What Do You Do For Christmas?
 

Do you put up a tree? Decorate? Start shopping in July or wait till the last minute? Like shopping the day after Thanksgiving?

Here's what we're doing this year....first year we've done this and I am so excited! Actually, my son Kevin suggested it and we all agreed it would be fun.....

Instead of buying gifts for each other we are going to sponsor an elderly person or couple. We get the info from a place called The Quinn House. It's been a fixture in Lawrenceville for years and years. They sponsor families with children, too, but the elderly people often go without because people want to help the kids. So, we decided to sponsor an elderly person or couple.

The Quinn House provides shelter and food for people in transition (evicted or just needing a place to go) but they require church attendance and a job (they will help find one).They also have a food bank and a clothing store (clothes are free is you cannot afford them).

We've already started purchasing items (blankets, books, toiletries, sweaters, slippers, etc.). We just buy one or two items at a time so the financial impact isn't so great at any one time.

None of us "needs" anything and it just seems pointless to buy things just for the sake of buying them when there's people who need just the necessities that we often take for granted.

I'm so excited to be doing this! Can't wait to wrap everything and deliver to the facility.....we won't actually get to give it to the recipients (they pick it up or a family member picks it up and takes it to them) but that's okay. Just knowing that there will be someone getting things that they need on Christmas Day is such an awesome feeling.

We plan on having a big dinner and then watching movies together on Christmas Day. :)

We put up a tree and do a modest amount of decorating. We go see family x-mas week - this year it's her family so we're off to Michigan/Ohio unless I got a shuttle mission, which I don't think is very likely this year.

We're procrastinators - but we've already done a fair amount of gift buying this year. The only things we do from a charity standpoint - NMSS.

Tom

Depends... on whether I'm staying home for the holiday season or travelling. If home, I decorate. If not, it's just way too draining for me - to unpack and re-pack.

When the temps. start dropping in my area, I take blankets to the homeless (not provided shelter). The shelters, even the overflow ones, have ltd. capacity.

A few years ago, I stopped buying most gifts and convinced people to make and exchange them. Just seems to mean more... than tossing around gift certificates or plucking pre-made from stores.

tree lights inside and out, last year was my first year of not doing anything cause as some of you will recall, I almost lost my house, so this year we are gonna do it up right again

The kids will all be at home this Christmas-we alternate, celebrating on Christmas Day every other year. The off year, we celebrate "Christgiving"-the kids are home at Thanksgiving, so we celebrate Christmas at that time.

It's so much fun--now that they're all adults, they truly love each other, and get along so well. Lots of laughter...:D
But when we celebrate Christgiving, Christmas Day is too quiet without the four kids and their spouses. We have to have dinner on that day, though, because my elderly inlaws come over for dinner.
We always decorate on Thanksgiving weekend, whether or not the kids are here. My DH does most of it, and he makes the house come alive.

I love some of the ideas posted here...gives me ideas for our charity work this holiday. Thanks for sharing!

We decorate inside and out and have the family over on xmas eve. Jim and I give all year to charity but I do like the idea of sponsoring a family.

last year we did the exchange (and I was late) .. not THIS year ... gifts are in the making to be ready to mail out by turkey-day ... (hint hint)

That reminds me....are we doing the exchange again this year? Who coordinates that? If you need help I'll be happy to help with it. :)

um ... that was from the old site ... and I can't remember who did it!! :yikes: and that wonderful person that did it was absolutely wonderful!

... aarrgghh! I can't remember who!!:hissyfit:

Oops!!! :o You're right...it was from that site from my previous life!!

I wonder if we could do something like that here?

And I cannot remember who coordinated that there, either so don't feel bad. Wait...was it Sparky? :confused:

I've used a new approach since my mom passed away 8 years ago. She was totally nutso and went way overboard on every holiday, there was always way too much food, etc.

What I do for Christmas now is delegate and give orders as needed. ;)

We try to go visit our families ... about 400 miles away... during Thanksgiving weekend. THen we spend Christmas at home with just the boys. We usually give them a set $ amount and take them shopping when the sells are super good for things they want like video or computer games. We decorate, but don't really go overboard now..just a tree and a few of the handmade items the kids made when they were little... we spend the time reminiscing about those. SO not much money is spent on gifts because our extended family can't afford to.

