mgmckny
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Posts posted by mgmckny
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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...
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I really appreciate that some of you have chimed in on this. Makes me feel a bit less "villian-ish" that I am just wanting to bow out this year.
So for anyone that cares about the ongoing saga - I did tell my mom two days ago that we were no longer going out of town and that DH and I were going to politely abstain from T-Day. She didn't take it well (as expected) but she attempted a good front.
Yesterday morning I got an email from her husband (it is not an accident I don't refer to him as my step-dad lol). It was sent to my aunt and I and the general tone was that we should put aside our differences and see how our not speaking is affecting my mother. - I suppose the man is stupid and assumes I don't know this? However he implores me (us) to come to T-Day and get along.
So last night was spend discussing with my husband WHAT I am supposed to do. I am HISTORICALLY guilted and bullied into doing everything my family wants - thus the reasons I no longer speak to my aunt however this is a FAR complicated situation that finally just broke. My mother and I, though I do love her - I'm certain you can tell that I have some "issues" with her. I don't dislike her - I just would love some "me time" but I never get it. NEVER. Everything is my family's way - a group event or it becomes a mass causality - as this is starting to.
I have a feeling my Pizza and cheescake holiday of relaxation is never gonna happen. I will, as par for the course, suck it up and get guilted into whatever THEY want. It's like the mafia. And it's exactly why I need a break. If you read about a T-Day massacre - It's me - I finally lost it LOL.
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??
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My 13 son really wants a lute....and I would love to get him. I have been combing the internet looking for one at a reasonable price
I wanted one of those when I was younger, don't know why, not good on strings...
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I've always LOVED Christmas, everything from putting up the tree, lights, decorations, shopping, music, tv shows, presents...everything! The last couple years, however, dh and 2 sons (19 & 13 this year) just brought me down, complaining when it comes time to put up the tree and decorate. DH and younger son will help IF I ASK, but if I ask my older son, he grumbles, complains and does what I ask then disappears. I'm just dreading it this year. Last year I put the tree up by myself while they were at work and school. DH did say it looked nice, but that's about it. I'm thinking about not even putting anything up this year, just waiting to see if THEY ask anything about it. We always used to have Christmas at my parents' house until my mom got sick, then a few years ago we started doing Christmas here. Last year we had to beg my mom and dad to come over, this year I KNOW they won't come because of my mom's sickness. My grandma who usually comes is in a nursing home (she's 91) so she won't be able to come over. It'll just be my family and my 2 sisters and their families. We have Christmas here because it's centralized for everyone. Maybe I just need a kick in the pants to get myself in the mood this year.
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...
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Have only looked at a few ads but noticed misspellings in the ads themselves. So much for proofreading anymore...
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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...
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We start Thanksgiving after dinner and continue through the weekend. A house in my town has already started putting up their outside deocrations earlier this week but have not turned them on yet.
Passed one of the strip malls and they had their Christmas decorations up on all the light poles last night!
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Do you guys think you shop for a longer or shorter overall time in stores because of the Thursday night openings?
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...
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I need the nerf gun. I can steampunk it....
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the room in our budget to afford to give our girls a Christmas
That but for my boys......
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Black Friday is one of my favorite days of the year, usually. I love Gotta Deal and a proud owner of my own BF shirt along with one for my Daughter. I usually watch daily for the new ads and download ASAP. The actual day really starts my Christmas season! The boys stay home and hang the outside lights. My mother and I head out. Then when we are done, she hides some stuff she bought in the garage from my father - that way he has no idea what she actually spent.
This summer my father suddenly passed away. He was an amazing man who was only 64 and a big grumpy teddy bear. I have NEVER had a Christmas with out him. He always came over before the kids woke or if they did wake up, they waited for their Nanny and Poppy to be here. Coffee for all of us adults and we start! He would sit at the dining room table, closest to the living room with his arsenal - Screwdrivers, scissors, box cutters ect... When the kids needed something opened, batteries put in or "some assembly" - they went to Poppy. Poppy could do anything and they knew it!
So this year sucks! I miss him everyday! I am not sure how not to ruin Christmas for my children, but keep it low key so not only myself, but my mother and sister can get through it. This Thanksgiving my mother is flying to see my sister, so this will also be the first time ever with out both my parents for Thanksgiving. I am going to a friends.
I know "it gets easier with time" and I know I must make this good for the kids - and I will.
