Re: Christmas in July Thoughts

1Snickers · ‎03-19-2016

With so many advanced orders I'm not ordering much, especially gifts. If items must be returned new won't arrive before Christmas.
I'm shopping stores early.

Last year my son gave the family tickets to Willie Wonka. He gives an experience. It was postponed, never rescheduled and no refund due to the pandemic. Plus one granddaughter and her family moved out of state. So beware!

On It · ‎03-15-2021

@lynnie61 wrote:
@On ItWe buy way less than we used to, and no small kids left to buy for but what I will get will be early. You are right who knows where we be this fall again. We are enjoying more family things, a weekend, a nice dinner out, a day trip than MORE stuff that any of us need. Fun to watch though.

I think your ideas are excellent. The point is that perhaps all of these need to be scheduled now rather than waiting. If the hiolidays are not impacted, do it all again and have twice the fun and memories.

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

@FancyPhillyshopper My friend has not passed. She is in a medical care facility. I visit her twice a week as allowed.

She keeps asking me about her house and things. I have gently told her that it must be sold. I don't have the heart to tell her most of it has been thrown out and the house has been sold already.

I found the will of her late husband. He left his rifle, a ring and his Avon bottles to a grandson. ( not her grandson) I found the Avon bottles in an old chest. I called the grandson and he said to throw them out. He asked why I was calling about them when he already asked his grandfather's wife to throw them out years ago.

Her deceased husband has four other grandsons who were left nothing. I am going to see if they want any part of this Avon collection.

If people want to shop, that is okay for them. I won't be joining them. My mother used to say that we spend the first part of our life buying things and the last part trying to get rid of it.

I understand what she meant by that now.

mousiegirl · ‎03-09-2010

@1Snickers wrote:
With so many advanced orders I'm not ordering much, especially gifts. If items must be returned new won't arrive before Christmas.
I'm shopping stores early.
Last year my son gave the family tickets to Willie Wonka. He gives an experience. It was postponed, never rescheduled and no refund due to the pandemic. Plus one granddaughter and her family moved out of state. So beware!

@1Snickers I ordered bagels yesterday on waitlist and then saw the delivery date was late November, so cancelled. Then, someone cancelled their order because immediate shipping came up so bought.

There will have to be some extraordinary picks and the like in order for me to buy anything other than food gifts, as I could open a large store with what I have. If DD had a larger place, she would happily relieve me of many items.

Roscoe the Rascal · ‎04-19-2016

@Carmie wrote:
I am not watching and vow to never buy anymore Christmas decor...ever.

I have spent six weeks cleaning out an elderly friends home who is in a nursing center. She had thousands of dollars worth of holiday collectibles and decor. Some items were over $200 for each piece and she had hundreds and hundreds of items.

I found many unused items still in boxes with the receipts in the box.

It has been very, very difficult to get rid of these items. Charities won't take them. Some were sold at a yard sale and some on Facebook marketplace,but very little in relation to what she amassed.

I ended up throwing most of the items away. Her house sold and everything needed to be gone..ASAP. Yep, I feel guilty.

I am going to go through my stuff and I will get rid of most of my holiday decor and only keep the pieces I really love. I wouldn't want my children to have to try to get rid of this stuff some day.

It is easy to get hyped up over beautiful decorative things...we all love to make the holidays special, but really, all this overpriced stuff does not make a holiday special.

Christmas in July? No way. Christmas is in December as it always is. I have enough Christmas stuff to last me a lifetime plus some.

Shop if you like, but you might keep in mind how much stuff you already have. Don't forget to get rid of stuff too. I wouldn't wish cleaning out a holiday decor junkie's home on my worst enemy.

Sorry, for my rant. This experience has me terribly unsettled. I feel better now. Thanks.

PS. I forgot to mention that it cost $740 to get a dumpster to throw out all this stuff.

My sister passed away in December and I spent the last 6 months getting rid of stuff. Not and easy task and overwhelming. She was a big collector and had so much stuff. Had to get her house in shape to sell as well. I had other siblings helping, but we all had a hard time. I am pretty good moving things out but that made me decide to do more and to stop buying stuff I do not need. My sister had stuff she never used or opened.

