Chewbybell

it's driving me crazy that we aren't decorated! We just moved this week though and I have no idea where the Christmas stuff is much less do I have a living room to put it in as mine is covered with boxes.

I tried to do this but since it was"Sold out"for shipping online, but they did have pick up at store available, they wouldn't price match it, so I walked out, ordered it at Wal-Mart for pick up and picked it up an hour later without fighting the crowds (which was why I tried to price match in first place).

That's awesome

Ahh, poor kiddo. I agree with others, make dishes he likes that others can share as well and hopefully he will still feel included. He is 13, so he understands why he can't have certain things, my daughter has had food allergies her whole life and she knows that certain things she can't eat, and if she doesn't know if it has it in it to ask politely if it does, and if they don't know than not to eat it. I know it's a bummer for her not being able to eat certain things that look yummy but she knows being stabbed with an epi hurts, and we always make sure that she has lots of variety she can eat. I have been allergic to cocoa since I can remember, and it stinks when the only dessert is like chocolate cake or red velvet or something like that, so we always make sure there will be something she can eat for the main meal and dessert just to be safe because I know how upsetting it can be watching everyone else have dessert or whatever and you can't, so just make sure he has something he can eat for the meal and dessert and hopefully he will be fine.

I wish we could still do real, but my youngest has severe allergies and asthma, and an asthma attack the whole month of December due to a tree doesn't sound fun at all....the kids have learned to love our fake tree though, the big ones are a little bummed we don't get to go Christmas tree shopping every year because it was all a big whole day thing that was fun, but they like their little sister being able to breathe, so it is okay, I do still miss my real tree though

Pretty much we agree, if we didn't though, we would go with my ideas because I know the kids better

We do a different family activity every day as part of our Advent, some that I can think of: dancing to Christmas music around the tree (my children LOVE this, and I must admit, I always like I can get my husband to dance too ), baking cookies, decorating the tree, crafts for family, crafts for the wild animals (like pinecones with peanut butter and bird seed, etc, that the animals can eat through the cold winter), taking donations, picking out an angel and going shopping together, going to see Christmas lights, going ice skating, movie night, etc, etc. My kids look forward more to the month of December than they do Christmas, they do love presents, but they love all the stuff we do leading up to it the most.

we do the wrapped book thing, my girls love it-- and it costs me nothing but wrapping paper because they are all books they have had for years I did buy them the new Disney Christmas book this year with 18 Disney Christmas stories in it, so that will be a fun surprise for them to unwrap I also get little things for them (like those crazy erasers- they love those things) and wrap up one a day for them for 24 day. We also do a countdown chain and on the inside of the chain each day is written something special we will do that day for Christmas- go look at Christmas lights, set up the tree, make cards, go buy each other a present at the Dollar Tree, make Christmas cookies, sing Christmas songs, make Christmas crafts, dance to Christmas songs around the tree (their favorite), etc, etc- something different for each day (usually start the day after Thanksgiving)-- my girls love it, and since I have three girls, on gets to pick the book each day, one gets to pull the chain, and one gets to pick the present (it is wrapped all together, but they each get one of whatever it is), then they rotate, surprisingly they are each excited no matter which of the three they get to do that day. I will warn you that it can lead to you being woke up at 6 am asking when you are going to start cookies, crafts, etc and three little girls sitting on top of you unwrapping their gift for the day. This year we have ordered that hide and seek Olaf too (I guess like Elf on the Shelf?? we don't have one of those, so not sure), so I guess we will be hiding him every night for them to find.

Nuttin' for Christmas

Sweet! Now my husband and I won't have to guess how much higher everything will be priced here when the Black Friday ads are posted

Polly Pockets and Barbies and their DSes get the most play- oh and notebooks that Santa brings every year along with markers, the Easter Bunny replinishes their supply at Easter, but they always need Santa to bring them more at Christmastime, my kids love just sitting and drawing in notebooks with markers- and they are like 10 cents and 50 cents at back to school time, so Santa stocks up.

I have a ton that I love, and I have to see them all before Christmas is complete- The Santa Clause (all of them), Christmas Vacation, Gremlins, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer, Frosty, etc.

Lego Friends- they are on all my girls' lists. A new vacuum as my Dyson Animal died I got it 7 years ago on a good black Friday sale, so heres to hoping I can get another for the same price or less, I am tired of having to vacuum the house with a shop-vac, but I refuse to buy one until after so that I can see if they will go on sale.

1- Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer 2-Ruldoph Shiny New Year 3- Ruldoph and Frosty's Christmas in July 29- The Tangerine Bear 5-Frosty the Snowman 6- Twas The Night Before Christmas 26-Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer 8-Jack Frost 24- Olive- The Other Reindeer 10-A Charlie Brown Christmas 11- How the Grinch Stole Christmas 21- Year Without a Santa Claus 13-Prep and Landing- 2009 14-Prep and Landing- 2010- Secret Santa 15- Prep and Landing- 2011- Naughty and Nice 16-A Special Sesame Street Christmas

What about a really nice electric blanket to keep him warm over the winter? Or depending on their mattress, one of those memory foam toppers for it. I agree with lots of movies, maybe some books for your mom, some nice comfortable clothes for them to lounge around in. A nice pair of leather gloves for when he does go out in public- thinner since I see you are in Florida, but thick enough to protect his hand from picking up germs, a scarf he can wear over his face that he can hide a mask under would be good too...a thin scarf. Air purifiers for the house would be good too.