Everyone, please take the time this holiday to really enjoy the memories you make with your family! It is more than the gifts, it is who is cooking and who is making the coffee and who is hanging the lights and who is doing the "some assembly" and who eyes light up when they know Santa came!
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!
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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!
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Helping Brad with the ads and sipping lattes from Starbucks while working...
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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....
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1. Donation to a charity of his choice
2. Visa gift card
3. Cold hard cash - freeze it in trays of ice cubes
Be really mean with the cold hard cash, use a rubbermaid or such container, a big one..... I did that to a brother once!!
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It's always harder to buy them for my dad and my hubby. Their stockings are usually a little skinnier than the rest. Anyone have any good ideas?
Check out this thread http://forums.gottadeal.com/showthread.php?268655-Hey-guys-what-would-you-like-in-your-stocking-Need-help
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Got an e-mail from the printer last night. They plan to print these on Monday and then will deliver them to me at some point next week.
Yay!
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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!
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DS6 wants aluminium foil.
He loves repurposing our trash for craft projects - boxes, cans, strings, tp rolls, etc. I cant throw anything away without him saying "I wanted to make something out of that!" Well, I don't let him play with my new roll of foil, and apparently the scrapes aren't coming fast enough, so he plans on asking Santa for his very own roll.
So I hope he gets an extra long roll in his stocking!!
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I was wondering if everyone has started planning their holiday menus? I start early, and make a plan on when to cook it all too. We go out of state to my in laws over Thanksgiving, so my MIL plans the menu there. The last few years I've made a couple of pumpkin rolls to bring (they freeze and travel well) My family always makes Green Bean Bacon Wraps, so I introduced them a few years ago and now they are expected. You cut a package of bacon in half, then wrap each piece around 3-4 long stem green beans. Line those all up on a cookie sheet. Melt a stick of butter and mix it with a cup of brown sugar and a tsp of garlic pour it over the wrapped green beans and then bake at 400 until they start to turn crispy. Sooooo good. I hate cleaning the cookie pans, but someone always volunteers, because they love them so much.
Several family members are coming the weekend before Christmas to celebrate and here is my menu--I always make lots so there is hopefully leftovers and I don't have to cook the rest of the weekend
Turkey - brined in cut up oranges, lemons, salt, fresh rosemary, sage and brown sugar. I stuff it with more oranges and herbs then pour a little white wine in the pan too whe it cooks.
Ham--cooked with cola and brown sugar-topped with pineapple and maraschino cherries
mashed potatoes and gravy (made from the turkey broth!), stuffing, corn bread casserole, fresh cranberry salad, green bean wraps, a veggie tray--some sort of roll too. I am terrible at making bread, so that is my one store bought concession
I make lots of snacking food and deserts for the weekend too--this year I plan to make Buckeyes (peanut butter balls), Turtles, choc. covered pretzels, peanut butter blossoms, no bake cookies, mints and the kids want fudge too.
Desserts I'm not completely sure of yet-definitely pumpkin rolls, My kids have all put in requests for a chocolate roll, twinkie tiramisu, cherry pie, and peanut butter pie. I definitely don't need that many desserts and I'm kind of wanting to try something new.
Anyone else want to post their holiday menu??
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??
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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....
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Our different tradition is having Christmas cookies for breakfast on Christmas morning. It started a few years ago when the kids were still little and all 4 were wanting us to help get their new toys assembled and working and we needed a quick breakfast. Cookies were easy to just grab and continue with what we were doing, so we did. Hey, people eat donuts and pop tarts for breakfast, so there isn't much difference, lol. Now the kids are teens and tweens and the tradition has just stuck. Another different tradition also involves food on Christmas eve. We are usually busy finishing up shopping and/or wrapping last minute gifts on Christmas eve then going to Christmas eve church service, so we have a quick dinner before church. A few years ago I started serving a cheese and lunch meat tray and have fancier buns/rolls for it along with a veggie tray and chips. I don't want to cook a big meal since we will have a big meal on Christmas. The kids love it. My 13 yr. old dd calls them "fancy sandwiches" and looks forward to them every year. It just started as a quick and simple meal on a busy day 5 yrs. ago, and it just stuck.
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.
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Still thinking on it. Been such a crazy year...
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I listen year round.
2012 is going down as my Annus horribilis.
in 2012
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