glitterstarr

Yep your right and they only have a small amount of items before they run out just like BF deals. I went to Walmarts sale that started on the 5th that morning about 9 to get the portable DVD player and they were already gone. The sales clerk in electronics said they didn't have many in and they were gone in a matter of minutes. I just ended up getting the Polaroid DVD player for $19 more. More than likely they didn't even have the $99 ones they advertised. So far none of the ads make me want to run out and shop BF at all this year. I think I will do better Thanksgiving night at the Christmas Auction they have locally here every year.

I can't stand it and won't buy it or make it!

Mine goes with me shopping all the time. He doesn't like me going alone and says it's to dangerous now days and he loves going and it makes me feel safer.:)

Depends on what I want every year because I change each year. This year outside it's going to be red lights on the house. My bush out front will have white lights and I always put up blue lights in a star shape every year. Inside this year I am using white cluster lights on my tree. My daughter says I do to many lights on the tree but the more lights on the tree the better it looks. I will have 500 cluster lights on my tree this year. Each strand has 100 lights.

All my daughters is finished except for clothes that she is wanting and I will be taking her to get what she wants on the clothes. It's no way that I will even try to pick out what a 17 year old would want because her taste and my taste in clothes are so far apart. LOL And I just ordered my MIL's so all that leaves is for my husband to decide what he wants to purchase for his dad and brother.:)

I also went to Walmart for the sale they had starting the 5th for the $99 portable DVD player and of course they said they were SOLD OUT! Typical Walmart get you all excited and then of course when they lure you in they don't have anything in the sale paper they advertised. Nothing in the Walmart ad makes me want to get there early on BF.

Sounds like this is going to be one cute tree! You will definitely have to share a pic when you get it decorated!:)

One year after Christmas I found purple lights at Target and that following year I had a purple themed tree. I had purple lights, purple bows and some white decorations to add with the purple bows. It was so pretty. I collect snowmen and I put them out every year. My MIL got me started with the first snowman she gave me for Christmas 19 yrs ago and every year she gets me one to add to my collection. Along with all the ones I purchase for myself!

The candy wreaths sound so pretty. I would love to see what they look like if you have a pic.:)

My tree is a different theme every year. This year I am going with white lights and handmade red and white angels and clear glass balls that have had swirls of white glitter and red paint added to the inside of the balls. Topped with a red angel tree topper. Outside everything is going to be in red lights with red bows. My bush outside will be done in white lights and I will have my traditional blue star out that I have every year.

I've also spent Christmas at home and that's just the way it is and will always be as long as my child is living at home. I just wasn't one who wanted to make my kids go somewhere else on Christmas Day after getting all their toys that morning. Sorry but what child wants to leave all their Christmas toys right after receiving them to go somewhere. I always hated having to leave my toys as a child to go eat and spend the day somewhere else and I swore that when I got married and had children that Christmas Day would always be spent at home so they could enjoy their gifts. I think your inlaws giving all of you a cruise is wonderful but I think they should have chosen a date that everyone agreed upon. If it was me I would have preferred to take the cruise in the spring time.

Yes mine knows what I spend at Christmas and every other time of the year. He doesn't care what I spend because he KNOWS that I am not one to blow money and KNOWS that I am going to shop around for the best bargin I can get because I am so tight with a dollar.

Right now I have 12 gifts for my daughter and I'm not finished yet. We spoil her at Christmas time tremendously. I still have lots on a list that I am getting her and still have stocking stuffers to purchase. I will continue to buy for her right up until Christmas Eve.

Same here everything is down and put away by Christmas night until the next year.

That's a great thing you do. Our church always goes and sings at the nursing home every year and we make up gift bags for each patient and pass them out when we are finished. We give them apples, oranges, banannas and socks every year. And they are so happy to receive these gifts every year. And your right it's so sad to see them so lonesome and never having visitors. They get so excited to see us every year. We even continue to visit them thru out the year also not just at Christmas.

