Christmas??

dora12

So I think we haven't talked about Christmas yet.

Has anyone started shopping for presents or decorations?

dora12

I'll go first..I haven't actually bought any presents yet but I'm working on a Christmas list early this year. Last year I did a lot of last minute shopping and would like to avoid that this year.

As far as decorations I have already purchased some new ornaments for the tree but nothing else yet.

karimychel

We don't buy presents for each other. We started adopting families around the holidays instead. This year we've decided to adopt a senior and a wounded soldier.

I will be picking up a few little things to send to my nieces, but we don't shop for siblings either.

We are taking family pictures when we go home to AK for Thanksgiving and surprising my parents with them.

As far as decor, I plan to color a few new ornaments this year, but that's about it. DH could careless about Christmas and routinely fights me even putting up a tree. 

dora12

karimychel:

We don't buy presents for each other. We started adopting families around the holidays instead. This year we've decided to adopt a senior and a wounded soldier.

This is really nice of you to do. Where I live it is really popular for people to "adop an Angel." It's basically the same thing you do but for kids who's families cannot afford presents. I was thinking of doing this.

kaesha

I love it. Halloween has just finished and we're on to Christmas! I've got nothing done. I refuse to think about it for another 3 weeks. Then, I'm all over it!

My brother, Phil and I do each other's stockings each year... so that's always fun. One of the things I love doing is sending out Christmas cards. I mean, I love getting them too!

sushisamba

Not sure what we're doing this year in terms of decorations.  We decided to travel this year, and will be in Israel for Christmas (spending Christmas Eve in Bethlehem). I may put around a few decorations, but I doubt we'll do a tree.  DH and I should talk about presents too, since the holiday is a pretty big gift.  We'll probably just do something small. 

I haven't stated shopping for anybody else yet - our families usually just send a list or put together an Amazon wish list, which is a savior for us since we're not local.

2_B_A_WIFE

I was thinking of putting up my tree with the boys tonight, I usually do it November 1st but I think I'll wait till Russ comes home so he can be a part of it this year. I wanted to start shopping right away, but Russ is getting shut down for up to a month so I think it will have to be last minute shopping again this year. It's nice since we only shop for our kids though otherwise we would be flat broke. (We have 8 nieces and nefews between the 2 of us and 4 siblings.)

ring_pop

I've only started thinking about decorations, Christmas cards and stuff, but that's all I've got. I still have some leftover cardstock from my wedding invitations and I'm determined to make cards out of them. This is also the first year that I want to actually decorate so I'll start picking up stuff soon.

I don't have much of a shopping list - my family are the only people I exchange gifts with.

katsblaze

This is the first year in a few years that I am actually excited for Christmas.  Not that my boys are really old enough, but I Know that they will enjoy looking at all the lights.  I am hoping that we put up the Christmas tree Thanksgiving weekend.

I am also excited to go and buy their stockings.  Otherwise DH and I do yankee swaps with the adults in both of our families, and we only buy for the children.  So besides our own kids, we have 6 kids to buy for.  It won't be much for any of them this year since money is tight. 

Did I mention DH has his pinning (graduation) on 12/17!  Then he just has to pass his boards and find a job! Woot!

evarenee

I've just started to think about Christmas. I just learned that I only have to buy gifts for my Parents and Brother on my side of the family so that minimizes my usually long list to something that will leave me with some money in my account after Christmas. Now I have to figure out what to do for my DH. Everything he really wants is either way out of my computer knowledge or way to much money. I'm not sure what I am going to do this year.

raynes

I'm with kaesha, it's still too early.  I would like to get a jump on Christmas cards though.  Maybe we'll get a good picture this weekend and I'll copy Mandee's idea.

I have no idea how many decorations I'll put up.  I think I can get to one box of Christmas stuff in the basement, but I'm not sure.

Gifts, this year Derek and I are going to put our gift money towards the piece of art we are getting as a 1st anniversary gift to each other.  The art sale is actually this weekend!

As for everyone else, we do a funny gift exchange with my siblings and then our parents.  I think I'll bake for everyone else this year.

dora12

Ladies where do you order your Christmas cards This is the first year I'm doing them. I would like some recomendations.

rebaann

No, not yet.  I usually pick up things throughout the year, but I didn't this year.  I won't really start thinking about it for a couple of weeks.

rebaann

dora12:

Ladies where do you order your Christmas cards This is the first year I'm doing them. I would like some recomendations.

I usually buy them in the after-Christmas sale for the next year.

karimychel

Last year I made ours on Vistaprint. Year before that was Snapfish or Shutterfly.. I don't remember which.

dora12

rebaann:

dora12:

Ladies where do you order your Christmas cards This is the first year I'm doing them. I would like some recomendations.

I usually buy them in the after-Christmas sale for the next year.

I wanted some cards with our picture on them. Kind of like the ones that Mandee had posted before.