I haven't started Christmas shopping... who's with me?

M

mrs_jb

New member
I'm not a slacker.... I swear I'm not! Honestly, I'm so against being sucked into the consumerism of the holiday this year, that I find I'm having a hard time buying anything.

I started my list of people "to buy for" and immediately scratched that out and labeled it instead "people to give to" because that's what it's about... GIVING, not buying.

But seriously, I'm not going to be GIVING at all if I don't get my butt in gear!

Any tips on how to keep the true meaning of Christmas without losing my mind. Ideally I would love to make more of my gifts, but I'm a little late getting started on that now and I think it would just end in a stressful mess.
 
I haven't started either... nor have I started b-day shopping for our almost 3 yr old. his b-day is 12/10. oops. I'm such a good mom. :p
 
*high five!*

I always think about the making gifts thing too late and, as for shopping, I keep finding some good excuse to put it off. I'm in complete denial that December is a week away! :blink:
 
me! we always wait til the last minute. and we dont save for it, so it kind of fun trying to figure out how to afford it all. Not, lol.
 
I've sorta started. I know what I need to get, it's just a matter of doing it, LOL!

As for a way to keep the spirit alive, what about making these cinnamon gift tags that Lindy posted in the December Daily thread? You could make them with the kids, and keep the spirit of GIVING in mind, while making a little keepsake too :)
 
BrodoNY0123 said:
I've sorta started. I know what I need to get, it's just a matter of doing it, LOL!

As for a way to keep the spirit alive, what about making these cinnamon gift tags that Lindy posted in the December Daily thread? You could make them with the kids, and keep the spirit of GIVING in mind, while making a little keepsake too :)
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oooh! i'm going to do this with the kids!! they'd LOVE it! we can make ornaments and give to the grandparents for their trees. they will love getting handmade stuff from the kids. i may even have Chloe make one for her teacher.
 
Gee, I should be Christmas shopping?!? Hmmm, better get one that! ;) Actually, my girls decided they wanted loft beds for Christmas. We told them that if that is what they wanted, that was all they were getting for Christmas (to much $ otherwise) ... no toys, books, etc. They were totally o.k. with it. So, I just have to do small shopping. ;) Whew!
 
I'm actually almost done, well with the things I have to buy anyway! We are really simplifying things this year and only buying for our three kids & then I'll be making something for the grandparents & great-grandparents (like calendars or a mini album). I'm done with Kyle except for new pj's and stocking stuffers and I just have a few things left to get for the girls which I'm planning on getting Friday @ Walmart and then I just need to decide what I'm making for the grandparents and I'll be done.
 
I bought a movie yesterday for Jeff. Does that count?! *lol*

[And Ne-Yo's and Beyonce's new CDs for me. Shhhh...]
 
I'm with ya!

Our year has been nuts..and with our car wreck earlier, and all the traveling we were doing, our play savings were running bare, and I've had a hard time getting motivated to get into anything about Christmas right now.

But I did decide that a lot of my gifts were going to be digitally created and I got a good start on them this weekend. I did a calendar that will be going to all the families, and all the women are going to get giganto packs of all-occasion cards. The men? Don't know, yet LOL.

For us, the thing is be meaningful in what you give. It doesn't have to cost a lot; it doesn't have to be spectacular...it needs to be meaningful.
 
I havent started yet but only because money is so short this year. I thought it was bad last year but we had already started at this point and were pretty close to done.

As for keeping the spirit of giving alive why not go out caroling, go to festive events which are free in your area, give to a family who cant afford to do anything this christmas, donate your time to serve thanksgiving dinner at a local shelter, go spend time with elderly people who have nobody to visit them during the holidays, go to the hospital and read to children who wont be home for the holidays. There are alot of things that do not require money that will make you feel incredible. I plan on doing some of these with my daughter this year. She in the past has helped plan a party for underprivliged children with the ROTC from her highschool however this year she isnt in ROTC so that is why Im thinking it would be good to do something on our own. Im thinking that visiting some of the elderly people who do not have family to vist them might be something we could do this year and also probably go to the local salvation army shelter to serve food.
 
I'm mostly done, I have one trip to make, and I'll be done. I have a list, so it should be a short trip, I hope. Otherwise, everything I have here, is done, and wrapped. Oh, and I'm waiting on my magnets and calendars to show up, they should be here this week.
 
I'm a December 24th shopper! Not really but I usually get a late start on things. Luckily we only buy for eachother and the kids in the family so it should be easy enough. I've only got DH and my baby sister figured out though..
 
I started back in July - well only because we went to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge and went to the Christmas store there to get the ornaments for the year. And then I saw the perfect gift for my mom there and I figured I'd give it to her for Christmas (since her birthday is all the way in March). But other than that, I haven't done much except get my DH's wish list for him and the doggies.
 
We haven't done any... but it's not because we're slackers. We don't ever shop super early. We plan to start this week or next though! It won't take much time for us, we're pretty efficient.

Plus, we had to get through birthdays before thinking about Christmas.
 
