berry1014

We always tell our kids they can ask for what ever they want HOWEVER they will NOT get everything they ask for. If they question why we explain that Santa can only bring them so much stuff, he needs to have enough toys to deliver to other kids and only has so much room in his sleigh. So far that has worked like a charm.

Shaving gel & razors re-useable water bottle favorite candy/snacks slipper socks/christmas socks, gloves chapstick Ornament Packs of hot cocoa DVD

Fun exciting day filled with greals deal for christmas!

We have been shopping since the day after last Christmas. We are about 1/3 to 1/2 way done now but get the majority of the rest on Black Friday

This year I have to work the day before Thanksgiving (last year I had off) so I will be up late that night getting as much prep work done as possible and getting, baking pies, getting the pepperoni bread and breakfest casseroles made up to be baked early in the morning before the turkey goes in. On Thanksgiving morning I may go to Kmart, depending if they have anything good that I want. After all the guest leave on T-Day i will go throuh the ads on last night and double check my shopping list and then relax before heading off to bed. On BF i will get around 3 and head out the door a very short time later. Walmart is only 10 minutes down the road so that is my first stop. After I am done then it's home to unload and pick up DH and then we head out to do the rest of our shopping. Last year we were done by 11:00 am and then it was home to start start decorating for Christmas!

Girl you are nuts sending him to that TOYSRUS on BF, you want to scare him from venturing out on BF again? LOL!. Yeah we made the mistake of going there a few years go. Yeah right ... the check out line wrapped around the whole inside of the store in a matter of minutes.

We are about 30% done now. Our son's b-day just past and daughter's is coming up. Will wait until after her b-day to finish the kids. I check out the clearance sales all the time so I guess it depends on how much I find and buy between now and then will determine how much shopping I will do on BF.

I have been going for about 14 years now.

Toys R us sometimes have Legos on sale. You will have to keep checking.

Sweet... I will have request their catalogs too.... Love just sitting down and relaxing and flipping through these catalogs...especially after the kids have gone to bed.

I have been thinking about it for a while now. LOL!!! I have already bought several gifts that I got great deals on but I still have many more gifts that I need to buy! Can not wait for the first ad to leak!!! I think we have been spoiled the past couple of years where the first ad leaked extremely early. I wonder how much longer it will be until the first ad leak of this year.

Our kids started playing their zhu zhu pets again. It's an off /on thing for them but this time around thayhave been playing with them for a while now. They have even asked for more for Christmas so we shall see.

Same here... our kids have already started their wishlist.

Our kids want the pillow pets too. Thankfully one of their aunts is planning on getting giving them those for Christmas.

Does she have a nintendo DS? Our DD8 has one and we bought some education games for her DS that really challenge her. She loves it and the math game has really helped her bring her math grade up in school too.

We stopped into kmart last night and managed to score some toys for our sone for his birthday next month and some game cartridges for his vsmile/vsmile pocket for Christmas. I am going to another Kmart at lunch today to see if Ic an find any other good deals.

Thanks!!!! Just ordered 2 of them for our nieces for next Christams!!!!

A few years ago we started having either stuffed shells or lasgana, salad and some good italian bread. This way if it's just us then I only need to make one pan but if we have company then I'll make 2 pans. They can made early in the day or the night before and just keep chilled in the frig until time to pop into the oven. No fuss no muss!

THe kids each have a magical elf that visit from Dec 1 until the night of the 23rd. So when the kids wake up on Christmas Eve they will each find a gift from their elf friend - new PJs. We also let the kids open their gifts from each other - a new toy - that will help keep them busy while I am prepping for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas morning breakfest. Its a quite Christmas Eve at home. After dinner the kids wait for Santa to come around the neighborhood on the local firetruck. Once they get their candy cane from santa, they get changed into their new PJ and get to open a gift or two from their grandmom. We spend the rest of the evening watching Rudolf and Polar Express. The kids will then put out cookies and milk for santa and carrots for the reinder. Then its off to bed where daddy read to them - The Christmas Story and Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Some people spend more then that while other spend less depending on their $$$$. We spent about $450 on our 2 kids and most of the stuff we bought was on sale too....

Santa used to wrap all the gifts except for their big gift which was usually set up on the floor in front of the tree. However last Easter our oldest decided to sneak down to see what the Easter Bunny brought and she told her litte brother so we got to miss the excited look on their faces. So we are expecting her to try to sneak down on Christmas morning before everyone else is up so this year Santa is wrapping EVERYTHING...including everything in the stockings!!!! We have 2 seperate Santa wrapping paper. One for one chld and the other for the other child. They will have to check their stockings to see what wrapping was used and match that up with the gifts under the tree to find their gifts. Santa does not tag any of the gifts.

Sweet!

From Walmart: Samsung MX20 camcorder - $149 Phillips 4Gb MP3 - $29 Samsung Bluray - $148 DVD - GI Joe $10 Target: Mens Bathrobe $14.99 Womans bathrobe $12.49 Polar Express 3-D DVD $5.99 Littlest Pet Shop DS game $17 Toys R Us: Vivitar Camera $39.99 Fast Lane Radio Control Truck - $13.49 Thomas & Friends : Thomas Takes along Morgans mine set - $29.99 North Pole Express Radio Control Train Set - $29.99 Grand Total: $499.93

I saute onions and celery in butter and broth until tender and then mix with bread cubes ( I just diced up a loaf and half of regular bread). I add salt, pepper and sage seasoning. Add additional broth until the bread is moist.

I usually get about 4 - 5 hours of sleep before heading out, stopping to get coffee first and then off to stand in line.