wittenlover

While not on the list, I am also heading to PetSmart Friday morning.

Bout time someone did! Anything good?

Thinking I may order the cats' new tree online (if they have the same one from the ad - looked at it in-store last night) rather than trying to make space for it in my car. Already going to be fitting several pails of Tidy Cats litter in there. A 5'+ tall cat tree on top of it will make things a tight squeeze... lol

No kids, live by myself (with my 2 kitties), only dad is even semi-local to me anymore. If not for the SS Exchange in here, I wouldn't have done any shopping yet. I know once I start my baking marathon (haha) next week, I should get more in the spirit, but yeah. Not really feeling it this year. I fear even the baking may be more of a chore and I don't like when it feels that way. It's a labor of love for me, so I prefer to enjoy it instead of just grind through it (as I do on occasion). Might just need to get out my favorite Christmas music CD and try to kick myself into gear.

1. Favorite Christmas movie? It's A Wonderful Life 2.What are 3 things on your Christmas list this year? Friends, Family, Love (I don't really have a gift wish list) 3. Does it snow where you live? Yes 4. Do you celebrate Christmas, if not then what Holiday? Yes 5. Favorite gift you’ve ever gotten? My stand mixer from my grandmother (several years ago) 6. Worst gift you’ve ever gotten? Can't really think of anything horrible. My friends & family choose pretty well. 7. What time do you get up on Christmas? Depends on whether I'm at home or with family. Home? Whenever I darn well feel like it. With family? Usually 8ish. 8. Biggest pet peeve about the Christmas season? That, for the stores, it now starts BEFORE Halloween. Ugh. I like Christmas, but geez. 9. Favorite Christmas song? Traditional: Mary Did You Know Fun one: It's Called Christmas With a Capital C (by the Go Fish Guys) 10. Would you rather it be cold and cloudy, or be kind of warm out? On Christmas day? Snowing, but not bitterly cold. 11. Hot chocolate or eggnog? Neither. Hot tea. 12. Favorite thing to wear during the Christmas season? My jingle bell earrings 13. Anybody you’re hoping to bump into under the mistletoe? Yes but he lives too far away right now. (bummer) 14. Embarrassing Christmas story? Nothing I can think of. Guess we're a tame bunch. lol 15. Favorite Christmas treat? Seeing the happiness on my family's faces. Better than any edible thing. 16. Latest you’ve stayed up on New Year’s Eve? 3 or 4 am, I think, cleaning up after the party I host at my church. lol 17. Favorite Christmas character? Either Rudolph or the Grinch. 18. What are you doing for the holidays this year? Beyond baking a TON of stuff to ship out to friends and family, not sure yet. 19. Ever been to someone else’s family’s Christmas? Yep. Best friend's family. Standing invite. I go most years. 20. Favorite pie flavor? Sweet potato 21. Your favorite Christmas tradition growing up? My uncle playing Santa when my brother and I were kids. He was "too skinny" but we didn't care. Gosh, I miss him... 22. White lights or colored lights? Both. Depends on what they're strung on. 23. Favorite Christmas dinner dish? Ham 24. Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Used to be both when my grandparents were still alive. Now just Christmas Day. 25. What tops your tree? Angel 26. Candy canes- Yum or Yuck? Yum 27. Is this your first Christmas on Gottadeal.com? Nope. been here a few years now. 28. Do you hang mistletoe? No 29. Favorite Christmas activity? Spending time with family and friends. 30. Favorite Christmas story? Luke 2 (as recited by Linus in Charlie Brown Christmas )

Waiting on HD and Lowe's. Need a new tree this year again and want to look at their sales compared to others before I pick one to go after.

I was right! Came home to find a package in my mailbox last night. Thanks, Brad!!!

Got some of my shopping done for my SS tonight. Still more to be done, but I think they're gonna love it!

Well rats... I'll keep an eye out for it. If I see one like that, I'll post it here. (And yes, those do sound good...)

Is this it, momlori? http://www.cooks.com/recipe/t48hj05g/mrs-meadows-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

No shirt yet, but since IL folks got theirs yesterday, I'm hopeful of a 2-weeks-before-BF gift in my mailbox tonight here in MI!

Thanks for adding me to the map! Would love to move myself a little closer to the actual stores I'll be at, but it's not letting me do it, at least from my work computer. Will try from home later. Either way, I'm apparently going to be all by myself in Saginaw, so shopping should be a breeze!!! Ha!!!

