A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall Home for the Holidays Christmas Shopping Pt 4 Are you on the ball?

I've decided to buy Maxi a tool box of his very own. A friend of mine in Ohio is going to ship the kid a bunch of spare tools he has. And I am going to go to Home Depot (or a similar place) and buy a box of scrap wood pieces so the kid can start practicing building stuff. Maxi is very interested in such things but doesn't have the equipment to do much. I so wish he had a mentor for things like building and auto repairs...


Merme

merme, our home depot will give you some of the smaller scraps free. at least they have for me.

I will check into that also, Jiffy. I've been told that some stores allow you to take free bits and others do not to cut down on employee theft. Thanks for the heads up!

Merme

Great idea Merme.

Got one of my DD done today, her DH and my family gift exchange gift. yes !!!! and I am NOT wore out !!!! Wonderful !!


Merry Christmas to you all[color:#FF0000]!!![/color]

Carol, you are on the ball!

Thank you so very much, Loz--but i am betting I am light years behind you!!!!

I plan most of my year around Christmas though Carol....it's my favorite!!!! I revert to a 7 year old during the holidays....I just love it, feel like a big kid again.

I am all finished Christmas shopping....Yay....

Tamara, Good for you!! I am not done, b ut I am defiantely on the down side!!!

....Now I'm all wrapped as well.

I wrap a little at a time. But I haven't started yet. I haven't done but part of my shopping yet.

me either. i've bought exactly 4 presents. and decided to give one early.

i can tell what one was, it was a cookie jar, shaped like a church, with the word "faith" across the top, over the "door". i gave it to ellie because she didn't have a cookie jar (i thought, i had forgotten the one matthew got her a couple of years ago) and she was making cookies. but she really likes it because it is smaller than the one matthew got her, so she can use the big one first then put it away, or switch the cookies left to the little one and fill up the big one again.

Jiffy, that sounds very pretty.

Yes, my tree is a tad crooked! Gives it some character! Got presents under it.





The collections etc box is a lot bigger than it looks in this picture! I have ALL of mom and dads presents in it.....all 58 of them!





If I were to take all the presents OUT of the boxes and pile them up you'd all die.....maybe I'll do that before I take them to moms house....

So how's everyones shopping going????

Holy cow that's a lot of presents. I bought 4 presents the other day. 2 in the store and 2 online. Not done yet though, maybe later today after I sleep for a bit I'll do some more shopping.

It's a deadly combination Cheryl.....combine a lack of income, with a shopaholic, and a love to give and you get a bad thing.

I start in January so I can afford to do it the way I like to do it....since I don't work I do it all on one income....so I spread it out over a LOT of months.....

We open presents in a circle and this whole mess started because I wanted everyone to have around the same amount of things...I hated when a person was done early and was just left sitting there.....so I turend into Santa Loz.

BTW, let's just keep this topic running and open...since Christmas is almost here I can't imagine it getting to many more replies in here.

That's a really good idea. I should start doing that because I always feel bad that I can't afford to give much of anything. This year is especially bad. But now I have a new idea, the only thing to figure out is where to store things all year so that they won't be found.

Well I don't have kids....but when Athena sees the presents they are already wrapped and I tell her that I have to send them to Santa....Until I start wrapping them I store them in a spare closet that has a lock....do you have closet or cabinet or anything like that, that you could lock? Or even a friends house in their basement or something?

And I just want everyone to know that I know and get that Christmas isn't about presents ....I just really happen to enjoy giving....I don't care what I get.

Honestly, do the after Christmas sales....I know everyone is tired of Christmas commercialism by the time it's over but you can get KILLER deals on things then for next year.

I don't start in january BUT---I do start early---say in late september--after we draw names in my family on Septembr 30--which is my nephew's birthday.

but buying early does help spread out the cost-- :wink:

This A.M. I wrapped the rest of the Christmas gifts that I have bought so far--BUT I am not done yet---

Cheryl--I put my early bought gifts in closets in bags, or under my bed--no-one notices.

I am ALMOST done shopping! I have mostly gift cards to get yet. I started wrapping last night! I made a dent at least!

I always shop the after Christmas sales. You always get really good deals!!!

Pretty tree Loz.

I decorated mine last night with the help of little niece, pics later.

Thanks I think it looks better in person though than in the picture....you know I don't want to try to fix it....I don't know if anyone remembers but last year it fell over and fell apart and everything came off it.....or maybe it was the year before last....anyway, I almost cried....

Looking forward to a pic!

would mark straighten the tree up for you??? I would hate for it to fall again---

Here's a pic. I have ribbon yet to put on (when I find it). I hid it on myself

what a beautiful tree, Tamara !!! so now you are hiding ribbon on yourself, huh???/ next year, don't DO that, ok???

Everything is a bit crooked, It was decorated with the help of a 4 year old.

Pretty tree Tamara!!!! Makes it really feel Christmasy inside when the tree is up and decorated.

Very nice tree Tam!!

Thanks It looks a little better at the moment, I just re-fixed the beads and such so everything lays nicely.....I still can't find the ribbon. It is driving me nuts..

very pretty tree Tamara, still in the process of decorating mine.

I only put up a small 4 ft tree this year--it sets on a table--also it has no lights, because they are buried in a box that i could not get easily into---

today I got several Christmas Song CD's and a few bags--but that is all.

the CD's are to be gifts.

Anybody besides myself buy alot of chocolates and candy for Christmas? I have it hid in the closet and it's calling out my name

I simply HATE () when any candy does that !! It should learn to keep its mouth shut---don't ya think??


I buy some candy to add to my kids stockings

( 3 of these kids are 26 and one is 21--AND when these kids are 40 yrs old they will still get stockings from me--I love doing it)

I also give MY DH food/candy as gifts. Chocolate & anything sweet calls HIS name when it is around--so it goes over well.

I also give our church's school janitor food and or cookies for christmas--- You see: I began giving him a gift when the kids were in grade school and as he is not married & has not much family, I still like to give him the gift of something sweet each year.

One year I even gave him a small ceramic Christmas Tree as I am sure he does not decorate--I thought perhpas he would put up a simple ceramic one. Don't know if he does.

We have candy in our house year round! James likes his sweets so I always buy it. I guess I like it too!

We don't buy much candy although I love it....but growing up mom always got those Christmas Hershey Kisses and put them in bowls around the house, let's just say they never lasted too long.

OH OH I forgot---I keep Christmas M & M's in dishes around the living room--but they last exactly 1 day--(They call out Rod's name)--so I don't put them out until I have company coming.

I have the Christmas hershey's kisses at my house right now Loz!! I even got some of the caramel ones and the mint ones.

OOOOOOOOOOOO Mint ones---sounds good to me !!!!