We donate to several charities, but at Christmas our church has an angel tree, but not for kids. It's to help out the elderly vets at the local Veterans Home. Most of them want new blankets, pajamas, slippers, radios so they can listen to ballgames, or lounging clothes. We never meet them, but they are always so appreciative of being remembered during the holidays. We usually try to "adopt" at least 4 of them each year.

Most of you don't go overboard & I don't either but this yr it will be a little outside 'dance' to music. We won't put out alot though. (You cant hear the music unless you turn your car radio to a certain station, so the neighbors won't hear it.) We have our tree & a few decorations inside.
His SIL & our nieces come from Virginia & we visit at my FIL's. Then we go visit my father.

Christmas? LOL, don't usually start thinking about it until about October.

Last year we did some stuff that might become new traditions. Everything was purchased online and we had a christmas shrub. Yes, I typed it correctly :D

The christmas shrub came about by running out of time to put the tree up. We managed to just get the bottom of the tree up, so we decorated that. We like being different, and the kitties actually left it alone. :D

((Kelly)) neat idea starting this thread. I love seeing what other folks do for Christmas.

I haven't even started thinking about it!!..well, until now. Wish I did, because I think making special things for loved ones would be fun. Don't know what, but would be fun. But then...that takes preparation and thinking in advance which...well, I don't do, LOL!

Every year for as long as I can remember, my daughter (and now her husband and my grandson) and I stay at my parents house. Tradition as long as I can remember. I love doing that and they live right here in town.

We usually have a nice dinner. Watch a movie or play games and then open our presents in the morning after Santa comes. :D

Since it's only me at home I don't decorate like I used to at all. Put up a tree and such and a few lights in my front windows, but that's about it!

It sure is fun now that I have a 3-year-old grandson. He really got into Christmas last year, LOL. Cute.

Now there's a surprise...Nappy give orders :p

Note to self go to Taffy's for X-mas (and get mints)

We split the week at DH's family and mine. This year my mom gets X-mas first...she will be thrilled. :D

Even though we are not home at X-mas we decorate a tree and put out a special manger scene that my aunt handmade for me.

Oh and DH likes pointsettas...two years ago he bought one and has kept it alive since then...he calls its pointy....I am beginning to worry that he talks to plants :p

There was one year, when I was 20 and living in an apartment, that I didn't decorate for Christmas. It was so depressing I decided never again. We put up a tree, put lights outside according to my energy level and the temp.. Now that my kids are mostly grown (youngest is 17), it's not the same excitement as when they were little, but they still look for the special Christmas stockings their Grandma knitted for them with their names on them, and for the special ornaments that they made years ago..

The day after Thanksgiving, we go to the Holiday Stroll downtown. It's so cool to walk downtown at night and drink hot cider & eat roasted chestnuts (among lots of other not-so-healthy but wonderful things)..All the shops are open and I occasionally find something special for those on my list. And Santa arrives on a fire truck around 8 or 9pm..I'm just a big kid at heart.:D

Christmas is my fave holiday. We sponsor a family too Kitty. Each
family member is assigned a category. That way they get tons of stuff.:):D

I also make about 16 - 20 different kinds of cookies or candies for gifts.
I start right after thanksgiving and I freeze them(have a big freezer in
my basement) I cant imagine what that will cost me this year with
food prices so high:(. But Ive done this on some scale since I was
about 18 before that I did it with my mom.:) I took it over for her.:)

Im also a big decorater inside and out. christmas/winter with a figure
skating theme. anything with skates or skaters on it. I add a few
pieces every year.:) someday Ill have enough to do just the skating
pieces(I used to skate quite seriously:):o)

Also make pannetone and stollen for family members.:)

Ive already done alot of my shopping as I shop for christmas year round.
I have a closet full.:):o

I just loooooove christmas.:D

I forgot some stuff.....

My MIL crouched(sp) a red & green tree skirt that we use every yr, even though it is getting a lil' tattered.

We also put up about 15 of those porcelain houses with a light & the ppl making a town & put it on a sheet of cotton on our breakfast bar (like a separate counter.

I make Hungarian Xmas cookies that My grandma made.(& turns out my MIL did too) (If you think you know what they are....they're that kind filled with a sort of fruit jelly).