I say enjoy but use your head and not everyone will treasure the things that you saved forever. I enjoy some of the new things presented and enjoy new, but I plan on using what I have this year with very little new added, if any at all. Just how I am feeling right now.

traveler · ‎03-09-2010

Anyone know where to sell 40 year old Hallmark ornaments. People tell me they are collectible but never where.

sometimesQVCaddict · ‎03-09-2010

I don't see the point in those "gifts" that are buy 5 for x dollars & give to your friends, family & the mailman! Personally I know NO ONE and I mean no one who actually likes or uses those things. Politely we say thanks to the giver...than straight to Goodwill they go! It just puts money in the vendors pockets & junk thrown in the landfill or donated to Goodwill. Just hand someone $5 or $10 instead or a gift card-they'll appreciate the cash more! Heck in today's world with increased prices everywhere, most people would appreciate some cash or gift card to somewhere they frequent or a grocery store. Send in a nice card or embellish an envelope.

Unless you TRULY know that someone would REALLY like that item, just...don't! Honestly, if something is that rare & special it wouldn't be sold as multiples for a few bucks each to entice you to give it away!

Rant over for today. HA

And yes I've seen piles of stuff that was never used that no one wants...it's sad all around!

deeva · ‎03-09-2010

I don't buy any Christmas decorations. I donated a lot of my stuff before our last move. But I still have a collection of Hallmark keepsake ornaments.

I priced some of them on eBay and only the first is issue in the series have any real value. And that's only if the original box is included.
I got rid of our Christmas tree years ago and refuse to buy another one.

Marsha2003 · ‎03-12-2010

@sometimesQVCaddict wrote:
I don't see the point in those "gifts" that are buy 5 for x dollars & give to your friends, family & the mailman! Personally I know NO ONE and I mean no one who actually likes or uses those things. Politely we say thanks to the giver...than straight to Goodwill they go! It just puts money in the vendors pockets & junk thrown in the landfill or donated to Goodwill. Just hand someone $5 or $10 instead or a gift card-they'll appreciate the cash more! Heck in today's world with increased prices everywhere, most people would appreciate some cash or gift card to somewhere they frequent or a grocery store. Send in a nice card or embellish an envelope.

Unless you TRULY know that someone would REALLY like that item, just...don't! Honestly, if something is that rare & special it wouldn't be sold as multiples for a few bucks each to entice you to give it away!

Rant over for today. HA

And yes I've seen piles of stuff that was never used that no one wants...it's sad all around!

I guess my exception to that comment would be food gifts that come in multiple containers like Cheryl's cookies or Germack nuts. I think those can be split up to be used as individual gifts. I used to use the tiny Cheryl's cookie tins for cash or gift cards just to make the monetary gift a bit more special.

hellodali · ‎03-16-2010

@sometimesQVCaddict wrote:
I don't see the point in those "gifts" that are buy 5 for x dollars & give to your friends, family & the mailman! Personally I know NO ONE and I mean no one who actually likes or uses those things. Politely we say thanks to the giver...than straight to Goodwill they go! It just puts money in the vendors pockets & junk thrown in the landfill or donated to Goodwill. Just hand someone $5 or $10 instead or a gift card-they'll appreciate the cash more! Heck in today's world with increased prices everywhere, most people would appreciate some cash or gift card to somewhere they frequent or a grocery store. Send in a nice card or embellish an envelope.

Unless you TRULY know that someone would REALLY like that item, just...don't! Honestly, if something is that rare & special it wouldn't be sold as multiples for a few bucks each to entice you to give it away!

Rant over for today. HA

And yes I've seen piles of stuff that was never used that no one wants...it's sad all around!

@sometimesQVCaddict I don't consider your post a Rant at all. I consider it to be good advice.

I live in a condo and we have a manager and maintenance personnel. Throughout the year each one at one or more times will go out of his/her way to make our life a little easier. So when the holidays roll around I know they all have families and can use the cash.

I know they don't want a special ornament or a flameless candle or whatever. They never say it, but I know cash is much appreciated.

I totally agree with your thinking and advice!