on our tree are over the top but at this point it's what my sons are used to and they complain if it's any less that what it was the year before! Nine to ten feet is my limit cause *I* am the one on that ladder,not them! I did 12 feet one year and was holding on to the ceiling beams to keep my balance on the top step of the ladder. :eek: Never again!

Jackie, I wised up this year and went to my chiropractor for a week and a half before I tackled the lights! :D It worked and my back is fine. :whistle:

[BarbieH]

The tree tradition goes back to a pagan ritual, I think. It's similar to Easter eggs, which go back to pagan celebrations of spring. They've been given Christian symbolism through their use and decoration, but their roots go back much further than Christianity.

[jknezek]

and there you have it! Actually, I'm rather enjoying it. The house really looks quite nice, smells wonderful, and makes my fiance happy. We are doing the best of both holidays. Personally I'm quite happy about the trains since my dad and built a massive model train display when I was a kid. It was nice to play with them again, even though it is much simpler than what we used to do. But yes, the holiday season is wonderful regardless of what you celebrate. Especially in our case since we each get to celebrate our respective holiday with our families. Always a nice touch.

[BarbieH]

It does sound lovely, and very touching that your wife did so much to honor your traditions -- even if it meant making up some new, decorative ones. :)

Santa Claus actually was a real person at one time: St. Nicholas. I found a very good piece on the transformation from Christian Bishop and Saint, to American commercial icon: http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=38.