lucyismycat

I've made pj bottoms out of them before, but they didn't last very long, I even serged them and they kind of fell apart at the seams. However, I've used it to back quilts before and had reasonable success. Some people make those raggy quilts that are supposed to have frayed edges, that would be a great use for this flannel! Another idea might be to cut up strips and tie them around a wreath frame (I saw a lady at Hancocks doing something similar last night as a demo). Pillowcases are wicked easy and might be a good use for this, especially the little travel ones. Those make good gifts on the cheap. Good luck!

My Mom was always a stickler about that with me, no gifts before Christmas eve, and I usually had to beg to open that one. DH, on the other hand, can't stand to not give things away as soon as he buys them. One year he had several things for me that he'd started buying around the first of December. 2 weeks before Christmas he was pestering me to open them, so I opened something every day for awhile. Now I tell him to either buy things early and give them to his Mom so the temptation isn't so strong for him, but he still struggles. Last year I got a leather jacket a week before Christmas, he just couldn't stand it. I need to ask his Mom if he got to open gifts early when he was a kid.

Okay, now we have the Joann ad (and mine just showed up in my mailbox yesterday!). Does anyone know if Hancock Fabrics does BF sales? I'm guessing they do, but I'd like to see their ad ahead of time so I can decide if it's worth fighting mall traffic to go. I never thought I'd say this, but with the crummy ads so far this year, fabric stores are topping my BF list!

I'm not sure if I'll even mess with going out way early, now. I'll probably hit Joanns just for nostalgia's sake, but that's it. DH will want to go to Meijer on Thursday to pick up Pepsi, but that's not really holiday shopping (well, to him it is!). I just am finding that I can't get excited about any of the ads, nobody's really wowed me yet. I was hoping for a good deal on a small tv for my kitchen, but the one I'm interested in at Meijer is $50 MORE than the exact same thing they had last year, so I think I'll hold off until after the first of the year maybe. I doubt if I sleep in, but I equally doubt that I'll spend more than $25 all day Friday.

2.5 yards would make a blanket 90" long and roughly 55-60" wide, since fleece varies in width. I make a lot of quilts, and my twin sized quilts are usually 70" x 90" or so. If you sew, you could add a border to the fleece to make it wider.

You might want to look at the ad again, I thought that flannel was .99/yard, and fleece was 2.79/yard. That's still a good price on fleece, so far this year they haven't had many sales where it was even 2.99/yard.

I'm thinking about adding a tv in my kitchen. It would probably need to be less than 25", the kitchen is on the south side of our house and has a LOT of light coming in. Last year I got my Mom a 20" lcd at Meijer for $100. This year they have what looks to be the same thing for $150 (different brand, of course). The only difference I can find is that this year's says it has an "HD capable component". Is that a big deal? We have an antenna for major networks, but this one would only be hooked up to the satellite dish, so I'm assuming that the whole "digital vs. analog" thing would be a moot point for me. Anyway, is there a better deal somewhere out there? I hate to think that I'd be paying more for something a year later! I guess my questions are: Would an lcd screen work well in a room with lots of sunlight? Is the $150 an ok buy (or does the hd capable make any difference?) Is there a better buy? Thanks so much!

YES! This is the last one on my "must have" list! Bring it! Is it too early to start holding my breath? :)

Is it just me, or does anybody else think they completely missed the boat. If they wanted to "stoke holiday shopping excitement early", why didn't they let their ad be shown? <--rhetorical question there, folks.

Yes, absolutely, they have one! Earlier today I was trying to remember how far in advance it arrived (in my mailbox) last year. They don't put them in the paper, of course, you have to be on their mailing list. I'm expecting it to show up sometime this week. They always have their flannel on sale for $1/yard, fleece is usually marked down some, lots of other fabrics. They also have a sale on Christmas ornaments, basically everything is marked down somewhat. They usually have a coupon for 10 or 20% off your total purchase from 6-9am, and then another one for later in the day (or maybe it's for Saturday, I can't remember). I always do my electronics shopping early and then Joanns is my 2nd stop. Last year I was waiting for them to open, mostly just so I could get a shopping cart since they're hard to come by, and next door is an Office Depot where people had been waiting in line all night. They were laughing that anybody would wait in line to get into a fabric store LOL.

