tn20

Thanks for posting this! I am planning on doing some photo gifts this year for grandparents and was looking for a great deal!

I LOVE Paint the Sky with Stars! I have had insomnia for years and it used to be my relax and fall asleep music, but I lost it a few years ago... I need to rebuy it!

Oh I know what you mean! More often than not, people don't say please, thank you, or excuse me, and probably 75% of the time when I say them it either goes ignored or I get a weird look. But, when I do happen to come across another person who still believes that manners matter, we are always shocked to hear someone else say please/thank you/excuse me. Its sad.

Thanks for posting this! I'm interested in the Nerf Capture the Flag.... off to Amazon to check for reviews.

That is SO sweet! It reminds me of my DS7 last year. His school has a Santa Shop the last week of school before Christmas break where kids can bring their money in and pick out gifts for their loved ones. Well, I am always looking for a pen and can never seem to find one. DS came home and was so excited about his present for me that I had to keep stopping him from telling me what it was. Christmas morning I open my gift and find a bright pink (my favorite color) pen that says Mom on the side. It is one of my most prized posessions and I only use it for special occasions because I don't want the ink to run out.

Of course! This is SO good!!! We saw someone make it on tv years ago and it is our family's favorite! Ingredients Needed: 1 bone-in ham, you can use the ham butt or thigh (shank?) portion- we always use the thigh 1/4 cup brown mustard 2 cups DARK brown sugar (you need the additional molasses, so don't use light brown sugar!) 1 oz Bourbon, put in a spritzer bottle 2 cups of Gingersnap cookies, put through a food processor, blender, etc. to crush Utensils Needed: Digital thermometer Roasting pan Utility Knife (Unused- like you get for $2 at the hardware store) Tongs, if you have them are helpful A basting brush is too 1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F 2. Remove ham from bag, take your utility knife and set the blade to the lowest setting. Then score the ham all the way around going at a diagonally in one direction. Then repeat going the other direction to get a "diamond" pattern on the surface of the ham. You are trying to cut through the skin and fat layers just below it. 3. Insert the digital thermometer into the deepest part of the meat, put a foil tent on the ham, and put it into the oven until it hits 130 degrees. 4. Take the ham out of the oven and pull the skin off (use tongs if you have them) along with any fat that comes off with the skin. 5. Heat your oven to 350 degrees. 6. Take paper towels or napkins and dab the outside of the meat to help remove some of the liquid fat. 7. Take the brown mustard and brush it all over the ham. 8. Put the brown sugar on the mustard, kind of patting it on to get it to stay. 9. Spray your bourbon onto the brown sugar layer. 10. Take your gingersnap cookies and pat on as many of them as you can get to stick. This is the big key ingredient, so make sure you get the thickest layer you can on there. 11. Insert the thermometer into a new place in the thickest part of the meat. 12. Return to the oven with no foil tent this time. 13. Cook until your thermometer reaches 140 degrees. 14. Take out and let it rest for about 30 minutes before carving it up. I promise, you will NOT be disapointed with this ham! We have several family members who don't care for ham, but beg us to make it every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.

