........started Christmas shopping at all yet? Or am I totally alone?
I counted up my list the other day and now I'm up to 182 presents.
It IS September afterall.......only 4 months to go.
I tell you something now though, even if you don't go crazy like I do it's great to start this early.....then you don't have as much money to spend later or as much worrying.
BTW, the first Black Friday ad was released on the net the other day. Ace Hardware....still, it's better than nothing, and it's way early.
I can't help it...I'm an 11 year old trapped in a 32 year old body. I get too excited this time of year.....I just love to give. (and give, and give, and give, and give, and give.) If I had to pick between getting stuff and giving stuff it would be giving every time.
Dad keeps saying, oh people won't be buying as much this year because of the economy.....and I was like...well I will be. Just gotta know how to shop and start way early.
I should have known you would have that many presents already!! I have a few but have not done too much Christmas shopping yet. I had to get school shopping out of the way first!
You know me Jess. Mom says I'm just like my Nana. She loves to shop and to give too! :wink: I must get it from her.
I just don't limit myself to shopping certain months, if I see something in March that speaks to me for someone and it's on sale I'll buy it and put it back in my present closet.
I just ordered 3 things today. One for Bill and 2 for Cindy.
And yesterday I placed an order in Cabela's bargain cave for Mark. They have some good deals in there.
Belinda....I hate crowds too....I think that's another reason I like to shop early. Then when I see all of those panicked people out the week before Christmas I can just relax knowing mine are all bought and wrapped.
I started wrapping the other day. Takes a long time to do that much, so I do a few a day. Although I'm really waiting for the printed gift boxes to come out. Someone asked me a while back if I get the boxes in the store, but usually they don't have them when I shop, since I shop so early.
I start in July, usually the weekend after my birthday, and i try to get a couple gifts each week. by thanksgiving i should be done and wrapped. then i can just concentrate on decorating the house. cuz i am way into that. it evolves and morphs until christmas eve sometimes and there's a fairsize box of decorations to donate to the shelters by mid december. things i got that i am tired of or that didn't really work in as i wanted and i always make a brand new arrangement on the dining table. one year i decorated the ceiling fan above the dining table with white pointsettias, white and green mini lights and red chilis hanging down, sounds bizarre, but it was really cool, cuz we were having an open house christmas party that year and the "arrangement" was there, but up out of the way of the food spread on the table, which was, yep, southwest cuisine. homemade tamales and everything. oh yum, now i am making myself hongry LOL
Loz, I LOVE Ace Hardware. Hardware stores have great stuff and Ace usually has some of the best.
I haven't bought anything yet but I've been thinking about it for a couple of months. I too love Christmas. We bought a new stereo system last week because as Johnny said "Sheri needs to be able to listen to her Christmas music."
AND!!!!!! This year I will be off work 2 weeks around Christmas.
I went to my nursery yesterday and the entire front half inside is all decorated Christmas trees..... ridicules,, as that's where all the houseplants were sold,,,,,,, there aren't any house plants in that entire nursery now,, what are they thinking??
anyway,, won't be a Christmas here this year, no point in shopping . Nice that people still can have family at christmas, cherish it always.
"Grace without perfection is more to be desired than perfection without grace."
Diane, I hate that you feel that way.....but I know where you're coming from. My wish is for you to have your family at Christmas. :ding:
Maybe this would be a good year to do something special. Like volunteering for Toys for Tots. That's always a feel good thing to do.
I know I asked about shopping, but you know--I just like to shop and give....but I never forget the real reason for Christmas.....first and foremost that's what I am really celebrating. Not gifts, and food, and stuff.......I just hate for people to think I'm only about stuff like that.
They've been on the shelves at my store for a few weeks already.
And yep Jiffy, I guess only me?
Loz, while I will never even attempt to claim to be anywhere near as good as you--i too begin christmas shopping early. Partly so I too can give all that I would like and partly so I can figure what to give. We draw names in my family--anyone married or out of college is included in it. all else are considered children and they get gifts from every one. ON Rod's side we all just buy for my MIL.
And since i love to give---my kids and their spouses are considered 'children' in my house---I buy gifts (so I can see them open them) and then give a check. They are either here christmas morning, OR I am with them.
((Just today Emily was sitting on my couch 'marking' up a mail order catalog, just like a little kid.--I was loving it.))
at this time I only have a large clear plastic container with say 10-15 small gifts in it.--
However, The internet and the catalogs are going to be my friend this year.
________
Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!! .....
