Yakyma

LOL...My daughters just told me last week, that starting in August next year that I am not allowed to buy anything for myself...just put it on a list. They say I am the hardest person to buy for, small stuff I just go and get the big stuff is beyond their budget. As for handing out gifts early I am the worse, sometimes I am so excited about something that I can't wait, pretty good with the grandkids things, but dd's and so's I am horrible end up spending more money. Of course I don't hear them complaining about it.

I live in Florida now, but grew up in Southeastern Indiana, and I flew home for that Christmas. There was 26 inches of snow and the roads were closed....Christmas Eve I finally got out to finish a few last minute things. I had figured it would be easier to buy some things there rather than trying to pack them...LOL They almost got IOU'S that year. What I learned: I had been wishing for a White Christmas, next time be more specific about how much white I want...

Several years ago when dvd players had only been out for short while and the hot item to get for around 70.00 on a bf. K-mart had just started their open on Thanksgiving day sales, My Mother and I got up extra early 3rd and 4th in line that year. We each got one and we were sharing a cart, while checking out other sale items I was standing just a few inches from the cart, turned sideways and out of the corner of my eye I saw someone reaching into my cart and trying take one of them....I turned and yelled at them grabbing the cart back to me, then I shoved it trying to push them away, I am sure her heels were sore from the cart hitting them, while they were running away....I was so ticked....grabbed my cart and headed for the check out, all while announcing very loudly for everyone to watch their items as there was a lady in a black sweater with long brown hair trying to steal items out of carts....didn't see her again on the way out, but made sure everyone around me knew to be on the lookout, told the cashier as I was checking out, but she could have cared less, and at that point all I wanted to do was get my prize home and focus on dinner.

Thanks, got a Princess one for granddaughter, and Power Ranger for grandson, then ordered the denim princess Jacket, and a denim shirt for Christmas presents too...Love free shipping and the 30% off too. I saved 29.55 off my order.

Sleep seems to be a common thread here....I get up Turkey day early sometimes to check out K-Mart if anything looks good in the ad. If not just to get the turkey going and anything else that needs to be done for the company. Then I never see my bed till sometime around 9:00pm on Friday....

Hey Santa Sweetie, I have been a very good girl this year. I know all you gotta do is type in my name on your computer and see how very good I have been on your huge 32" monitor. As you can see I have asked for very little the last few years, pull out your 16gb flash drive and check it out yourself. I have become a little more tech savvy the last few years, especially with my significant other around, we all know how gadget crazy he is and has lots of geeky toys, well the one thing on my list is something he doesn't have and I would love to own something he doesn't... of course you know I will share, I always do. So my biggest wish this year is for this really cool Logitech io2Digital Pen Digital Writing system....I saw it on line at geeks.com. Go and check it out. I could use it for oh so many things here at home and at work, you know how many reports I have had to do lately. I bet the elves would love them too it would make it easier for them to check of those gifts before they load the sleigh. As usual I will have goodies for Rudolph and the gang on the rooftop and sausage balls, cheese, crackers and your favorite beverage waiting by the cell phone. Remember you promised Mrs. Clause that you would call her when you got to Florida. I also have downloaded you some awesome Christmas music on the phone, so after the call you can enjoy listening to it while filling the stockings and placing all the presents under the tree. Or you can watch the new 60 inch HDTV while enjoying your goodies, we got the logitech Haromony all in one remote control you know how easy they are to use. This year I will make sure the house alarm is off ( no more calls to the local p.d.) just remember to set it when you leave. xoxo, Yakyma

I will be shopping all day long on BF and some on Sat. morning, and then again on Sunday. Only reason I will not be out all day Sat. this year is I have tickets to a concert that night and will be spending time with friends to start the holiday season off right. But I am so ready for BF, I am checking the site several times a day now hoping for some more ads.....Someone Please get their hands on a good ad and share soon, feeling like my grandchildren waiting for Christmas morning to get here....

my Best gift had to be from last year I got a Blue Diamond Ring, have wanted one for years and the pictures of me opening it were great....probably the first time in my life I couldn't say anything...... ..lol Worst was years ago, had an older car, and I got gift certificates for a car wash....trust me washing the car wasn't gonna help.... Needless to say that was from an ex.

I will be online Turkey Day and that evening after the game plan has been made for BF shopping...But BF I will be in line and running around getting all my bargains. Nothing compares to the thrill of the hunt.

LOL I remember those Elmo cookie tins..we ended up with 10 of them, when we opened them up they were the worse cookies ever..dumped the cookies and used my tins for homemade goodies and to wrap up some little things that fit great in there. And you are right about seeing who had the best giveaway and going to that store first. I loved the gift card giveaways the best...free shopping money. One year a mall in Orlando gave away 10.00 mall gift cards every Saturday morning for a month. We would drive over there stand in line and between me and dh had 20.00 more dollars to shop with every weekend. 80.00 worth of Christmas presents that were free. Back then that was some nice shopping cash.

