[Mum2three]

Who's all ready for Christmas????

What are your plans for Christmas?

Who are you buying for??

Any Special Family Traditions?


Im not really ready for christmas but im starting my shopping this weekend!!!
My just buying for Dwayne and the kids, and my parents his parents and my brother.
We always have a christmas bake off for the kids. where the parents just sit back and let the kids do it all..But afterwards we do a lot of baking with the kids...
We always decorate, even the bathroom..hehe..
so what about you??

[MinDB]

i am not ready for christmas at all!!!
i'm starting to get in the spirit, though. i think i'll play some christmas music on my way to work today, that always helps, especially with this cold weather.

plans for christmas--usually it's the in-laws in christmas eve, and then my family on christmas day. i like that better--not so much running around in on day.

well, the in-laws to a secret santa deal, so that makes it easier on the wallet--we'll buy for my FIL and MIL and then whoever we pick on thanksgiving. on my side of the family, we get a little something for everyone. a few years ago i started making dvd slideshows with my brothers kids pictures--that's all my parents and my brother wants anymore, so that's a big money saver! DH and i will get something together that we both want--i think we're getting new cell phones this year.

i'm glad you posted this! i'm starting to get into the christmas spirit!

[EmilyRenee]

Im definitely not ready. lol But im excited for it.

Um last year (first christmas beign married) we slept in a lil bit gave each other our presents ate breakfast then went to the in-laws then to my parents. Then i think we ended up going home with some of the brothers and sisters.

I have 4 sisters and 2 brothers but most of them are happy with clothes being girls lol and the boys don't mind clothes since they don't like shopping. Dh ben is a pain in my butt he never tells me what he wants for christmas so who knows what ill get him.

I think this year i am going to reach out to some teenage girls who are having a tough time with some things right now and have them over to bake cookies and maybe help them put together some cute baskets.

Thats about all i can think of for now although we are staying with bens grandfather right now so that will def. be different.

[Mum2three]

Thats great! i know im getting in the mood. i want to set up the lights and stuff, for my kids. but hubby doesnt want to..lol
i know what you mean with teenagers! i have a brother that just turned 18 and hes a pain in the butt. He likes the top fashions, so what i usually do is hit his favorite store and get a gift card. My parents the like to wake up in the morning and see the grandkids. and they are easy to buy for. they like their slippers and coffee baskets..

I usually for the less fortunate, i make up hampers, with turkeys dressing, coffee, some toys for the kids, dessert, potatoes. Basically everything that a Christmas dinner should have at the table. I just want to wake up in the morning of Christmas Day knowing that a child out there will have a fun Christmas, and will have a full tummy afterwards. I do alot through the schools as well. DH dresses up as Santa, and we get a tally of the boys and girls and find presents that suit them, and Santa gives them to them..Its fun...

I love it!

I hope to get more replys to see what others do!!

[..Jessica..]

Who's all ready for Christmas???? I'm not ready completely, but I DO have some shopping done.

What are your plans for Christmas? Staying at home! I can't go anywhere else for Christmas!

Who are you buying for?? Family in Newfoundland, my sister & her fiance, my parents, Dwayne, his parents & step-sister. Seems like a lot of people, but I have mostly everyone that lives in Newfoundland finished! Oh, and my doggies!

Any Special Family Traditions? Christmas Eve we spend having a LATE dinner at Denny's, Christmas Day it's dinner at home after we open the gifts. We also decorate the entire house! That's the best part!!!

[Mum2three]

Jessica!!! Are you from Newfoundland???

Cause i am! im from cornerbrooke, and my hubby is from Gander!

Who's all ready for Christmas???? I'm not ready at all!! I bought a TON of stuff on clearance last year for decorating and for gifts. Now I just have to go through it and see what I have.

What are your plans for Christmas? Right now we're having holiday planning issues. We're hosting Thanksgiving with DBF's family (they live close to Chicago). Then I planned on Friday driving up to Wisconsin to see my family. He is not all about 2 days of holiday. So Christmas is goin to be very tricky. We might have to celebrate a week later or something. I wish everyone would come down by us but it makes more sense for him and I to go to Wisconsin cuz I have a HUGE family and he has like 4 people. MEN!!

Who are you buying for?? Parents, brothers, DBF, Grandparents. He can do his own family

Any Special Family Traditions? When I lived in Wisconsin I would go to my Dad's side Christmas Eve, my Stepdad's side Christmas day, and my Mom's side the week after. I don't know if Zack will be up for all of that. We usually go shopping right away on the 26th for the sales too. Oh and my Mom, Aunts, and me all have a bake off to see who makes the best sour cream cookies. I won last year

[*Bobbie*]

Sorry this is going to be looonnngggg I think I will even add pics for fun! I LOVE Christmas.


Who's all ready for Christmas???? I am ready as far as *bring it on* but not with the actual gifts. I did start shopping but only for some little stocking type stuff. I adore Christmas music without words. The slow sad type stuff.

What are your plans for Christmas? I work Christmas Eve until 5-6pm and then we go to Dave's parents house. I really don't enjoy that part of Christmas too much. We have been together 7 years and I still I always feel out of place and they always manage to hurt my kids feelings. Silly things like giving Dave's girls $30 and my kids $20. WHY NOT MAKE IT $25 each kid! GRRR They are old enough to wonder why. Jeremy doesn't care as much because he thinks they are weird and is not too worried about not *fitting in*. Dave did talk to his mother about this about a month ago so we will see what happens this year.
Here are pics from last year at the In-Laws:

Anyways our Ex's get the kids Christmas Eve until I get out of work. The we have them that night until we are done at the In-Laws. Then they keep them until around noon Christmas Day. It started out that way because both of our Ex's were alone and we had each other... so we figured they *needed* the company of the kids more than we did. After we drop the kids off to the other parents we head to my parents to just veg out and eat junk. We usually end up laying on the couches watching movies. Then Dave and I come home, drink wine, make love under the tree! , and put out the kids presents. The adults time with my parents before the choas begins is somthing I hold close to my heart My dad isn't very affectionate and isn't much of a talker but that night he always seems to be in an awesome mood.