On my dad's side, we always have issues because there is nothing set. Everyone seems to buy for whoever and it has led to some hard feelings. My dad's parents, my dad, and all of his siblings are all considered well off, some more than others, but the lowest on the totem pole probably making $150,000 a year and the highest probably $400,000, we live in an area where the median income is $30K/year so finances are not a problem for any of them. All of my cousins, however, like my family, are probably considered lower middle class. My grandparents and dad/step-mom, buy EVERYONE in the family NICE gifts that they put a lot of time and thought into purchasing (siblings, children, grandchildren, neices & nephews, grandchildren of siblings, great grandchildren) but my dad's siblings only buy for their family and in the off chance they buy something for anyone else, it is something that I'm pretty certain was grabbed off the shelf at the dollar store. Last year we moved our celebration from my grandparents up to my dad's house where it is just grandparents, parents, and my siblings and our kids because of all the drama. I definately don't think that gifts are the meaning of Christmas and if we didn't exchange gifts at all, I would be perfectly fine with it, but it is insulting to my parents when they buy a $300 set of pots and pans for my cousin and my dad's sibling gives his kids nothing and his grandkids a package of Play-Doh. But now that it is up at my dad's, its a lot less stressful. I do have a problem because my grandparents and parents have so much more money that my family, so I always think, "Anything I can buy for them, they could buy one a hundred times better." So I try to stick with homemade things and they really like that! This year I'm going to make my dad and step-mom a book of pictures of my kids on Shutterfly.com and make my grandparents coffee mugs with family pics on them. Plus, I make them cookies, fudge, and bread, which they always like. On my mom's side, we buy for my grandparents and neice, then for mom, step-dad, sister, BIL, me, & DH we have a competition. Each couple has a $5 per person limit and we have to find the best gift for $5 or less. Either something humorous or something that really fits that person. Each couple also puts $5 into a pot and then we vote on the best gift. The couple that bought the best gift gets the pot. So it is only $25 and seriously SO much fun! Everyone puts so much thought and effort into each other's gifts, which to me is the true meaning of Christmas. Caring about someone enough to not only spend your money, but more importantly, spend your time looking for something that they will really enjoy. My sister bought me 12" long, crazy one legged bird pen which a carried around in my purse and used to sign checks, etc. until it ran out of ink. And even now, I still have it in my pen cup. When its time for us to exchange our gifts, I feel like a kid again, so excited to see what weird thing I'm going to find in my packages. A ton of fun, very little money, and no drama! Maybe you could suggest doing something like that? You could cut the pot out as well, to trim back the money a little more if things are really tight for them. And of course, your budget could be whatever. We have considered doing a $1 Dollar Tree Challenge, too. Where everyone has $1 per person at the Dollar Tree and has to find something that they think fits each person's personality.

Just a word of warning for anyone buying from hasbrotoyshop.com, their shipping is VERY slow! Last year I had already heard they were slow, but I ordered some things because I thought I had plenty of time. It took FOREVER and although I ordered the beginning of December, I almost didn't get my items in time for Christmas and I had to contact customer service several times before they even bothered to ship everything out. Unless there is a deal that is just too good to pass up this year, I'm avoiding them like the plague!

Aw, *hugs* for both of you! Reading your 2 posts broke my heart. My FIL passed away after being in a car accident almost 4 months ago, so this is going to be our first Holiday season without him. I'm not sure how its going to go. Yesterday, we were watching a Christmas movie and my 3 year old son says, "My wish grandpa no died. He no be here for Christmas now." My DH is still feeling guilty about all the things they never got to do together (even though they were still close). MIL seems to be doing alright, but I think the empty house around the Holidays will get to her. She told us she didn't even want to put up a tree this year, but we insisted she needed one (she loves them!) and a friend of her's offered to decorate it for her, so she's decided to get one. I know that there will be some tears, but I'm hoping everyone can focus on the good times with FIL and find some peace, knowing he's in a better place. Thankfully FIL was hilarious (and not on purpose), so we can't ever seem to get too upset without someone remembering something crazy he did and everyone laughing about it through our tears. I hope you both have a blessed Christmas season! And Cass, I'll keep your brother in my prayers.

ROFL! "Throw down with Uncle Frank..." I love it!

Its funny that you posted this because every time Uncle Frank says, "Look what you did you little jerk." I tell my DH, "If anyone said that to my kid, it would be on!" The parents are both terrible, but like PP said, if they were better parents (not even perfect, just better, I'm nowhere near being a perfect mom, but I would never behave the way those parents do!), then they would never have left their son home alone and we wouldn't have the movies.

