AuntJamelle

Thank you! I will take a look at Walmart the next time I go!

I hear them mentioned all the time but I've never seen one anywhere for us to choose to give to. Is it only through churches or are there other places that have them?

I try to add to our collection of Christmas movies each year. This year's addition was Arthur Christmas - haven't seen it yet and saving it for a special night in December when we'll let DS stay up late and watch it with us! The rest of our collection includes: It’s A Wonderful Life The Holiday White Christmas The Bishop’s Wife Christmas in Connetticut Meet Me In St. Louis National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Scrooged Muppet Christmas Carol The Christmas Box/The Timepiece The Santa Clause II While You Were Sleeping Miracle on 34th Street (Old and new) Little Women (90s version) Frosty the Snowman (animated) Charlie Brown Christmas Elf Polar Express Hollywood Christmas The Grinch (Jim Carrey version) Christmas With The Kranks Holiday Inn The Santa Claus The Santa Claus II The Santa Claus III

I've tried to do a Christmas planner or binder in the past but I just don't keep it updated. My Christmas planner is my thumb drive! I have a large variety of Word files and Excel spreadsheets I use to plan and organize everything each year. I have a Christmas CURRENT folder that my living breathing stuff for that year lives. At the end of year I save all the documents to a Christmas Past folder named for that year, i.e. 2014. I have Christmas Past folders going back to 2004 at this point. I prefer it because I can go back and look at all of my planning and notes and gifts given for previous years. Very helpful! I print out shopping lists, etc. as needed and put them in my purse. But then I always update the copies via the computer. I plan everything - I found the site Organized Christmas years ago and they were a big influence on my planning style. I start early and plan EVERYTHING - gift lists, grocery lists (broken down by when I need what for every holiday from Halloween to New Years), events to attend, decor plans, etc. That all being said - if a hard copy Christmas Planner appeals to you there are some really beautiful ones out there. Some folks just take to the kind of thing you can hold in your hand and write on better than typing on a keyboard - totally get that!

Yes, I collect ornaments. By the tote full! It's a little crazy. I try to get DS a special ornament each year - with the thought being that I'll give him his "collection" someday when he is ready to put up his own tree. I also try to get ornaments on special trips. But I've bought so many ornaments at this point that I've kind of made a rule for myself that any new ornaments have to be handmade. I love making ornaments out of felt and have gotten pretty good at it. I mostly give them away as gifts but am trying to make extras for me to keep!

Wasn't hungry before reading this thread but I am now! lol We will go to a relatives (my husband's mother's cousin - whatever that is ) for Thanksgiving and she and her daughter take care of most of the food. But every year I am tasked with bringing two things. Herb Cream Cheese Crescents - Puff pastry filled with cream cheese that has chives, dill, garlic powder, onion powder and S&P mixed in. Each little triangle of pastry is spread with that mixture and rolled up into a crescent. SO yum! Southern Living Deluxe Cheesecake - A plain cheesecake that has a boatload of stuff in it! It's nutso! 4 packs of cream cheese, 7 eggs, 24 oz sour cream, etc. It's a once a year type of cheesecake! And then I have some cherry pie filling and blueberry pie filling I canned this summer to go on top. Can't wait!

It is our first year back in our new house too! Tried to quote jenmovdob too but couldn't figure out the quote tool - sorry! We had a house fire the morning of Christmas Eve 2012 and spent that Christmas as well as the next two NOT at home. We moved back home this January and I am VERY much looking forward to decorating this year! I think we'll put up outside lights sometime over the next 2 weeks (waiting to start turning them on until Thanksgiving weekend). Inside decor will start Thanksgiving night/after I get home from shopping on BF. I can never wait!!!! The new house has a very high ceiling in the main living space (not that we wanted it that way, but THAT is a long story!) so we bought a 12ft pre-lit tree from Home Depot last year - or year before? - I can't remember! It is still in the box and I hope it works!!! Can't wait to break out the ladder and decorate that puppy!

Love Bronners! And Frankenmuth in general! We've been a few times. Last time we stayed at the Bavarian Inn and really enjoyed it. We're planning to go back with DS (now 5) and the hotel with a water park sounds perfect!