I seem to recall Target indeed used to do this, but they stopped a few years ago, if I recall correctly. Not sure about WM, as I rarely shop there but, as momlori said, most price matching policies specifically exclude BF price matching for previously bought merchandise.

I am stalking my mailbox daily! Can't wait!!!

Pretty much waiting on BF, but keeping my eye on the sales in the meantime, since I do have a rough shopping list assembled for my SS.

Seeing as this is the only "big" store in town where I'll be (everything else is an hour away), I can only imagine what a madhouse it'll be. lol I might brave it, though, for a few of these things.

Seeing many things for the feline fur kids in this ad...

This is the one I wait for every year, seeing as Meijer usually has some good stuff I can stock up on.

I'm solo in my house, so my extra activity is baking... LOTS of baking (upwards of 60 lbs of stuff last year)... Cookies, brownies, and breads... Then many batches of fudge... Then I pack and ship to friends and family all over the country. My version of Christmas gifts. Always well received. I do occasionally take a trip out to enjoy the lights. Oh and I also plan and run my church's NYE party every year, but I do all that pretty much after Christmas.

Ouch. Food allergies are tough. I have a few friends that have some oddball ones (Ever heard of a mint allergy? Yep - anaphylactic shock if the guy even smells it), so I get it. When we all get together, we do our best to make sure there are "allergy safe" foods around that all of us (not just the one with the particular allergy) can enjoy. Helps all to stay included, even if some of the dishes are off limits to this person or that person. So... My best advice is to find at least a dish or two that your son can eat safely that everyone else can enjoy as well. Look at it as an opportunity to experiment with some new recipes before the big day. Include him as you search and make him chief taste-tester. This way, he feels included and it gives everyone a chance to start adjusting to his allergies while enjoying some great new dishes in the process.

Will be out of town for the first time in many a year and will be driving an hour+ from where I'll be to do my shopping in Saginaw, MI. Usually I'm running around Ann Arbor, MI area.

I'm traveling to my dad's this year and will be doing the cooking once there, as his SO will be spending time with her kids out of state & he has opted not to attend with her. (I offered to cook, since I enjoy doing it.) Menu we've decided on thus far: Roasted Turkey (I use a recipe I found on a CBS show's website several years back that always turns out moist and flavorful) Sweet potato casserole (recipe from allrecipes.com here: http://bit.ly/1scOQ6I - warning - this is good enough to be dessert!) Mashed potatoes Gravy Stuffing of some sort (he likes it, I don't, so any good recipes out there? I'm open to suggestion, but must be separate from turkey) Corn Green beans Cranberry sauce Bread (fresh from Great Harvest Bread Company) Pumpkin Chiffon Pie (I'll make ahead of time and bring from home) w/fresh whipped cream Dad's going to put together a salad. We expect to be munching on the leftovers all weekend since it's just the two of us. Ha.

Exactly. Thing is, I have several friends in retail who are basically given no choice (either work Thanksgiving or lose your job). They know this going in but it still sucks for them, as they are often having to be back in (or work all night) for Black Friday as well. Leads to exhausted cranky employees who have to deal with exhausted cranky shoppers and it's just not a good combination. The stores really could do a better job of making sure their staff (especially those on the overnight) get enough of a break from the madness to maintain their sanity. And we as shoppers also need to remember to keep our sanity as well, remember the golden rule, and treat the employees with as much kindness as we can muster, especially when things go wrong and need fixing.

I'm already signed up but I can also offer elf duties for SS, if needed.

OK so I've been slacking... Said I would post recipes and then got busy with life. LOL My snickerdoodles always go over really well at Christmas time. I use green and red colored sugars with the cinnamon to make them festive and they end up looking pretty neat. Here's one of my go-to recipes for them (taken right from bettycrocker.com!) Snickerdoodles (this'll make around 6 dozen) For the dough: 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup shortening 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 2 eggs 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt For the sugar coating: 2 tablespoons red sugar 2 tablespoons green sugar 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, divided Baking Directions: 1. Heat oven to 400ºF. In small bowl, mix red sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon; set aside. In another small bowl, mix green sugar and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon; set aside. 2. In large bowl, beat sugar, shortening, butter and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. 3. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls (I use my 1/2 Tbsp measuring spoon for this - seems to work really nicely - just make sure it's a rounded measure as you scoop it out). Roll each ball in one of the sugar-cinnamon mixtures. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. 4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until centers are almost set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. I usually take these when I visit family/friends and I carry them in a pie plate (or other large shallow dish) wrapped in either the red saran wrap they have out for the holidays or aluminum foil. Makes for a great looking presentation.