What about if there was a one ticket limit, per person. For any item. So, if you wanted both a laptop and a tv, you could only get 1 or the other...unless you had more people with you. BF 2005, I waited outside CC for HOURS, and there were a couple of people in line in front of me. What they didn't mention, and I didn't know, was that they had another 15 people waiting in cars in the parking lot that were going to join them at opening time. When the people came around with the tickets, they all took all of the tickets, whether it was something they intended to buy or not. As it turned out, I didn't get anything I went after, and I still don't shop at CC. Anyway, I think a one ticket per person would be a fair solution...kind of like waiting in line for each individual item, it forces us to prioritize.

We have the same one, my Mom gave it to me for Christmas last year. I love it...we have 2 giant breed dogs and 2 cats and our house is one of the few that my highly-allergic-to-cats friend can spend any length of time in. It picks up everything, and simultaneously fascinates and disgusts me. My only complaints are: 1) no retractable cord. if someone pays $500 for a vacuum, the cord needs to be retractable. 2) no light. I don't vacuum in the dark, but I like a little headlight on the front. DH is threatening to put an led stick-up on it. 3) it sucks (in a bad way) for cleaning area rugs. I have one in my foyer and every single time, it sucks the rug up into the vacuum and makes a terrible sound. You're supposed to use the "bare floors" mode for cleaning rugs, but it doesn't give that "freshly brushed look", so I use my old Hoover on it. If it weren't for that one rug, I would have gotten rid of my Windtunnel. 4) the attachments take a little getting used to, but I'm a pro at it now, it just involved a little bit of practice. Anyway, if something bad happened to my Dyson tomorrow, I'd run out and buy another one just like it. FWIW, I think my Mom got mine at BB&B (not on BF) and paid around $459 with a coupon, it's the DC14 animal.

Meijer wins again! Good ad, I just wish they had a deal on XM and I could avoid BB altogether! I love how they "get it" that showing us the ad early just gets us more excited about shopping!

From what I've seen so far, we'll be spending less this year. Like others, it's due to the deals so far not being what I really expected. There are a few things that I would kind of like to have, but I'm not the sort that will miss Thanksgiving to get them, so I'll probably just pick up some movies and maybe a DS or something if I happen to end up somewhere that has them. That said, I still haven't seen all of the ads I'm interested in, so that plan could change on the spur of a moment! :)

LOL, thanks for that!

I use our local CC's wifi all the time. If I'm standing in the store and want to check the price of something somewhere else, I use it (wireless pda, I'm not carting a laptop around with me everywhere I go). I have successfully used it on BF while waiting to get in, and have also used it in the store when I was picking up an order and forgot to bring my order number with me. I love that they have it available, and end up doing more business with them because of it. BB's wifi isn't up all the time, and so far, the one year I camped out there, I wasn't able to use it. However, this is probably just my area (central IL).

I keep a very small first aid kit in my car, mostly bandaids and antiseptic wipes, and a few headache pills. I've never needed it on BF, but it's reassuring to know it's there jic. Now I'm thinking a little liquor would be handy :) Hey, I live in the midwest, it's COLD waiting in line outside here!

Wow, I agree, if he is counting gifts, it's time to start giving him a token gift and then doing the rest as a charitable donation. Wow. That said, I'm an only child, married to an only child, and my DMIL (and I do mean Dear...I hit the MIL jackpot!) spends a little bit more on me than on DH, but that's because he's difficult to shop for, and I like to go shopping with her! My DM also spends more on me unless there's some expensive tool that DH wants, and even then she'll end up going overboard on my gifts to make up for his (in case you're wondering, we don't have children other than the 4-legged kind, and even THEY get gifts from the grandparents). I've tried telling her not to worry about it, we have too much stuff as it is, but it's pointless. One year she gave me a Jeep because she bought DH some expensive tool. Crazy. So, I think it's a good idea to try and keep things even, but don't drive yourself crazy over it...I think as long as it's within 20% (or more, you figure out what you're comfortable with), nobody should be complaining. Heck, nobody should be complaining anyway! It's Christmas!

I don't shop at Walmart anyway (I have customers that are their vendors, and it's pathetic the way they treat the vendors), but I sent emails to the three addresses listed. So far Tara Steward's email is the only one that bounced. Keep it up, and maybe we'll get through to them that we mean business! Didn't they have a crummy year last year anyway? Maybe this is their way of trying to build anticipation, but I'm thinking that their ad isn't going to be any good this year, either. They probably have a bunch of leftover bathrobes.