Maybe it is just my computer/browsers then? I'll try from a different laptop and see if that helps! Thanks, guys!

Is anyone else having a terrible time with the Walmart website lately? I'd like to consider using it for their BF sale this year but I think it might be less stressful to actually face the hordes of...enthusiastic...shoppers!!! I ordered some clothes for DS last week and I had real trouble getting things in my cart. Different browsers, cleaning history, etc. did nothing. Called customer service and was told their site was having "issues". Finally did enough acrobatics clicking around that I got what I needed, more or less. What a pain! Had similar issues today just trying to browse their site. I don't remember it being like this last year. What are others finding?

I got the lanyard idea on these boards years ago Love it! Since I'm wearing layers it is a great way to have what I need to pay for things kept secure without carrying a purse or worrying about it falling out of a pocket! We're in NW Indiana and the weather is probably going to be pretty cold too! I keep extra blankets in the car period but I don't have a trunk, it's an small SUV style - and the windows are tinted pretty good - but it doesn't hurt to use a little extra caution!

Meijer is starting their big sale at 6AM on Thursday this year - I think that is the earliest of any of the stores I've seen so far!?!

My typical Black Friday kit includes: Badge Lanyard - With Plastic Case for holding drivers license and debit card Shopping List/Copy of Ads Chapstick Coffee Travel Mug to get me started - with a trip through Starbucks at some point!!! Bottled Water and Crackers/Granola bars in the car Blanket in car to throw over any larger items that I want to keep out of site

Only store around here that really has Christmas out yet is Big Lots - and I was thankful because I needed white lights for some fall decorating and they were the only place to get them! Cheaply, anyway! I'm sure Hobby Lobby has Christmas items out too - they always do. I do a lot of crafting and making my own wreaths and other decor type things so having supplies available early is nice - but it was a little jarring to see a full display of Christmas trees just inside the doors to Big Lots. In September. lol

Haven't started buying yet! I've been planning, and researching, but that is it!

Yes, thank you!!!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....................

I'm not seeing the prices change yet - is it not starting at midnight after all? Midnight CST I mean?

What about items that are advertised as having a mail in rebate to get the price down to that in the ad? Is that not an option when buying online? NEVERMIND - found the forms!

Good point on not carrying the debit! More things are coming back to me: - Bottles of water and snack items in the car - CHAPSTICK! - Blanket(s) to cover larger purchases that stay in the car while still shopping - Christmas CDs to listen to in the car

Gals? Guys? What do you carry on you in person and how? Do you dress in layers? Skip the coat? What supplies do you make sure you have in the car to keep you going? One thing I have always done is to carry my debit card and license in a badge holder on a lanyard around my neck. And I'll usually keep it tucked under some clothing unless getting ready to check out. Just have to FIND one for this year! We had a house fire last Christmas and lost most of the contents of our house - didn't even THINK of needing a lanyard, etc. for BF until just now. YIPE! The ones I had were saved from corporate events I went to years ago...

I don't like it! I will shop when I shop this year and I guess I'll get what I get. I'm going to try and do more online shopping anyway this time around. Now I'm fine with the idea of online shopping deals available on Thanksgiving Day - that seems a reasonable compromise. But there are still web site support staff aren't there? Not sure. But I suppose it could be one of those rare times to be thankful for a help staff stationed overseas - it won't be a holiday for them. lol

I am 80% done shopping for our preschooler son, but 0% bought for DH! I have a list though! I've also got a handful of things ordered/crafted for other people on our gift list, but still plenty of shopping left to do!

Just curious, care to share more about how you use Excel to keep organized? Sounds right up my alley! :) OOPS! Nevermind! I see you already did answer that! Sorry!

Here is my tried and true list: - Dress comfortably in layers with plenty of pockets - Wear a lanyard with a plastic badge holder for holding debit and license around my neck, under my clothes instead of a purse - Eat something before leaving the house AND pack snacks, water, etc. - Bring a sheet or blanket in the car to cover any expensive items that may need to sit in the car while in stores shopping