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Holidays:  Things I'll do NEXT Christmas.........  |
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missusprim
True Blue Farmgirl
400 Posts
Karen
Fostoria
Ohio
USA
400 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 15 2011 : 4:30:55 PM
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Once again I'm finding myself way behind on virtually everything this year. The decorating, the baking, the buying of gifts. And I will shamefully admit that I do this each and every year, dang it!
So I'm hoping to make sure this doesn't happen again next year by plotting what I'm going to do and when in hopes of not being in this same predicament. I'd be awfully interested to hear what other ladies do in preparation of the holidays!
Here's a sampling of hopefuls:
1. Buy EARLY for the gifts.
2. Mix, bake and decorate all my goodies right after Thanksgiving - then throw in my deep freezer.
3. Locate (or buy, if needed) all decorations and have them ready to go up soon after Turkey Day.
4. Have Christmas cards and stamps purchased BEFORE Turkey Day so they're ready to go. And having my mailing list updated and ready to print out is a must. Get in mail ASAP so they're DONE.
5. New outfit all lined up no later than the second week of December.
6. New haircut/color by mid December.
7. Only thing left is to enjoy the month of festivities with hubby and family!
Ladies, did I miss anything?
Farmgirl Sister #2984
"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." George Eliot
http://farmchicatheart.blogspot.com/
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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missusprim
True Blue Farmgirl
400 Posts
Karen
Fostoria
Ohio
USA
400 Posts |
Posted - Dec 16 2011 : 7:51:07 PM
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Kristina, a lot of people are doing cards via email. I've not looked into it but that would be a cost effective alternative. I'd always wanted to do handmade Christmas cards but it never came to fruition.
I had intended to make crocheted items for people on my list but breaking my arm put a damper on that little idea. But there's always next year.
Farmgirl Sister #2984
"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." George Eliot
http://farmchicatheart.blogspot.com/
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Montrose Girl
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm
1360 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
1360 Posts |
Posted - Dec 17 2011 : 08:16:42 AM
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Wow, that is an extensive list and I'm a preparer, buying gifts early, etc. Number one on my list: Don't stress it. The season is to be enjoyed and if someone doesn't get a card, maybe a phone call will work. Oh but #8: Hide gifts in a place I remember. That's key!
Best of luck Karen,
Laurie
http://www.inntheorchardbnb.com/ |
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graciegreeneyes
True Blue Farmgirl
3107 Posts
Amy Grace
Rosalia
WA
USA
3107 Posts |
Posted - Dec 17 2011 : 08:43:44 AM
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I had to laugh when I saw the title - I think that every year!! "next year I'll....." I made a good start on my next year this year - most of my presents were purchased by the first of December. which means, as Laurie recommended, I can enjoy my family - I do think I have a present hidden somewhere that I have forgotten about though.....
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
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22angel
True Blue Farmgirl
498 Posts
Pam
Manitoba
Canada
498 Posts |
Posted - Dec 17 2011 : 3:08:13 PM
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My list is similar Karen!
1. Buy & make EARLY for the gifts. I'm aiming for March. So that means in January/February, I need to make a list of things I want to have done & who they're for!
2. Make some Christmas "things" - Grandma's cookies, shortbread, toffee/fudge etc.
3. Decide if I'm putting up Christmas stuff & do it the first weekend in December (or last weekend in November, if I need)
4. Have my Christmas cards & letters made up & ready to go by mid-November (to send beginning of December)
5. Enjoy!
Life isn't about finding yourself. It's about creating yourself.
"When I grow up, I want to be dirt." seen on a box through construction in Wyoming 2010 |
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missusprim
True Blue Farmgirl
400 Posts
Karen
Fostoria
Ohio
USA
400 Posts |
Posted - Dec 18 2011 : 2:57:53 PM
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Oh, I really like the idea of having my cards done and ready to go before Thanksgiving - good thinking! And I also like the idea of making a list of what I'm going to make EARLY and getting the supplies around so they'll be done in plenty of time. The bonus to that would be that I won't have to feel as if I'm rushed....hence, I will do a better job.
I just love the holidays so much but I don't enjoy it nearly as much as I'm always rushed, stressed, behind,etc. I'm going to make every effort to see that it will be different next year.
