“Sure, it’s all under control” or “Omigod it can’t be November already”? Or somewhere in between?
Things are fairly under control at Casaflodnak. Thanksgiving is planned out, though I haven’t done any food shopping yet. I was careful to put things away in an orderly fashion last year, so for once I know exactly where all the Advent and Christmas things are. Some of the Christmas shopping is done, not all, but I have some ideas for at least some of the other presents. I’ve got a schedule for cleaning the house and baking the cookies.
How are the other Dopers doing with the late fall and winter holidays they will be celebrating? (Warning: if, in this thread, you confess to having all your Christmas presents wrapped and ready, I cannot be responsible for your safety. :D)
I have it all under control. I have been working out the past few weeks, so my gut is in order. I have plenty of gas in the car. So pretty much all that is left for me is to put my clothes on, and show up at my mother’s.
Plato? Aristotle? Socrates? Morons!
~And that’s the reason that I’m asking…And that’s the reason that I want to know… -Better Than Ezra
I’ve bought a few gifts. Thanksgiving weekend will be when I throw most of it together. I’ll decorate, shop, and generally get the season started officially.
Hmmmmm. The Better Half thanks you for starting this thread, because now I have an outlet to ramble about holiday plans, instead of nagging him about them.
This year, I tried to be especially conscious of picking up gifts when I saw things I liked, because I do usually get caught in the December rush. So I have a little jump start, but not as much as I had hoped. I have become a certified Internet shopping junkie, so this also eases the holiday shopping trauma.
We scaled back for Halloween this year – we usually go all out, but this fall I was just too swamped with Sept. 11 related job hassles, so it seemed prudent to put Halloween on the back burner to save my own sanity. I think this also put me in a better position for Christmas.
Like Flodnak, I also seem to have been better organized about the packing up from last year. A big help.
This summer, I came up with a hilarious idea for our Christmas letter (yes, I know it’s corny) and was very excited about this. However, because we are New Yorkers, I’m thinking of revising this to be more of a tribute to the holiday season in the City, because when I talk to my friends and family, they are always asking about Sept. 11th related issues anyway. Perhaps the Christmas letter should be more about the many wonderful things we do see in the city, and have a more solemn tone. I don’t know. If I change my Christmas letter, have the terrorists won? Anyway, I have my Christmas letter paper, and the holiday cards. I had jury duty in October, and I addressed a good number of the envelopes while I was waiting around to be called or dismissed.
Big item still on the table – do we go see my family, or do we stay home? We go to my in-laws for Thanksgiving. This year, because of Christmas falling on a Tuesday, travel is going to be more annoying than usual.
Bumping this one up a bit… we’re having Thanksgiving in a week (Saturday, since it’s not a holiday here), and I can’t find a lousy can of pumpkin anywhere
Beyond that, things are going well. As I write this I’m cleaning out the kitchen. Tomorrow I’ll clean the bathroom, and then since I cleaned the living and dining room last week, pretty much all the “public” areas of the house will be ready for Thanksgiving. So that’s under control.
Heh. Nothing done, but I’m visiting the folks for the holidays (they live nearby) so I don’t have to worry about cooking & baking. A good thing, because the last time I tried to cook the EPA came after me.
Decorating? None at my place. There is nothing more depressing than the bachelor’s three foot Christmas tree…
Have to work on Thanksgiving for the first time in my life so no plans or preparations are being made unless my husband is doing them. Doesn’t look too good for Christmas either.
HAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!
:::wiping tears of laughter from eyes:::
Sorry about that. I’m just one of the world’s worst planners. I’ve given up. I shop when I can, wrap when I can, and hope everything is done before the kids wake up Christmas morning.
Oh yay, someone else cares about Christmas already.
Well, I have the Christmas cards and supplies to make more… though the lists of who gets them aren’t made up yet. I have my present list and bague ideas of gifts for everyone, even have a few bought. Wrapping paper? Check! Ribbon? Check! Uhh… I think that’s about it, I can wrap gifts, and the decorating is rather spur of the moment anyway.
Slight problem though… Where am I going to get the kind of money that I need before Christmas?
You’re 'sposed to prepare for the Holidays? Well crap.
Actually, that’s one nice thing about being single. I don’t have to decorate (I used to but stopped doing it because it was just for me.) I buy all my gifts on line and usually the dinner of which ever holiday is held at my parents house. Since I am self-employed I don’t have to worry about being cheerful and holiday like at the office and no office party to make an ass out myself at. < snort >
This Thanksgiving though, we are heading up to the mountains to my brother’s vacation home. I am bringing the candles and the veggie tray.
My veggie tray will be: grape tomatoes, green onion with the green part all frilly, broccoli, red pepper, yellow pepper, olives with an herbed yogurt dip. If I find any cool veggies I might add that.
nothing not a jot but then i never do anything at this time of year and most of the time have had to work on the days surrounding the festive events , so nothing to be done so thats 100% done .
Weekend after Thanksgiving, and here’s where I am now:
Much sewing to be done, but most of the fabric is bought and washed, and the patterns are traced and cut out.
Slightly over half the presents are bought (not counting stocking presents for the little flodnaks), and all of those that have to be mailed have been wrapped and mailed off.
Most of the envelopes for the Christmas cards are addressed, but I still have three 404s to deal with. The cards are bought and I’m planning to write two or three each evening while watching TV.
Family gatherings are all straightened out. MIL and FIL are coming to our house for Christmas Eve.
I’m a little bit behind schedule on the cleaning, but not disastrously so.
The Advent calendars are about half-finished. Erm, six days left, you say? :eek: I bought a pack each of pink and purple candles last year, and put them away with the Advent wreath, so we’re okay for candles.
Forgot about the Christmas bazaar for flodjunior’s school, so I’ll have to make something suitable for that.
I’m actually amazed at how prepared I am for a change, and waiting for the other shoe to drop…
Every year, the whole family comes to my house because it is big. Everyone gets everyone else small gifts (or bigger, depending on the size of the budget).
This year they want to do a gift exchange, one name instead of buying for everyone. I had thought of doing consumable gifts or gift certificates, or hand-made gifts, minimal wrapping, to cut down on the big mess that always gets left at my house, but I had still wanted to get gifts for everyone. I am disappointed.
My brother, who is a year older and has no family of his own, always gives the nieces money. Everyone buys him sweaters, and silly toys, games or gadgets, and he really seems to look forward to opening gifts from everyone. I am afraid he will be disappoined also.
As for myself, I don’t want any more stuff. I like to give people stuff, but I don’t want any stuff in return. I have TOO MUCH STUFF.
As for other preparations, absolutely nothing. Nada. No tree up, no presents bought, no menu planned. This is somewhat typical, although I used to at least put the tree up by this time. Some people in this town put the Christmas lights up right after Halloween, and light them then too. Enough rambling.
My Christmas shopping is done sans a few stocking stuffers. Some packages are mailed and some are waiting to be mailed. Everything else wlll fall into place. We will put the tree up in the first week of December and just enjoy it. Once we figure out for sure what we are doing, and if its staying here, then we will go buy mr. turkey lurkey.
Anyway, I have my Christmas letter paper, and the holiday cards. I had jury duty in October, and I addressed a good number of the envelopes while I was waiting around to be called or dismissed.