When mom is gone I do a LOT of my internet shopping. It becomes my "mom substitute".
This week alone I'm waiting on oh.....7-8 shipments. You have a good start going though, that's all it takes is a start.
It's so nice that you are the way you are with your children. Some of us children never grow up, no matter how old we are. I know I get like a 10 year old on Christmas morning. It always feels so magical.
OMG, I went to the Dollar General tonight and was confronted with an aisle of Christmas stuff---right next to the clearance garden stuff. SAD!!!!!!!! I hate seeing the garden stuff go.......and it's just too early for Christmas stuff yet.
Got 7 movies for my Dad the other day....ordered them online from FYE. Spent $27 on them. They had 20 percent off and free shipping.
Got him Hostel, Unbreakable, Air Speed, The Sentinel, The 6th Day, Final Destination 3, and Under Suspicion.
Not bad for what I paid I thought. Just less than $4 each.
Now I'm waiting on 4 mp3 players to come.
And 3 blah, blah blahs......one for Bill. And a blah blah for Cindy, and a blankety blank for Cindy.
Do you know what we do? Well not mom, she thinks we're nuts. It started with Dad....then I started, then Mark followed...Last year my sister joined in for the first time. She always used to laugh at us, so I was tickled she joined in.
We buy ourselves a present and wrap it. To you, from you. Dad cracks me up because he honestly forgets what he bought for himself most years....so it's always a mystery.
Cabela's shipment is out for delivery! Mp3 players have shipped.
You know Sheri.....that is what I like the most....I'm not trying to look showy by buying a lot...I just honestly love to make people happy. I know last year mom told me how much she loved everything I bought her a zillion times. That is what I love. That she loved all the stuff. I put a lot of thought into most of the things I buy.....
I make lists of ideas of presents so I'm not just randomly grabbing things.
This year I think I'm going to ask Mark for one of the keyboards I saw on HSN or QVC....it has light up keys that teach you to play...and you can download new songs to it....I've ALWAYS wanted to learn how to play the piano.
That would be cool Loz! I always wanted to learn too!!
I think I should start getting myself a Christmas present too! James always gets me good gifts but every year I tell him something I want...most of the time it is just something small....and he will go out and buy expensive jewelry and whatever else but he never gets me the small thing I asked for. Then I will bring it up later and he will say....you never told me you wanted that! It drives me crazy! Also...we all have stockings at our house. I fill all the stockings but my own. I figure James can do that but he never does. Last year Tristen said....I guess Santa thought you were bad mom because he didn't put anything in your stocking. I gave James the dirtiest look you will ever see. I guess I have to fill my own!
Yeah usually I buy myself something small. One year it was just a candle. Last year it was a Jeff Gordon coffeepot I found on Boscovs for $5!
This year I'm going to make everyone a stocking and fill it with stuff from the Dollar Tree.....just little things.... I sure hope someone fills my stocking. Hopefully James fills yours this year......maybe he learned his lesson?
Mark always wants me to give him a list...so I do....I put as much stuff on it as I can think of, that way I don't know what he'll get. And he actually buys stuff not on the list and does a pretty good job at it.
Marks mom has me tell her stuff I want from the Black Friday papers. I love that! Because I get stuff I really want. Last year she got me a deep fryer I wanted and a DVD player for our bedroom and a few other things. She always spoils us too much.
That is what I told him I was going to do Tam! He thought it was funny but I didn't! Tristen really believed that there was a reason Santa didn't put anything in my stocking! I wanted to say....no it's that your dad is too dumb to do it! Of course I wouldn't say that but I wanted to! The thing is that they hang there all season and I talk about having to get stocking stuffers but I guess nothing still clicks in his brain when I say that!
I always do some gift cards. There are a few people that I never know what to get but I know what their favorite stores or restaurants are. Like Tristen's godparents....I never know what to get them but I know they like to go to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings once in a while so I always get them a gift card to there.
We always get a few gift cards. Marks family (adults) do a name swap and we never know what to buy them. Most are older and have everything.
Last year Marks cousin had my name and gave me a gift card and apologized for just picking up a gift card. I was thrilled. I'd rather have a gift card so I can shop the sales after Christmas.
Tam does have some GREAT ideas.
I got both of Cindy's presents now. The one I got today is perfect.
Now here my ideas aren't as appreciated. I'll come up with something and DH will say, 'Where in the world would you have thought of doing such a thing, you're losing it?'.
~~Tam~ You can bury all your troubles by digging in the dirt.
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