Holiday

[Spurt]

---

@jerseyjeepster wrote:

The walk-in stores don't necessarily need to display Christmas items in September, which is when most stores show Christmas products. I can understand internet and TV shopping venues starting early. They have to allow time for shipping. 

I'll tell you what network is ruining Christmas - the Hallmark Channel. They show Christmas movies all year 'round, now, usually on Thursday nights. They used to start showing their awful Christmas movies every night after Thanksgiving. A few years ago, they started showing their nightly Christmas movies on Halloween night! Now they start a few days before Halloween.

Their Christmas movies are awful. They all have the same plot: a stranger, or old flame, comes to town and winds up being the soulmate of a local engaged man or woman. Of course, the local man or woman tosses the fiancee for the old flame or starnger. 

Stop destroying Christmas, Hallmark!

---

@jerseyjeepster 

ITA those Hallmark Christmas movies are pretty lame with their repetitive plots...LOL 

But regarding your other point about local stores not having to put their stuff out early....retail has changed and now many local stores carry very little stock on hand so many items now have to be ordered online and shipped to the store for pickup....so again folks might be caught up in shipping time delays as the season and orders start to pile up..... (when I do shop locally I am a bit tired of being told we dont carry it in store, you have to order it online--everything from clothing sizes to pet products.....) 

[Spurt]

---

@gidgetgh wrote:

I'm not big into Christmas decorations anymore, but Christmas is less than 3 months away.  It's really not too early to be thinking about any additions you want to make to your decorations, craft projects you want to undertake, etc.

In terms of shopping, I already have several people on my list completed.  For my out of town friends (3), I have their gifts wrapped and already in their shipping boxes.  I'll mail them the week before Thanksgiving.

My husband and I spend more time at home than the average bear because of heatlh issues he has and a neck/upper back issue that plagued me all summer so I had nothing but time on my hands.  I did a bunch of online shopping and wrapped some of my gifts, concentrating first on the out of towners.  Now that the out of town things are ready to go, I'm going to start wrapping my local gifts next week.

Go ahead and make fun of me.  I try to take advantage of the spare time I have.

---

@gidgetgh 

To me you show great organization and planning skills....And once you get the Christmas "chores" out of the way....then you can really enjoy the season instead of all the stress, anxiety, and franctic and hectic pace which occurs if you had waited until the day after Thanksgiving to get everything all done....its just too much.....decorating, gift shopping, cooking, and getting together with local family/friends etc....YOU DONE GOOD! 

[Spurt]

---

@aroc3435 wrote:

@gidgetgh You'll not be mocked by me.  I like to take advantage of enforced free time and like to have my Christmas preparations completed at least by early November.  Don't like last minute panic and dashing around as the weather/travel situation deteriorates.

It leaves November and December free to enjoy events like holiday concerts and bazaars, weather and health permitting.  It also enables me to concentrate on on my holiday pantry items update and doing some of my baking, menu planning, etc.

For me, budgeting my time and purchases creates less stress ahead of any big event and is the best path for me.  Some people perform better under pressure, but that is so not me.

---

@aroc3435 

Well said! 

[Group 5 minus 1]

Speaking of the holidays I saw some lovely ornamnets at The Dollar Tree. They were large stars,etc w/pearls. They also had the old timey men's hats. If we had a larger tree I would get a bunch of them and do a tree.

And I agree about those cheesy movies on Hallmark Channels.

[gidgetgh]

---

@aroc3435 wrote:

@gidgetgh You'll not be mocked by me.  I like to take advantage of enforced free time and like to have my Christmas preparations completed at least by early November.  Don't like last minute panic and dashing around as the weather/travel situation deteriorates.

It leaves November and December free to enjoy events like holiday concerts and bazaars, weather and health permitting.  It also enables me to concentrate on on my holiday pantry items update and doing some of my baking, menu planning, etc.

For me, budgeting my time and purchases creates less stress ahead of any big event and is the best path for me.  Some people perform better under pressure, but that is so not me.

---

@aroc3435 - yeah, but you know how it goes here. If you shop too early people reply that they don’t shop early because they don’t want to buy “random junk”, that they wait for lists from people.  Well, I don’t give junky gifts and for my friends and sister, I don’t shop from a list. 

[aroc3435]

@gidgetgh   I'm not 100% right, but if I'm buying a gift for someone I usually have a good idea of what they like or might need.  I do find it easier to shop for women than men though.

And one person's "junk" or "trash" is "treasure" for another.  So comments like that here I just let slide on by me.

Some folks resent practical presents and others appreciate them.  I just enjoy giving and receiving gifts, period.  And sometimes I give a gift not linked to a special occasion but rather a "just because I'm thinking of you"

reason.

Enjoy a carefree autumn and the looming holidays.

[onliner]

---

@jerseyjeepster wrote:

The walk-in stores don't necessarily need to display Christmas items in September, which is when most stores show Christmas products. I can understand internet and TV shopping venues starting early. They have to allow time for shipping. 

I'll tell you what network is ruining Christmas - the Hallmark Channel. They show Christmas movies all year 'round, now, usually on Thursday nights. They used to start showing their awful Christmas movies every night after Thanksgiving. A few years ago, they started showing their nightly Christmas movies on Halloween night! Now they start a few days before Halloween.

Their Christmas movies are awful. They all have the same plot: a stranger, or old flame, comes to town and winds up being the soulmate of a local engaged man or woman. Of course, the local man or woman tosses the fiancee for the old flame or starnger. 

Stop destroying Christmas, Hallmark!

---

I guess it is a matter of preference.  I hppen to like the Christmas movies on Hallmark.  I can't think how they are destroying Christmas.

[Shine07]

Haha.. Same here. These days my inbox is always filled with these deals and stuff. Sometimes I think if  this is real. Are we really going to save money or it's just a psyche trap?

[Reever]

---

@Group 5 minus 1 wrote:

Speaking of the holidays I saw some lovely ornamnets at The Dollar Tree. They were large stars,etc w/pearls. They also had the old timey men's hats. If we had a larger tree I would get a bunch of them and do a tree.

And I agree about those cheesy movies on Hallmark Channels.

---

Im also shopping the Dollar Store and Big Lots more and more.  Sadly many of us on a fixed income simply cannot afford QVCs pricing.  No coupons, no incentives to shop QVC. Yes, we keep it on as background noise but many of the old timers simply are priced out.

[Spurt]

We used to spend LOTS on gifts....but so many changes within our circle of family/friends and perspective of the Christmas season also changed.....Some folks passed away, kids grew up, and now its just a few cousins and friends left to celebrate together.....Gift giving is now down to a just a few people and we put a max limit on gifts (normally $25...one year we did a challenge and made it $10, some prefer a donation to a charity)....We now focus  on the "reason for the season" and all the fun Christmas Events around the area.....It's more enjoyable and affordable for everyone that way....