rjncmj

You just go in. Probably best to go in early because the bones are from the ham they used to make their deli sandwiches. So how busy their deli was the previous day determines how many ham bones they have. But they only use the spiral cut part of the ham, so the bone comes with all that uncut ham on the bottom. Makes great homemade sandwiches and still leaves plenty of ham on the bone for soups.

My local Kmart will be open 6am-10pm on Christmas eve.

I'm with the ones saying spaghetti or lasagna. But then I really love both. Even a family size frozen Stouffer's lasagna is pretty good. If you are going to do appetizers, one of our family hits is: brown ground sausage half regular, half spicy, drain grease, add Velveeta until melted, place mini rye bread slices on a cookie sheet, add a glob of the sausage/Velveeta mix to each slice, put in the oven to brown cheese and toast bread. It is so yummy and very easy. It's good on any type of mini bread, but the rye bread just adds another flavor to the mixture. Also if you're going to do soups and like split pea soup, if you have a Honey Baked Ham near you they sell ham bones for $5. Makes for some really good split pea soup.

I saw some glow domes at Shopko last week for 24.99, reg. 29.99. If you have a Shopko you might want to look there.

So how much do you spend? I probably spend around $75-100. Nothing too fancy here. I buy a Costco pie, rolls, and hoagie rolls when we have ham. I buy either a ham or turkey, potatoes and then the ingredient for a few sides. Add another $50ish leading up to xmas with the popcorn tins, danish butter cookies, giant pretzel sticks, etc.

My husband has been out of work, so I was really happy I over bought last year and had a bunch of stuff left over for x-mas presents this year. I thought I would get by with spending very little this year. Two problems have come up to nix that. 1) Zhu Zhu Pets, all 4 of my kids want them and I've had to invest a couple hundred in fulfilling their x-mas wish. 2) I can't pass up on a good deal either and I have found and succumbed to some of those already. There are some star wars science toys on Amazon right now that are really cheap and I'm going nuts trying to not buy them. I've made it through the weekend. I just need to get through the next few days and then the shipping deadline line for x-mas delivery will have passed. Then there is all the little stuff that we get every year around this time. Popcorn tins, Danish butter cookies, jars of large pretzel sticks. Every time I go out it's something new. Oh and school supplies. My daughter comes home with a note she needs to bring in frosting for cookie decorating. Another day my son comes home with a note that he needs to bring in a wrapped ornament for an ornament exchange. These things keep sending me back into the stores!!

They actually are not giving them away, but guaranteeing the first 100 people in have a chance to buy a Zhu Zhu.

LOL!!! Santa at my house is very similar! I used to wrap everything, but as more kids have been added to the family and time goes on, not everything gets wrapped anymore. I do wrap everything that is easily wrap-able, but the larger or odd shaped things just get put under the tree with a bow and gift tag. I really don't see my kids at 30 something complaining that Santa didn't wrap their light sabers, skateboards or giant dolls when they were kids.

This is exactly what I did too. None of it has Halloween designs on the candy wrappers and I got $20 worth of candy for $5.

I've never heard of this. What is it and can anyone share the history behind it?

I love that show!! I have them all tivo'd and set not to delete. I can't wait to see it tonight now that you have mentioned it. I'm pacific time so I still have a little wait. My husband wants to start punishing our oldest son with the 5ft rule, "It's 2009? When did that happen?" That show is so funny!!

Where is the pic of the pool boy??

My son attends ECEAP preschool (low income) and they sent home a form to fill out if we wanted to be added to the Giving Tree. Very clearly and in bold is stated that it's better not to ask for gift cards as they are the last to be filled. I took that to mean not only last but not always filled. I think that is probably true and each organization should make that very clear to the needy families. A few years ago under better financial times, some friends and I adopted a family. Each one of us took one family member and probably spent around $100 on gifts for them. Except for the person that had the mom. She spent close to $200 because it was a single mom trying to enter the workforce and my friend was buying a lot of work outfits for her. If we were asked to just give GC, I know there is no way I would of just handed over $100 in GC. I probably would have only given half or less of what I actually spent.

I can't find where to see the online items... Do they offer site to store on most of the items or do you still have to paying shipping? I'm looking to buy the trampoline and I sure don't want to pay shipping on that, I'd rather wait in line.

woohoo a free box of crayons Nothing impressive

Thanks for all the info JasonAnna!! Do you know if we're going to have to wait in line for the trampoline and are there going to be quite a few of them?

Don't get me wrong...I think it sounds like a wonderful idea!! and super easy, I just wondered how it could keep at the right temp overnight. I could see it for a few hours but overnight seemed like a long time. I may have to experiment with my oven a bit. :)

I also would not be willing to let someone in line after they smoked. I feel that is a frivolous reason to leave the line and I sure don't want to smell the stench of it if they were to come back in line.

I'm not an expert by any means so I'm not sure if I understand this...won't the temperature drop to low at some point and the turkey just sit there growing bacteria?

The DC17 Absolute Animal is purple and the one in the ad says it's an Animal. My 2 cents on dyson...I have one and although it has the best sucking power of any vacuum I've ever had, they dysons are fragile vacuums and are susceptible to needing repairs. I've been in my local vacuum repair shop several times for new belts and the owner was telling me dysons are what keeps him in business. He pointed out two next to the counter that needed their motors repaired. I guess many of the parts are made out of plastic and break easily. He made a joke that people go into the Costco down the street, come out with a dyson and then head straight into his shop for repairs. My dyson is making some really weird, loud noises and the vacuum is only 3 years old. DH and I have decided we will not own another dyson.

It would cost a lot of money to run background checks on everyone. But I agree with you, so many good things are going by the wayside. Last year I dropped 3 Santa letters in the mail, one was returned to us a few weeks later. I'm so glad I got the mail that day and didn't send one of my kids to do get it.

At my Walmart last BF I was there at opening and went for all my other items first, then went for the video games and they were all gone. It hadn't even been an hour. The cart traffics jams were so bad otherwise I might have made it in time. The movies were pretty picked through within the first couple hours. I went back at 10am and it was like any other day, not nearly as busy.

Last year on BF I got a bike for my son. They were all in the box unassembled but they told us to bring it back in to customer service and they would assemble it. We took it back in the next day and it only took them about 1/2 an hour to assemble it.

Hmmm...I think maybe I live in a pretty nice town. For the most part everyone seems to be very courteous and friendly in the stores I shop. I've been to Target, WinCo, Fred Meyer, Walmart and TRU all in the past couple weeks and can not recall one negative encounter with other shoppers or staff. Now driving on the freeway is another story... Wow, I've just realized how much shopping I do...

I would be absolutley thrilled if my husband would get me a Snuggie, or anything for that matter. He tends to leave everything up to me, including my own gift. Funny/sad story: When we moved into our new house I sent DH to target to pick up some stocking holders for the kids. He came home all proud of himself and with 6 of them. I asked him why we needed 6 stocking holders, he said "one for each of the kids, and one for you and me." I then asked "and who will fill my stocking?" He then replied, "fine, I'll take them back."