Christmas Eve at our house always starts with homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and then usually a little bit of last minute people-watching at the local mall. In the afternoon, depending on the weather we either 1. if no snow: go to the movie theater 2. if some snow: go sledding 3. if so much snow we can't get out: Christmas movie marathon at home. That evening we play board games, but mostly we have a domino tournament. Then around 10pm we head out to church for an hour or so, and then come home to open one gift each. When I was a kid, Christmas eve was when my parents would throw their big holiday party. All of the relatives and friends and neighbors would come over for a huge buffet and gifts, etc. We'd spend the day getting ready, baking and cooking up all kinds of stuff. Some years I miss that, but I really like our laid-back approach to Christmas now, too. Either way, I can't wait!

Last year at our Meijer, there were some people who showed up at midnight to wait for the big tvs, I think they had 7 in stock. So, as usual, it just depends on what you're going for. I got there between 3 and 4 (I think) and had plenty of time to get one of the 19" flat panel tvs. I'm hoping their ad this year is as good as last year's. At least they let us wait inside the store :)

This post shall be titled: How to find a Wii :) First of all, if you have a local Gamestop, use this link to check their inventory (change the XXXXX to your zipcode) http://www.gamestop.com/productavail.asp?miles=50&sku=020070&zip=XXXXX&product_name=Nintendo+Wii&platforms=Nintendo+wii&sbox=020070a%2Ejpg&status=A&BN=False Note that this site only updates at night, so if it says that there are more coming, you need to call those stores every day morning and afternoon to check and see if the ups man has been there. <---This is how I got mine a few months ago, I could see they were coming in, so I kept calling until they got them. Secondly, get to know the employees at your local shops. I visited my local Target and made friends with one of the electronics dept clerks, who explained that they only get Wiis every 2 or 3 Sundays, and that the last time they had them was the week before. He confirmed that they only put them out on Sundays. He also confirmed that the only time they usually have them is when they're going to be in the ad. Thirdly, usually (USUALLY) if they're in a Sunday ad, the store that has it listed is probably going to have at least a few in stock. This is the reason that the Target guy gave me for not putting them out until Sunday...they needed to have some for the ad. I ended up not having to go to BB and CC for mine just because I got it, but my friend got hers there after she talked to a couple of employees who gave her some hints on when they expect to get them. Most places will make them available on Sunday if they're going to get them (except for Gamestop, they will admit to having them anytime they are actually in the store). I had already made up my mind that the next time they were in BB's ad, I was going to be there before they opened on Sunday. I was determined! Anyway, if you even think you might want to grab one for your kids (or you!) for Christmas, do it now. I still don't see them out regularly on shelves here. The last one I saw was at Meijers and by the time I made my way back around the store it was gone. I don't think they're going to be easier to find around Christmas. Plus, if you're worried about the warranty, if you register it online, you get a 3 month extended warranty. It is so worth it! My DH (39) and I (34) don't have children, but we play the Wii almost every night together. And when the neighbor kids come over it's the first thing they head to , even my Mom has started playing it with us when she comes to visit. Good luck!

We did! I have a small travel-themed tree in our guest bathroom. I use all of the ornaments that we've collected on vacations on that tree. It makes it a little easier when traveling to know exactly what kind of souvenir I'm going to get, and ornaments take up less space than t-shirts! :)

Best: XM radio or my quilting machine w/frame Worst: an ugly wall-clock from an aunt of mine. This, after she had been to our new house and asked where I was going to hang a clock in the spare bathroom. I explained that I wasn't going to, didn't think it was necessary, etc. So she specifically writes on the gift tag/card that I was supposed to put this clock in the bathroom, and that she'd be "checking up on" me to make sure it was there. The clock went to the Salvation Army and she hasn't been to our house since then.

I think it's so great that you're willing to do this for them. A couple of years ago there was a family in our neighborhood that was having a rough time. I really wanted to help, but I knew that their problem was temporary, and they probably didn't realize that I knew about their troubles, and I didn't want there to be really weird feelings later on. One day in December I was making homemade chicken soup, and ended up putting it in half gallon containers, well, I ended up with enough for the entire neighborhood. So I put that together with a loaf of homemade bread, some cookies and a card. I presented it to them with the notion that it was for one of those crazy nights when they've been out shopping all day and didn't want to worry about supper. They really liked it, and the next year the husband started asking when they were going to get soup in October. Now it's a tradition.