It depends on when hubby feels like doing it. Usually it's the week before Thanksgiving but I only turn them on to see what they look like and turn them on every night the night after Thanksgiving. Well actually the timer turns them on and off every night.

My favorite memory is Christmas 2000. All of us kids were home that year for Christmas and I cooked the Christmas meal at my house and took it to my mom's house because she was so sick. It was so nice and everyone really had a wonderful time just enjoying the day. It was also the last Christmas that was spent with mom because my mom passed away 2 weeks before Christmas in 2001 and Christmas has never been the same since. Cherish each and every Christmas you get to spend with your family because it could be your last one spent with the ones you love. :)

I got to say that I believe like you that Christ is the reason for the season but ...........I also realize that not everyone's belief is like mine and I give them respect because they still enjoy and celebrate the holiday season and would never tell them how to celebrate.

This is one that I got from the Bisquick cook book that my family loves and you can modify it to fit what your family likes. And it's so simple to prepare and make. Breakfast Bake 1 pkg pork sausage (hot or mild) 1 pkg frozen loose-pack has brown potatoes 1 pkg swiss cheese or cheddar cheese shredded 1 cup Bisquick 2 cups milk salt/pepper 6 eggs Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray or grease 13x9 baking dish. Cook your sausage (scramble style) until done, drain grease. Layer sausage and potatoes in baking pan. Stir bisquick, milk, eggs and salt/pepper together and pour over sausage and potatoes. Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes or until fork inserted in center comes out clean. Then sprinkle your cheese on top and put back in oven and let melt on top. You can also add anything else to your egg mixture like onions, bell pepper or anything else to add extra flavor. So simple and easy because you can just put it in the oven while opening gifts or doing whatever on Christmas morning.

This is the very reason I don't do the trees and food banks neither. And they show it on TV every year with them pulling up in fancy cars and the other things they have but yet can't and won't purchase their kids a few gifts for Christmas. Sorry but before I pulled up in a fancy vehicle wearing designer clothes and fancy jewelry I would SELL everything I owned to make sure my kids had a Christmas. I also refuse to buy for those who can purchase alcohol and drugs but refuse to purchase anything for their kids. I saw this first hand when a woman came into a store bought 3 cases of beer but then bitched because she had no money to buy anything for her kids for Christmas. I'm like well you just bought 3 cases of beer that money would have been a good start to purchase them something. She got mad at me but oh well it was the truth. I've never understood people like this who refuse to put their children first in their life and make sure that their children have some little something under the tree. I am always on the lookout thru out the year for family's that really are down on their luck and can really use the help during Christmas and are grateful for an outfit or small toy for their kid for Christmas. Doesn't matter if it cost 50 cents they are still extremely grateful and thankful for that one little gift. And more than anything they are more thankful for just a Christmas meal which I have supplied right along with the small gifts purchased for all of them.

Oh Holy Night Carol of the Bells Please Come Home for Christmas by the Eagles All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey Blue Christmas Those are my favorites but I love listening to all Christmas music during the Christmas season. I start listening to it the day I put up my Christmas tree and decorations.

Still buying for my daughter. She gets so much at Christmas because I pick up something here and there and don't realize just how much I've gotten her until I bring it all out to wrap and then I'm like just shaking my head because I have to wrap it all up and I hate wrapping with a passion!

Not really we live in a very remote rural area it's basically just a few houses within a mile of each other and not many even decorate outside because of where we are all located and the traffic is very minimal. I decorate and a couple of other houses but nothing extreme or show stopping. Most people who live here are older and their children have all left home so they just don't see the need in decorating. As far as lighting and decorating I would say my house is the most decorated and I definitely don't use a lot of lights and things outside.

It wouldn't bother me at all because if someone gives me something I am thankful and blessed to have that person in my life knowing they cared and thought I was special enough to want to give me a little something. Those types of gifts given are from the heart and have so much meaning that words just can't express. I also don't consider it being frugal it's simply called love and wanting to show people what they mean to them in the only way they can.

I also agree with limits. That way someone else can also get enjoyment and savings at the same time.