mgmckny

Hugs and good thoughts coming your way. Bad year here too so I can sympathize completely!

Long time ago I used to give candy canes or something. When I was in retail I had a few regulars that would bring me a drink, but it was a small store and they knew how hard it was for me to get out to take a break...

If you go, set a time limit up front, and stick to it!! For years my hubs and I used the excuse that I was cat sitting for my mom and had to go check on them. Got any friends you can use as needing this kind of favor??

I wanted one of those when I was younger, don't know why, not good on strings...

I understand. Mine aren't exactly Scrooge but they aren't overly excited lately and this year I'm struggling. I'm thinking of doing a small table top live tree and some small stuff. My mom is not well and dh is disabled and can't help, the boys are busy or don't want to. I want a tree but my back groans at the thought of doing it myself this year... Going to see how expensive a smaller tree is...

Have only looked at a few ads but noticed misspellings in the ads themselves. So much for proofreading anymore...

Got mine today also, loved the Holiday card and got an Amazon gift card too. Score as that is a favorite place for me lately...

Passed one of the strip malls and they had their Christmas decorations up on all the light poles last night!

I don't do much at all now, but I think the ads go live online earlier so there is no rest for Brad and his minions when checking links, etc...

I need the nerf gun. I can steampunk it....

That but for my boys......

My Dad has been gone 15 years and I still miss him most at Christmas (he was Santa--really). This year my mom is not doing well and we have been told 2 years is probably all we have. That coupled with financial issues and the hubs health means I'm not feelin it either this year..... Hang in there!

I'm going to skip this one as much as I'm already missing it..... just not in the budget for so many reasons... But I will be watching to see what everyone gets!

Helping Brad with the ads and sipping lattes from Starbucks while working...

But for the parents I usually do a gift card to a favorite restaurant (just mom left now...). That way she can go when she wants and to heck with the pension....

Be really mean with the cold hard cash, use a rubbermaid or such container, a big one..... I did that to a brother once!!

Check out this thread http://forums.gottadeal.com/showthread.php?268655-Hey-guys-what-would-you-like-in-your-stocking-Need-help

Yay!

Last year I set the time as 1pm but by the time the procrastinators showed up we ate about 3.....In my family it's best to tell them an early time if you want to eat at a certain hour since they will be late...drives my kids and I nuts!

So I hope he gets an extra long roll in his stocking!!

Not sure yet, last 2 years we've gotten the Publix turkey dinner and added stuff. And for Christmas we go to the Chinese buffet. But on your green beans, couldn't you line the cookie sheet with foil and not have so much work to clean it??

I used to tell my kids that with all the expensive technologie and all the kids in the world now Santa relies on parents to pay in a portion of the money for stuff the elves don't build. I called it the parent share or Santa tax and explained that sometimes parents don't have enough to be able to help Santa out for everything. My kids bought it until they were at an age where it occurred to them that I was Santa....

When I was growing up, we always had party leftovers Christmas eve. My dad was a Shriner and also in Sertoma, etc and plus worked at a bank and the department would have a party. There was always leftover dips, meatballs etc and we would just pull it all out and make a meal of it.... Plus it made room in the fridge for all the stuff that would be coming over on Christmas from other relatives.... Now I tend to try to buy a bunch of appetizer stuff and we do a small version of it. We too have eaten cookies for breakfast on Christmas.... when my kids were small we had 2 families to visit so we ate cookies while we opened Santa and then we had lunch a couple of hours later and then a dinner at the other house.

Still thinking on it. Been such a crazy year...

I listen year round.