We have a smaller version of the lamp on our bedside table! My sister bought it for my DH a few years ago for Christmas. We love it! Most of the time, while turning it on, one of us will say either, "Its a major award!" or "There's nothing like the glow of electric sex in the window." Maybe your wife will let you keep one in the bedroom? (I was going to put the winking smiley here, but I noticed he also licks his lips and I thought that might be pushing it a bit! )

I really hope they have a Thanksgiving ad, too. I'll be really bummed if they don't. I haven't gone to Kmart on BF in ages, but I love going on Thanksgiving!

It wouldn't be the Holidays if the stores were any less hooter, uh, hotter than they are! I would check your links, allshoppedout, but I'm still on dial-up and could put the dvd in my player and watch the entire movie before I could get the clips to load!

Oh yes, I can think of a few Eddies... particularly on DH's side- LOL

Aw, I'm sorry, CC. *Hugs* In the 7 years that DH and I have been married, he has been laid off 4 times (we live in an area where MANY of the jobs tie in with the timber industry, which has gone from bad to worse with the housing market the way it is), so I know how it feels to struggle financially. We thought we were going to be doing well this Holiday season, but out of nowhere, he got cut back to 7 days total this month. In an effort for everyone to keep their insurance, the days are spread out in a way that prevents drawing uninsurance. I'm trying to "look on the bright side" and think about all the family time we'll have this month. I don't have the same worries as you (about your kiddos gifts), though, because I bought clearance items all year long. I would be a lot more stressed out if I had to come up with gifts for my kids, though. I would really try to emphasize the things that PPs have mentioned... things that are free (or darn near) and really do mean the most (looking at Christmas lights, watching Christmas movies, playing board games, baking cookies together). How old are your kids, if you don't mind my asking?

Haha... I just posted about that (misquoted it, I should say)!

This is my life, summed up in one line. I love, and somehow hate at the same time, cousin Eddie, in his nasty robe and hat, drinking a beer, "Merry Christmas. Sh*tter was full!"

LOL- I LOVED that duck hunt on NES! I was a master of it and actually still have the gun. I've never heard about this but my DS7 would be in HEAVEN if it actually worked! I'll be keeping an eye on this thread to see if anyone has any experience with it.

I have most of my shopping done... DS7: DONE, except maybe a couple more DS games if I can find a good deal. DS3: DONE, unless I find a great deal on some more Thomas trains to go with his train table DFosterS2: DONE, unless WM has MegaBlocks for $10 again this year DFosterD3months: DONE and then some DNiece: DONE Mom, Sister, BIL, and Step-dad: DONE DH: I have nothing for yet, and don't know what I'm even getting him... his wish list keeps changing Dad and step-mom: Nothing yet and I don't know what I'm getting them Grandparents: Nothing yet and I don't know what I'm getting them MIL: We were going to get her a Nintendo DS, but DH's hours got cut WAY back (only working 7 days this whole month), so we can't afford to spend that much on one person, so now I have no idea! Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Friends, Neighbors: They all get homemade fudge, cookies, pumpkin/banana nut/zucchini breads, so that won't be done until I make the on Dec 23rd. Yikes! I'm glad OP posted this! I thought I was a whole lot closer to done than I really am! Ok, so I change my answer... I'm about half done.

LOL! Thank you SO much, Andrea; I am really excited now! I'm going to pick one up next time I'm in town and also grab a chicken to practice on!

LOL- Yeah, but the scary thing is, my DH wasn't even suprised when he saw me with a present tied to my head. I'm not sure what that says about me...

Thank you so much for posting this! I'll definately be bookmarking it!

Thanks Andrea!!! I'm going to check out that site now! I wonder if anywhere sells just an injector... I would LOVE to inject our turkey with some kind of honey-apple butter!

I'm glad I'm not the only Christmas ! Everyone in my family teases me for it. I told my DH that I couldn't wait for Merry Madagascar to come on... he just looked at me, then said, "You're strange." I pre-ordered the Merry Madagascar from WM.com. I think it was a 2 pk with free home shipping for $8...? I thought about going in to get it on Wednesday, but I figure I'll just save it on my DVR until I get it in the mail. Hauling 4 kids 20 minutes to WM to get a movie is too big of a pain in the booty.