We put my DH's toy electric train arround the tree & the dogs don't bother it. If they put their wet noses on the track they get a little jolt & jumped back (they did it once & 'have learned')

http://bestsmileys.com/christmas5/17.gif

What a great idea Kelly - I like the elderly family!

I am one that usually doesn't think of Christmas till Dec 20th to start buying gifts that is.

I have a Christmas village that I put up right after Thanksgiving - I started with just 3 houses about 17 years ago and have bought one or two each year to go with it.... I love it!

Last year the girls and I went on vacation to Quebec City. It was fun - I filled their stocking (which even at 20 & 18 is still their favorite part of Christmas)

Maybe this year I will start buying early but I say that every year and it never happens!

this is a fun thread to read!!

I have Christmas all year round ...

a few years ago, I bought one of those 4ft skinny pine-tree (with lights) from Hobby Lobby ... and it's decorated all the time ... right now, it's naked since my move, but sitting here right next to me in my LR ... (my LR is all woodsy, dead stuff: cattails, pussywillows, branches, bark etc)

and I can plug it in to enjoy the lights anytime!!

thanks for the thread, Kelly!

Yeap. It was Sparky10 (Robin). It was an idea we were toying with in 2003 or 2004 and she took it on.

Let's see - Renee in 2007, Carol in Canada in 2006, Kelli in upstate NY in 2005, and that girl in Indiana in 2004. Guess we started it in 2004. It'd be a shame to not do it this year.

Tom

We don't have any traditions on my side of the family, which makes it easy since we are all spread out. I try to spend Christmas with my parents when my sisters are spending Christmas with their in-laws - that way I get spoiled. A couple years ago I had my parents book a couple nights at the Grand Canyon at the nice lodge. We had a great Christmas eve dinner and an awesome brunch on Christmas day. And our waiter's name was even Jesus! He probably got a lot of good tips that day.

Supposed to go to DBF's house every other Christmas, I always try to get out of it. Miserable. They eat leftovers from a neighborhood potluck they have Christmas eve and then fight. It doesn't feel like Christmas at all. My BF's brothers partner (got that?) and I tried to change things up and prepare a "real" Christmas dinner last year, but the matriarch did not approve and made sure we knew it. Whew, guess I needed to get that off my chest, sorry.

we try to keep it simple. Got a "Charlie Brown" sized Christmas tree and some perpetual "gift boxes" that sit under it.

Finally gave in last year and bought a big plastic tree...will have to put it up this year...LOL

Da wife's family calls from up north. They have a tradition that is truly Dickens...

I mean, listening to Dickens "A Christmas Story"

I mean, "A Christmas Carol" (Sorry, I was thinking about fa ra ra ra ra...ra ra ra ra...)

f-i-l or DFIL?? Hmmmm...to defile something could stand for father-in-law
(smacks self, stop hijacking!!!)

DFIL has taped it from a Radio Show many years ago and would play it every year...

we drove to the beach two years ago and listened over the phone while we watched the sunset...

the warmth..the gathering...the love...Christmas...to celebrate that wonderful guy that showed people how much he loved them many years ago...by giving up his life...

sorry, Kelly .. you asked a question ... and I forgot the answer back .. YES .. .it was Sparky who did all the name organizing and matching ...

it was fun ....

I better start packing stuff now to mail out EARLY this season!

Vonn, You said something about having a 4 ft skinning pine tree w/lights. That reminded me, my dd brought home a stick in a bag that she got from school on labor day. We kept in & it grew. Then we planted it & it grew to about 1.5 ft. It looked as 'beautiful' as Charley Brown's Christmas tree. He put one ornament on & it bent over, so we put one ornament on it & named it Charley. That was about 8 yrs ago & it is gone. However I have a Norfolk Island Pine & maybe I'll put a few ornaments on it.

Raising 6 kids made christmas daunting for me and the wife, and one year it was going to be a meager christmas to say the least. About a week before christmas we told the kids we couldnt afford a tree, but we were able to buy a very inexpensive gift for each kid. This way they didnt get their hopes up.

Well the next day when I got home from work I could hear everyone laughing and carrying on in the house, and when I went inside I had the surprise of a lifetime. One of the kids had found an old branch out on the property and brought it in, and they decorated it like a christmas tree!

They called it charlie browns christmas tree LOL. Ever since we havent spent much on christmas, but we all get together and have a big dinner and enjoy everyones company. That christmas is one none of us have ever forgotten.