Nope, haven't started. Still wondering if we'll be able to afford any of the things we want because I have no idea what all the medical bills will total up to. :blink:
 
I have all of two gifts bought. A blue ipod shuffle for my oldest dd and a Garmin GPS for the dh. Calendars are done, I just need to upload them. Other than that, I haven't done a thing and have no idea when I'm going to have time to get started either. :blink:
 
I wish I could say I was finished shopping, but we haven't started either. It's more to do with money than with not wanting to shop LOL. I'm HOPING that we will finally get started this week. Thankfully we don't have alot of ppl to buy for.
 
mrs_jb said:
I'm not a slacker.... I swear I'm not!
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Well, I am a slacker!! I haven't started shopping, and haven't even really started thinking about it other than browsing through the mailers and catalogs that come each day. Oh well! :)

I do need to start. We're going very light this year as well. And we're really trying to emphasize the real meaning of this season to our kids.

Wes started talking the other day about what he could get for Christmas. I know he's 5 and this is just the way kids think, but we had a long conversation about what we celebrate. We asked him whose bday Christmas was (he knew "Jesus"). Then we asked "so who should be getting the gifts?"; he said "Jesus", but didn't understand how we could give Him gifts. It was a long shot trying to explain this to two little ones, but we talked about living our lives for Him, etc., and just celebrating Him being born. We said that we will have some presents, but that "getting stuff" will not be what we are focused on at all.
 
I haven't started yet ... we are always doing it last minute. Well, scratch that ... this time last year we were done. But normally we don't do it til mid December. This year, we are shopping on the 20th of December!! lol
 
I'm done with the kids, but I haven't bought anything for Sean yet and he hasn't gotten anything for me yet. We just haven't had the money.

I usually get gift cards for Keira's daycare teachers, but since Cooper goes now too, I have to buy for 6 rather than 3, so I bought 6 Debbie Mumm tins at Joann's and I'm going to bake Cookies for them.

I think all that is left on my list is DH, my mom, stepdad and brothers.

We did luck out and exchanged gifts with Sean's parents when there were here last week.
 
I'm almost done (with my kids)

The boys decided they all wanted to upgrade their computers...so I taught my 19yo about "Kaboodle"...and he kaboodled all their parts they needed...then we went over it together. Friday we sat down (the 19yo and I) and moved everything from kaboodle to the shopping cart and got it ordered...it will all be delivered next week. So...I already had a few small things bought for the 3 boys...even stocking stuffers...so just a few stocking items and we're done with them. My 19yo turns 20 the week before Christmas so he is getting computer parts for birthday as well.

My best friend of 25+ years...is getting a handmade necklace...every year we go to the same lady's booth at the local craft show and buy each other a necklace from the booth...luckily the lady keeps coming up with prettier necklaces every year. lol

I have started for the rest of the family...found an AWESOME book for $13 that has things that have happened since like 1930...beautiful pictures...and stories and it comes with a 1 year subscription to Reader's Digest for that price!! It is an amazing book (listed at $30). So that is going to brother, stepdad, and a bil that I think would actually READ it. It's ordered and will be picked up first of December (so no shipping charges). Got pics taken of 2 of the boys and 8x10 prints made for mil/fil...now need to get oldest one to get his pic taken for them as well. Got a Longaberger basket for a sil. Not sure about mom or sister as of yet.

The lady I bought the book from has a website...and has a $3.95 flat rate shipping...and that is for BOOKS!...and they are on sale! She sets up booths in local schools and such and that is how I found out about her. Here is her website:
http://www.booksarefun.com/

here is where I found the book (she has it in her local stock)...so you can see it...she doesn't have it on her website. This book is current...goes all the way up to Obama accepting the democratic nomination! Pictures are excellent and stories look like they are too...I peeked at my friend's book she had bought from the lady.
http://www.rdstore.com/product_detail.cfm?pid=5170

So....... down to dh (hoping we buy a GPS to share...plus making him a calendar for his office), mom, sis...and dh can worry about his parents. ...then I have 3 nieces...4 if you count my "adopted niece" (Stacy's daughter)...and Stacy...but I'm making Stacy's present!...can't say what it is here...but if you PM me...I'll tell everyone BUT Stacy! lol ...I THINK that is all...

I hate crowds!
 
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i can't even begin to fathom doing any christmas shopping before thanksgiving.... that is nuts! hubby and i usually go out on black friday and tackle the boys gifts, then we reward ourselves with night out together it's really one of my favorite annual traditions we have!
 
All our time the last few weekends has gone toward decorating baby's room, buying baby essentials, etc. I can't get out without 1 or both kids to shop during the week, so I haven't even started Hanukkah shopping yet! That's especially bad since my due date is in the middle of it. I may run out of shopping time way before I expect to. I've made presents (calendars and things like tote bags and mouse pads decorated with DS's artwork) for most of the people on my list. I just have to shop for my kids and maybe get DH something--some years we exchange small gifts, other years we buy something jointly for the house.
 
I am with you, I have maybe two gifts bought. Not much in the way of a list of who I have to buy for or what I'm getting them!
 
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