Christmas morning we open presents and my In-Laws usually show up un-invited GRR (Dave and I are silly... go figure! and get each other silly stuff that I would rather our parents don't *see*... I don't care much about the kids seeing my underware and the other *stuff* that they just roll their eyes at if they are even paying attention. Then we usually make a quick brunch and then head to my parent's house to spend the rest of the day with my family.
This was Christmas morning last year:


And then at my parents house. Somehow we started a *tradition* of wearing Pj's. Well... the girls wear Pj's even my mom and sister! We adults start out in real clothes and then usually change pretty quick! The boys for some reason pick that day to dress up. Go figure! You would think it would be the other way around. But everyone is happy and that is all that matters. Plus the shock factor when the kids tell Dave's parents that they are wearing Pj's to Christmas dinner is soooo worth having Christmas pictures of my kids in Pj's! Once again i got side-tracked here are the pics.....



This is my brother and his family, and my twin sister and her family:



And then one of my entire immediate family even my mom's cat Streaker! :


Who are you buying for?? We buy for nieces and nephews.... 7 on my side and 5 on Dave's side. We also buy for all the adults on his side... Parents, two sisters and their DH's. On my side I do buy for my parents but usually only spend $25-$50 on each. I always buy my sister a little something $10 or so. It is soooo expensive!

Any Special Family Traditions? Just going to my parents alone on Christmas Eve and Pj's for Christmas Day. Every thing else we do is usually spur of the moment. Working retail it is really hard to get much done this time of year. I don't think I have baked in 5 years and I LOVE to bake Oh well... gotta pay the bills right?

So that is our Christmas.... if anyone made it this far..... congrats! Man that was looonnnnggg!

[Mum2three]

Bobbie, thats interesting! I know my DH parents treat my oldest like their own. Where my parents treat DH's girls like nothing. and its upsetting. They cant even go to the dollar store and get hair things. But DH parents buy everything for the boys. and when i say that i mean it. Dont think your the only one going thought it...But everything else looks good Ladies...

[dee68]

I am not "ready"....didnt start shopping yet.....but I am in the mood! I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT !!!!!
I did start stocking up on some baking supplies

Since moving here, Christmas Eve is at Mick's granpdarents house, which is nice, but oh how I miss Christmas Eve with my family.....as we had the "feast of 7 fishes" on that night......incredible !!!! so being here in Illinois is still a BIG adjustment!!
Christmas Day starts early at Mick's parents, brunch, gifts,snacks, gifts, lunch, dinner, cookies....LOL


we buy for everyone ! LOL....Illinois crew - mom & dad,grandparents,brothers, Jeff, John & his wife Debbie....and everyones pets!
New Jersey -(shipping is expensive) Mom & Michael, My aunt dot, cousins, Evie & Alex, friends lisa & bob & their 4 kids, friend Beth
Arizona- My brother Anthony, my aunt joyce, aunt Jan & uncles Les

Traditions.....well, like I said its different here....but I love to think back about "my" family traditions at home...
New PJ's every year, on Christmas Eve,spending endless hours in Aunt Dot's kitchen sampling everything under the sun....
going back to mom lighting a warm fire, putting on our PJ'S, sipping egg nog, listening to Christmas Carols....opening a few gifts & just enjoying each other as a family. Man do I miss that !!!!!!!!!

Now with a baby on the way....Mick & I can start our own traditions!

[Boo]

...

[Mum2three]

wow theres alot of different Christmas ideas!!!

Sounds good ladies

[home4mygirl]

We always go to DH's family for christmas eve and then to my family's directly after that to spend the night. We wake up at my mom's house on christmas morning, so it's like I never left...lol... We do that cuz dh's grandparents house is halfway to my mom's house, so it makes more sense to just continue the trip and spend the night at my mom and stepdad's house.

It's a pretty big deal in my family because it's usually the only time during the year I get to see my brother since he lives in Alabama and I live in OH.

We have traditions but I can't remember them all...lol... My mom keeps track of everything! We always eat on the fancy (and I do mean fancy!!!) china and have, of course, the big meal. We ALWAYS read a christmas story before we open presents. You know, one of the really touching ones that always makes everyone cry. I always say I'm not going to cry, and I always do!! We pass it around the room and each person reads a page until it's done. That's one of my favorite parts.

We open each of our presents one by one while everyone watches that person, so every present means something and they don't just get "lost in the shuffle."

We always have a different "theme" every year for colors for the christmas tree too. So every year we each get a new ornament and my sister puts our initials in beads on the hangy thing so we can keep track of whose is whose. We each hang our own ornaments from that year and all the previous years too. The family is growing, so now it's starting to get hard to fit them all on! This year we even got one for the baby that was supposed to be in my belly - a butterfly, since our little one flew away from us too soon...

I love christmas at my mom's house, but as far as mine, I'm SUCH a bah-humbug!! I don't put up even ONE decoration! I know, it's awful. Once the kids get big enough to really enjoy it and help, we will decorate, but for now, it's more of a pain than it's worth! The cats just knock all the ornaments off and try to climb the tree, and my little dog gizmo just pees on it to mark it as his own!

I have absolutely NO christmas shopping done because we're sooooo broke right now. We just had to buy a $1200 furnace and I have no idea how we're even going to afford christmas this year. Dh and I were just talking about it the other day and don't think we're going to be able to afford any presents at all. We were fine until the stupid furnace broke, but now...I don't know...