I had to laugh when I read this....if you ask my sister she will tell you it is socks.... I had younger sisters so there was alway's Santa at home and even when I married and moved out I continued putting and getting from Santa on the tags... When my dd's started asking I told them that as long as they believed in Santa, Santa would bring the gifts...and at 29 & 27 (moms themselves) They still believe... And Santa still delivers!!!

I love to shop first off and I love a bargain even more...and the day is full of bargain shopping, saving money, and having fun...yes you do meet some wonderful people standing in line waiting and even more fun watching the jerks show up and lose out. It is pure entertainment quite often. It is something that I do with my family and we have a great time. It is the official start of the Christmas season, which is my favorite time of the year. I look at it like it's the big game and the object is to win...that is why we get together the night before to get a game plan in place. Just like coaches do before the big game...lol... I feel like I win big every year. Just a few of the reasons BF is so hot in my book...

I always go way overboard....I can't help it, like others I find bargains that are way to good to pass up and just love the look on the grandkids faces when they arrive at my house and find presents all around the livingroom cause there is no more room under the tree. I get so much pleasure watching everyone opening their gifts, I hate to see it end. Are they spoiled?...lol...nah...as I say they are just well loved

Always colored lights, have a tree now with the lights already on it, so no changing them. I have done a second tree before and put all white lights on it.

Alternate between a rustic looking star and a pretty fiber optic angel.

I hate getting stuck in the kitchen all day or most of it on Christmas, so years ago I started a new tradition...I order a platter with turkey,ham, roast beef, and cheeses, a veggie tray and buy lots of different breads, sandwich rolls, add some salads like potato, macaroni, cole slaw, pasta etc., also have homemade goodies (done ahead) and put it out late afternoon for all to enjoy. I buy pretty holiday disposable plates and napkins. Very little clean up involved. Christmas morning I also have a tray of bagels with a variety of cream cheeses and usually have an egg dish with ham or bacon in it that bakes while we open presents, when we are done with the gifts then we head for the kitchen for a late breakfast, brunch. Christmas eve is usually similar, with everyone bringing something to eat, but I always make the sausage balls. A few years we have made a big meal, Ham, Turkey etc the week or two before Christmas and invited over close friends, so that way we could spend some time with them during the busy holiday season and still enjoy the big cooked meal.

Once at a family gathering we did a scavenger hunt...gave everyone a time limit and there was about 50 items on the list some easy to come across others more difficult but none the less fun and challenging. Some of the items were found outside, so if the weather co-operates you get them out and moving around... and from my experience after eating that great big meal moving around is a good thing.. Good Luck!

I can't think of anything I don't enjoy about Christmas...watching my family open gifts especially the grandkids, Christmas Eve we get together and Santa always calls to talk to the 2 little ones...I love the look of surprise when he tells them things that they have done the last few days..lol...Going and looking at the lights, decorating...having friends and family around....Wish it would last longer.

Will Probably hit the local Walmart about 11:00 - 11:30 p.m. Thanksgiving Night. If they lock the doors early and open at 5:00 a.m. some years they have closed and other years stayed open...go figure...will decide if I want to go to Walmart or Target and head there around 12:30 ish a.m. maybe earlier it will depend on the sales.

Getting Hinky, committing monkeyshines, whatever it takes including wearing my GottaDeal t-shirt I'll walk away with my luxurious BF haul.

We have family, extended family and a few close friends that all come over on Christmas Eve, we can open gifts from each other and family gifts that have been sent from far away...taking pictures of every last thing so they can be emailed to family that is not here with us. Then Daughters and their Families head home and arrive the next morning again about 9:00, yea I get to finally sleep in on Christmas morning!!!! When they all get there the first thing we do is find our Stockings... grown DD's would be greatly upset if they did not have a full stocking...LOL... then on to the gifts most of whom are marked from Santa...grandchildren are 6 and 4 years old. We mostly try to open them one at a time so everyone can enjoy watching what everyone got their expressions...we finally finish up around 1:00...think we have a few gifts under our tree? Just in time for them to head off to the other sides of family, etc and for me and Sig. Other to head off to visit his side of the family for a few hours...they just don't get into the Christmas thing like we do...and like he had a choice when he came into my life. :)

My group has grown...my sig. other, my daughters, their husband and fiance, my Mom if she is here visiting, this year youngest dd's Mother In Law will be joing us...and a couple of friends join up with us at the stores and join in the night before planning...minimum of 3 vehicles for core group and cell phones charged...

Since I was a Kid at home and I have not lived at home since 1978...lol I have always gone shopping the day after Thanksgiving...My daughters now go also along with husbands, and a few friends...adding a new one this year to the group my youngest daughters Mother In Law, she has heard us talk about it so much that she driving here and spending the night just to join in...I have lurked on the pages here for about 5 years posted a couple of times I think last year and will be posting more this year...I love it here.

I pick up a few things for others, but my shopping comes first...usually it is something I am getting also so that helps and they will pick up for me if they are going somewhere I am not.

I am at WalMart 11:30 p.m. - midnight the night before and never see home unless it is to unload something really big till 3:00-5:00 p.m. Then I crash about 8:00 P.M Friday night and don't get out of bed till noon on Saturday....LOL