wittenlover

I'll be out of town in "Small Town USA" territory with the only big store in town being a Walmart and everything else a good hour+ away, so not sure I'll be able to get out to brick-and-mortar stores this year. Will be the first time in many a year. Need to find someone who will go to JCP for me and get a snowglobe, since I won't be able to!

I do a little of both. I have the physical ads with me (helps to show employees quickly when there's any discrepancy on prices/included items/etc), then keep a list running on my phone (no tablet here). Seems to serve me pretty well. Haven't started setting things up yet this year. Still figuring out what I need to get and for whom... lol

Still love the JCP snow globes. Glad they brought them back last year, hope they keep it going. I have a whole little collection! I miss the Sears gift cards. Those were handy to pick up some inexpensive stocking stuffers (think uber-fuzzy socks or the like) without paying a dime! My mom and I used to base where we went first on who had the best freebies. SO miss that...

I have a few relatively simple ones. I'll have to post when I get home. Fun resource in the meantime, though, is www.christmas-cookies.com - I've found many a fun recipe there.

Just sent my PM! Can't wait to see who I get this year! How are you doing, misstaken? Hope all is well in your world. I've been pretty MIA around here this summer. Life's been crazy busy!

Yes! Thanks, Brad!

My SS, misstaken, wins best present honors for my Christmas. That tool kit is awesome and will be coming in quite handy as I get to putting up some shelves and other things I've been wanting to do but didn't have the right tools to do it with! And the two fuzzballs are happily chasing the furry mice around the floor as I type. Oh and of course they think the best present was the box everything came in... lol *cat trap*

Just opened my SS box... So excited! Me and the kitties all love it! Thank you thank you thank you!

I'm always excited to give (ship) my Christmas baked goodies. This year, they are literally shipping all over the country to various friends and family. Usually, I'm just shipping them to my "adopted" track family at JGR in NC. This year, though, I've added MN, individuals in NC (not at JGR), and Idaho! Ha! Such fun because "my boys" (as I call them) send me pictures back when they get their gifts. Brings me lots of joy to see their excitement and enjoyment.

So very thrilled to see all the joy y'all who sent packages & cards to packergurl24 have given her. Proves there are still some of us good eggs left in the world. Heck, if I'd had your address, you'd have gotten yet another box, girl! Much love to all here! My box is still sealed tight and my resolve is holding... 8 more days! Steeled myself with some BBW retail therapy today at lunch to keep the urge to open that box at bay! Ha!

My SS package is here! It was safely tucked in the apartment office. Now begins the wait till Christmas! Can't wait to see what's inside!!!

I've been better than I often am about checking my mail of late (apartment living = mailboxes not near my apartment - nature of the beast) because I know there will be an SS package to pick up soon. When I get it, I'll make sure to post, even though I'll be waiting till Christmas to open!

Oh no! That's no good! Hope you feel better quick! Most of my presents are homemade baked goods and those are shipping out today, so that puts me at about 75% done. Just have dad's GCs and gag gift (for presentation of said GCs) and a couple of close friends left to buy for. Expect to finish shopping this weekend. Wrapping is done right before I head out to respective parties/houses (cats and ribbons? Yeah I don't think so! I don't need a vet bill! HA!).

Yay to all for completing our secret Santa and OE assignments! Awesome to hear no elves required. Means pogiporkchop can leave that naughty list locked up till next year!!! My tree anxiously awaits my SS box's arrival. Will be so nice to wake up Christmas morning with a gift under the tree! Living alone, I don't often get that opportunity anymore unless I've spent the night with family.

Such fun! I come in here every day now just to get a smile from all the goodies all the SS's are sending out. Brings me joy to see others receiving so much joy. And so very awesome to hear packergurl24 got her very own SS delivery! Hope the ones that hadn't gotten back to pogi yet have now. Otherwise, we elves stand at the ready.

Reading through posts in here is always such fun to see what everyone got. Good to see people getting such joy out of the little things the SS's find. So glad I finally joined in the fun this year! Already looking forward to next year!!!

Layers of fun to find in the box for the one whose name I got... Hope they enjoy it! Heading off to ship now! *sneaky post* I messaged you tracking info, pogiporkchop.

Shopping for SS is finished! Now to get everything packed up nicely for shipping...

Although I didn't do as much shopping this year (tighter budget), I wasn't impressed that more stores felt the need to open on Thanksgiving and at an earlier hour. I don't do a lot of online shopping because I live in an apartment and getting packages is a pain with my complex's office hours (they close before I can get home from work, only hold packages a few days before returning to sender, etc.). Consequently, I rely on in-store deals for my Christmas shopping. I did get the few things I needed (little green machine at Target, cat litter and cat toys from PetSmart), but missed out on a few things I wanted because I couldn't get to stores as they opened Thursday night. I'll keep my eyes open for deals on the rest of my list as Christmas approaches. As some others have said, I miss being out there at oh-dark-thirty in the morning lined up with a group of strangers who quickly become friends as we all shiver outside the doors. Am I crazy? Probably a little, but there was a special comeraderie among those of us willing to crawl out of bed a few mere hours after we crawled in to go out there, freeze our tails off, and get the deals we waited all year for. I do have to say, though, I still got to have a bit of that feeling as about two dozen of us patiently waited outside our PetSmart for the 7 a.m. opening. Fun times, crazy pet stories, and fun people. Kept a shred of the "Black Friday is special" feeling alive. :-)

Wrapping up shopping for my SS this weekend, will be shipping Monday, Tuesday at the latest.

I'm not much of a big spender on Christmas, really. Small family + separated by several hundred miles = we don't ship stuff to each other. Dad and I live close enough (4 hour drive) that I usually try to spend a couple of days with him. He and I usually trade $100 gift cards to favorite stores and other small gifts, adding up to roughly $150 total (GC + gifts) for me. I never know what to get my brother and he's likewise with me. We buy for ourselves as we need/want, so we usually trade phone calls, as those are precious commodities for us, being on opposite coasts and him always working odd hours. Last year, however, I sponsored a child in his honor that happens to share his birthday. A gift that keeps on giving, as I have shared pictures & such that I have gotten with him since my sponsorship of the little girl began. He thought it was a great idea at the time and continues to get joy from it. Perfect. Cats usually get a new scratching post/cat tree (depending on the sales), fresh catnip, and a bunch of new toys to chase around the house (and for me to step on at night! LOL). Otherwise, I have a few friends I buy small gifts for, but my love is baking, so most everyone close by gets homemade cookies, fudge, and other yummy things. Total budget for that varies but usually runs me about $100 for all the ingredients + who knows how many hours of my time. Labor of love for me, though, and always well received. Total yearly budget for me, give or take $50, runs about $400.

As I live solo, I like gatorburg's idea. I may hang onto my unopened SS box once I receive it until Christmas morning (this will take some serious willpower HA!) so I have something to unwrap while my kitties enjoy fresh catnip and new toys.

Nuttin' for Christmas

Eternal Glory of the Sky