Farmgirl Sister #2984
"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." George Eliot
http://farmchicatheart.blogspot.com/
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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coaloha
True Blue Farmgirl
502 Posts
Pam
USA
502 Posts |
Posted - Dec 26 2011 : 1:11:32 PM
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I am chuckling as I read this thread. I too have started a list for next Christmas. I think that I will start a Holiday Journal to put ideas and lists into and build on it from year to year. It would be a pleasant tradition to sit down with a cup of tea and spend some time reflecting on the holidays just passed in the time between Christmas and New Years. This year I did start really early on cards and gifts and it was a big help. I don't do cards every year but I keep up the tradition because I enjoy receiving cards in the mail! I love to set down every evening with the day's new cards and read the news, check out the photos, and just take a few minutes to focus on out family and friends. I am thinking about going back through the cards this week and dropping a note to a few people who mentioned things that I'd like to follow up on.
Pam Barnes-Palty
Phoenix, AZ
Farmgirl #1075
Happy member of the Southwest Henhouse
Be distracted by joy |
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ruthie218
True Blue Farmgirl
1425 Posts
Ruthie Ann
Indiana
USA
1425 Posts |
Posted - Dec 26 2011 : 4:49:34 PM
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| Your list sounds good to me.We put the tree up on Thanksgiving weekend or it doesn't get up till the week of Christmas. I make home gifts,wrap and tag. Then put them in the tote marked homemade Christmas. I have 1 fleece blanket done for my new great niece born later this year. For her 1st Christmas. Im hoping in Jan. to make all my Christmas cards. |
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missusprim
True Blue Farmgirl
400 Posts
Karen
Fostoria
Ohio
USA
400 Posts |
Posted - Dec 26 2011 : 5:27:34 PM
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I'd like to try and see if I can't buy one gift per month for each of my kids so they'll have a nice selection by Christmas. I will try to make the dollar amount as even as I can but I'm not going to go overboard with it. Just have fun in the buying of things along the way and know that I've almost done by the time Christmas comes.
To start I bought my daughter (our resident baker) a Wilton cookie spatula that was on sale. It is a nice size and has a beveled edge for easy removal. It wasn't a cheap one and I thought she deserved one that was exclusively hers. And who knows.........maybe some more cookies? :)
Also, I think I may have figured out why I have a hard time with Christmas. I truly love getting together with my extended family, but I'm finding that the older I get the more I'd like to spend Christmas day itself with just my hubby and kids at our house and do the extended family get together on another day. Am I alone in this? At what point as an adult with adult kids (and grandkids) do we designate holidays as a day for just our kids, their families and us parents?
This year seemed so hectic. From the moment our feet hit the floor we were on the go, so much so that I had so little time to really ENJOY people. KWIM?
So to just sleep in, have a leisure breakfast and open gifts and spend the day at our own pace without having to leave the house. Maybe stay in our jammies all day and play the Wii in the afternoon after watching the parades on the telly (haven't seen them since a kid).
At any rate, my hubby and kids are divided in this. Not sure what my parents will say so I may test the waters on Easter........
Fellow pen pal Pam! I like the idea of a journal and recording thoughts, etc into. It'd be a nice guide to flip through and see what I did and when the previous year and to see any added notes that'd help the upcoming year easier. I can't tell you the times I've had cute ideas but will forget them when the holidays comes around the following year......
Kris, I've already got a few crochet patterns in mind for hubby and my DD for next year. Will fine tune them and see about purchasing the yarn. My DS is a bit trickier to buy for but he is really getting into wood working (another secret true love of mine.) I'd gladly share with you my progress!
Farmgirl Sister #2984
"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." George Eliot
http://farmchicatheart.blogspot.com/
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Calicogirl
True Blue Farmgirl
5216 Posts
Sharon
Bruce Crossing
Michigan
USA
5216 Posts |
Posted - Dec 26 2011 : 5:56:12 PM
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I am enjoying reading everyone's ideas. Thank you.
~In October I pick up Christmas Stamps and pick up priority mail boxes
~I purchase Christmas cards when they go on sale. I keep an eye out for the ones I really like and then when they are 50% off or more I purchase them. I have next years all set :)
~I usually try and have Christmas cards out right after Thanksgiving (this year was later :() I also need to make a list this year instead of searching through the address book :)
~I like to decorate and do not want it to be a stressful thing. My husband and I plan a picnic lunch in the mountains and get greens and pinecones. This makes it fun, together and outdoors :)
~I try and have packages ready and mailed by the 13th of December (This year I just paid online for shipping and scheduled a pick up for my postal carrier, a much needed break from carrying boxes to the post office)
~I also do as much prep cooking a few days before. This is a huge weight off of my shoulders. I can relax and enjoy company with minimal cooking to do.
