turtle_elf

There is an Official Lap Top Thread here: http://forums.gottadeal.com/showthread.php?t=18507 Maybe it can help you to decide which one is best for you to get.:)

White Outside, Colored on the Tree inside, White in the window candelabra's. Although in the past if we had a spruce tree in the yard, we would have colored lights on it. Everything else out there had white.

The Night Before Christmas! We all sit down together and I read it every year on Christmas Eve.

No theme here, we have a little of this and a little of that, and it makes for a very beautiful tree! We get a hallmark ornament every year for that year and we also get our kids ornaments from various places, that signify something they like, or are into. Relatives give them a couple of ornaments each year as well. By the time they graduate college, they should have enough ornaments to decorate a nice size tree and lots of memories behind each one.:) We also pick up cute ornaments here and there at sales after Christmas as well as other decorations, to add to our decorations.:)

I participate in something every year, even during scarce years I would do a little something. I think everyone deserves a bit of Christmas spirit each year.

If you start your purchase from here: http://www.buy.com/retail/coupon.asp?prid=85094736&adid=17662 It will take $5 off your purchase and it qualifies for free shipping. That is the best I can find.

I need ideas for gifts for my husband. He never asks for anything other than clothes. I'd like to get him some things besides clothes. He doesn't hunt (couldn't here anyway). He isn't hugely into sports (occasionally watches the bigger games of the year or biggest races, but doesn't get upset if he can't). Every year it just get's harder, lol. I have pretty much ran out of ideas

This year, I'm sending my sister to the stores and my husband and I will be doing what we can online! Have to do what works!

It really just depends. Sometimes you can actually get better deals online, others in the store. If you can get a great price and free or very cheap shipping, it is great to order online. Plus save the aggravation of going and looking for it, as well as gas money. From what I have been reading gas had gotten really high for awhile, and is still pretty pricey in the states. I shop online due to the fact that a lot of the stores I like to shop at aren't here. I will just bring it back with me, or ship it with my repat allowance.

I love Christmas Music! But if I had to pick one, it would be Silent Night, this song has many precious memories for me.

Believe it or not my husband thinks I'm weird for wanting a jacket, a simple.... cozy.... everyday wearing...... jacket. Doesn't have to be expensive, can be off a clearance rack. So what is he shopping for? A leather jacket:g_shrug: I guess I will be hitting the clearance rack, lol!

Ours is weird. Lol. On DH side we would buy for his parents, siblings, and grandparents. For the cousins, aunts, and uncles, etc. we all partnered off kind of. Such as we bought for his cousin and his cousin's wife and them for us, then two other couples would partner and exchange gifts. As for the ones that were single, it was lucky enough that that was an even number too and they did the same. So we still ended up buying a lot of gifts for his side of the family. Although we had to buy for less of the kids, as we had them all! Lol, well for most of the years anyway! Now there is a 3 year old, a 8month old and 1 on the way (due before Christmas) to buy for, so they are catching up to us! On my side we would buy for all the kids, and the adults would exchange. This year is different. It is our first year as expats living out of the country. My husband has been gone since last early November, and the kids and I since January. My family is buying for everyone, and celebrating our coming home to visit, we are doing the same for them. As for my husband's side, they haven't said, so we are sticking with routine.

I order ink online at LDProducts I have never had any problems with them. I just ordered some more to pick up at my cousin's while on repat, and it was delivered within 4 days. Not bad. As for paper, I always waited for Office Max or Staples to have a deal such as buy one get one on their cases. :)

I think it is a great idea as well!:)

Usually between 4 - 5 for me. The last couple of years we did it a bit different. My husband's sister was with us as well as my oldest daughter. We shopped in Indiana BF 2003 and we went to a plaza area that had Penneys, Kohls, Old Navy, Target, Wal-Mart, Bath and Body Works, etc. and panned out, got what we needed and headed and headed off to the other stores. My husband was the first to get to Best Buy. Ours did it weird. A different line for different things. He did the main line for things like DVD's etc. and his sister and I got in line for her to get a computer for their dad. We did great that year, and got a lot accomplished in a short amount of time. Last year we were in Ky. So drove over the border to Huntington WV and things are scattered. Took us longer, but got what we set out for. Had to wake up at 3:30am for that one.

Way to go GottaDeal!

I'm seeing 11/8 on both links.

Not sure if you have one near you or not, but I have always found Value City to have great deals on the Leap Pad Products in the past. 2 years ago we bought 2 of the Quantum leap pads there with the extra books for about $20 less than what everyone else wanted for just the Quantum pad by itself. Last year I noticed they had a good deal on Leap Pad things too, but we didn't need the sytems then. These were BF deals.

I don't know. I wasn't a member here last year. Maybe someone that was can come along with an answer to that one. Sorry :)

Old Navy usually has a BF ad. They also offer cheap deals on a couple of things to kind of get people in the door. Free scarf with a purchase, or a fleece throw for $5. That sort of thing.

Yes, it is. I posted about it the other day. A lot of the prices are either the same, or cheaper right now. http://forums.gottadeal.com/showthread.php?t=17540:)

Wrapping is the funnest part for me! I use both gift bags and paper. Depending on what it is and who it is for. Bows, ribbons, and candy! Yep, decorate those packages with candy canes and other goodies! Here at the house, the kids each have 2 kinds of paper for their gifts from us, and each have a pattern from Santa! Lot's of variety that way. My husband and I also have 2 kinds of paper each. I love the different colors and patterns on the paper! I buy mine when it goes on clearance after Christmas for the next year as well. Great deals that way! For gifts to relatives and other people, we try to wrap it in a paper that suits them, and gift bags for those items that are odd shaped etc.

Wal-Mart is Garth Brooks favorite store. Pretty funny, I guess he now has his dream job, working for the store of his dreams!

My husband lives for that day! This will be the first year he hasn't gone. I'm sure it will be a grumpy day here! Hopefully some stores will let him shop online. I'll let him have the laptop, and a room to himself, lol!

Not sappy, I had tears that day. Still do sometimes when I think about it. Not that many people in the world anymore. I guess it is kind of hard to be too trusting. She was definately my angel that year! My husband was out in the van and I asked him to go over to the bank next door and get her the money while I stayed there and chatted with her. I figured she did such a sweet thing, that she should be given the cash to know she was getting her money. I shared some of my coupons with her too. It was the least I could do. :)