Gray04

Not that I have forgotten but still not supposed to drive from my foot surgery and Mom did not really want to stop at Wally yesterday I wanted something for the cats, but seeing as this year is a little "lean" they will have to do with the paper and boxes. Also wanted to get 1 more thing for DH but he will have the most amount of gifts under the tree:cheesy: so will get it for "just because" after the holidays. Also need something for tonight at DH's aunts. Wally should'nt be TOO busy today to skip in and get something. Maybe I will run to Hannaford instead All in all not too bad :)

21 inches of snow fell in our yard last night. Now it is 10+ out with blowing and drifting snow. In four years we move to Florida!

Same to you OP :)

Ohh, love this idea! Gonna print it out so I do not forget by next year! LOL I tried doing the Gourmet Popcorn for a swap gift last weekend. I did chocolate/pb, they came out yummy! Will expand the idea next year.

Western foot hills of Maine. -4 this morning but 7+ now! Right now it is just milky white out. They are calling for 2 feet of snow today/tonight. 4 more winters and Florida here we come!

Dh came home a few days ago and told me "if the store keeps trending the way it is my year end bonus will be $*,***.**! Oh, but I won't get it until March! As much as I would like to have it for our Feb. trip to Florida, we will still have my vehicle payment so we will just put it towards that. Congrats to those getting one! For those that are not, here's to a better year for you in 2009!

Christmas Day Traditions are changing very rapidly! Our boys are now 14 and will be 17 for Christmas this year. For the past several years we have gone to DH's aunt's about 45 minutes away for Eve. But last year we did not go as (really do not recall why??, I think she may have been with her daughter out of town?) but before we go there or as in last year we just went to my mom's about 7 miles away. She has stockings for the boys we eat there. Some years it is a fancy one, others it is "hey, you know what sounds good"? Often times the "guys" pop in as well. They own 3 businesses. We open a few gifts. Mom always get DH and I something small. And they open what ever gifts they have. The "guys" usually get them a gift certificate to somewhere. Then we come home and watch some TV, try to get the boys to bed so Santa can come :yup:and Mom and Dad can go to bed too Christmas morning some years my father, un-dear SM, grandmother, my great aunt and S-grandmother come buy with their gifts. The like to see us open them. Dropped that tradtion last year though as after we open gifts we head to the movies. The boys open their stockings, we eat something. Usually donuts just to tie us over for a half hour or so. (they do not get many gifts now, too $$$) We open gifts, may have something else to eat. Pick up the trash and take it to Mom's (they have a dumpster ), eat some lunch and go see 2 movies. Home by midnight and it is over

Have you looked at LL Bean?:)

No stitching for the blankets, just tie them together. However, a trick I was told about and does seem to work is tie every other one , turn it over and tie the rest. Seems to make the blanket lay flatter. SUPER EASY!! Try it, you do not have to sew at all!

I have thought about giving the boys a gift certificate to our cell phone provider to down load ring tones and such.

I just finished adressing the envelopes! Now a question... Do you just sign the card? Or do you write a little note or even type up a "holiday letter" and add it? When can I stop adding school pictures? Do I have to wait until they graduate??! OK, well that was more like 4 questions

Our kids are 14 and will be 17 by Christmas. And all they want is $$$ DS 17 is going on another school trip in April and to Florida in Feb. so he will most likely get what he wants. :) DS 14 likes to pick things out on his own! May get them new cell phones as well. Where did the Fisher Price Days go?

I too say go for it. I like to have mine done by Halloween. Not in the mail, just ready to go. I send them out on Thanksgiving.

Last year I was very surprised how many people hide gifts in the trunks of cars! Just a thought :)

jenrein, stress is one reason we are looking to change our traditions. It has got to the point where it is just the 4 of us and my Mom and DSF most years. We can eat with them most any night of the year. When it is more than just us it seems so stressful. It is as if people are thinking, "We have to make this special as it is THANKSGIVING". I would much rather get together any night of the year and be able to truly enjoy the company. I would rather eat PB sandwiches with them and enjoy then get all worked up over it being Thanksgiving. Thanks for your responses!

Thanks! These are great ideas. I am not concerned with the traditional dinner, will throw these ideas out to DH tonight.

For those of you that go to a restraunt for Thanksgiving, where do you go?

Let's see DH DS (will be 17!) DS 14 DM DSF DF UDSM (un-dear step mother) DGM DGA (great aunt) DSGM For the past several years we bought for a child family friend but with the NEWEST step mother we do not see him very often so may scratch that one off the list. Oh yes and a food gift for the Bah Humbug Party. :gdlicklips:The "men" did not want a Merry Christmas Party several years ago so we changed it to a Bah Humbug Party My toal is for 11 people

I try to take my decorations down as soon as possible or it is the middle of January and they are still up Everything of mine is down , except what I have missed

I am putting finger nail clippers in our boys stockings! I am so sick of finding broken ones and lost ones. Now they will have their own!

Wow! First of all we do not get into each others wallets. It is "our space", unless we ask or are asked to. I know darn well what I would get if I had done that, nothing!

My DH can and does wait with no problems! But me??! Well I have a tad bit of a harder:cool: OK OK I hate waiting Just a few days ago I popped into his store and went into his office to drop his cell phone off that he had forgot at home. I simply put it on the desk and left , well he came RUNNING at me, What did I see, where did I put it, why did I not just give it to him (he is not supposed to have it on but leaves it on silent and I text him once in a while) I did not know until then that he got me something but now I am when did you get it, what store did you get it from, does it weigh this or that, is it made out of this or that, does it have these colors:cheesy: OMG it is killing me not knowing!!!!! Then DS now 16, birthday was a few days ago, well the weekend before we got gifts for his b-day and Christmas. We promptly came home and opened all of them, well except DH 'cause we did not want to get caught and then tapped them back up. Uhh, now I look at them and can not wait to open them so we can use them!! I know, bad, bad Mommy!! So in short, I want to know NOW and DH could wait until next Christmas to open them!!

Loving the pictures! Have enjoyed seeing toppers other than an angel and a star. Next year I am going to try something different.

Honestly, what I got was so worth it! It was time with one of friends without kids, hubby's, work, phones... it was a great morning! :)

Depends Mom: "What are you going "to do" with it"? Son: "Save it and take it out to look at evey now and then" Mom to self: "Well you can put it on your list but you are not getting it" It also depends how much bodily harm it could do to other son