~Sharon
By His Grace, For His Glory
http://merryheartjournal.blogspot.com/ |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Dec 26 2011 : 6:10:27 PM
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This week was definitely busy--and each year, I think I'm ahead of the game, but I seem to be further behind! I did allow myself some "outs" this year, like not baking for the neighbors. I normally bake gingerbread for all four of my neighbors, but I just didn't have time, even though I really wanted to...and it's "ok" that I didn't. Nothing is good when you resent doing it!
Unfortunately, as prepared as I was from mid November, shopping online and getting most of my gifts done, all the other stuff that goes along WITH Christmas (decorating, putting up a tree, wrapping, finishing shopping, buying and baking good food, putting together a Christmas menu, etc...) was all thrown overboard by a gravely ill dog in the hospital for a week, a broken washing machine (still broken, no cash to fix it because of gift buying), a broken car (took MAJOR positioning over the washer because it's our only car) and the death of cat took the wind out of my sails both emotionally and financially and I didn't get into the spirit until about 4 days before Christmas and then it was all a blur!
This year, I do plan on "trying" make more handmade things--like knitted hats and scarves. This winter, my goal is to knit and make some natural ornaments for my mil from things I forage outside. Lots of goals, we shall see!!!!
"Hey, I've got nothing to do today but smile..."
The Only Living Boy in New York, Paul Simon |
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2011 : 4:42:40 PM
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Karen:
I think I'll copy your list and clip it to my 2012 calendar on the month of October. Maybe next Christmas I'll be more organized. Thanks for sharing.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
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coaloha
True Blue Farmgirl
502 Posts
Pam
USA
502 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2011 : 6:48:31 PM
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HI Karen (waves to you, my dear Pen Pal!) I really like your idea of a gift a month. That would make gift buying less stressful and allow more time to enjoy the process. I know what you mean about wanting more time to just enjoy people during the celebration. It seems that the time passes so quickly and I'd love to connect with so many people. I don't know what that answer is to making this work and it may be different for each of us. Sometimes I wish that I could just hit the pause button so that I could enjoy being with people a bit longer before the moment passes.
Pam Barnes-Palty
Phoenix, AZ
Farmgirl #1075
Happy member of the Southwest Henhouse
Be distracted by joy |
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trailfit
Farmgirl at Heart
1 Posts
Nancy
Manheim
Pa
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - May 16 2012 : 04:49:30 AM
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I too like to get ready for Christmas early. This year all presents in the family are required to be made in the USA!  I like to sew and this fits well. I start in March to get things made and quilted by Christmas. Less stress and more family time through the holidays.
Happy Trails to you! |
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rough start farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3331 Posts
marianne
The Beautiful Pacific NW
Washington State
USA
3331 Posts |
Posted - May 25 2012 : 9:25:16 PM
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This is just the right time for all of us to give this some thought. It is time to get moving on all our gift buying! And if you actually do it...my hat's off to you! I'll probably never change.
Marianne |
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rphelps4
True Blue Farmgirl
620 Posts
roxanna
westport
indiana
USA
620 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2012 : 06:57:53 AM
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| I would like to make everyone's presents this year, or part of it anyway, it makes me sad to think about people going in debt for Christmas presents, I think sometimes we forget the true meaning of the day. |
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MrsTracy
True Blue Farmgirl
145 Posts
Tracy
Beaufort
South Carolina
USA
145 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2012 : 2:38:08 PM
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I have been pondering what to do for Christmas this year and came up with a few ideas. My daughter and son in law take a lot of pictures on their camera phone so they don't have anything printed out. I am going to gift them with a CD-Rom of all three boys (one for each boy). Then I'm going to print out a few special ones and frame them and the ones on CD will be set to music. I might even gift them with a digital frame. I'm also going to do one for my mother.
For the grandsons I will be buying them one of those learning computer interactive games. Reader Rabbit, etc. For our son i think it will be something simple like gift cards to his favorite stores. He's 17 next month and has pretty much everything a boy could want except a car and THAT AINT HAPPENIN'! LOL!! For the hubby I'm thinking making him a few vests for church. He loves to wear them and I really want to make one for him but I suck at sewing. Maybe I can find someone who will help me.
So, I've got my ideas now I just need to get to crackin'!
Aspiring Titus II and Proverbs 31 Lady. |
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Holidays: Things I'll do NEXT Christmas......... |
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Things I'll do NEXT Christmas.........
) I don't have the time, then I am scrambling in the fall to get them finished.