Kitchen

[coffee drinker]

Why do the holidays stress so many of us out!!! We just get over Thanksgiving and then it's Christmas. How do you cope with all the cooking, cleaning, company???

[pattypeep]

I would give anything to have all of that stress back. Christmas and Thanksgiving was usually at our house, packed with noise and lots of kids. Now both of my parents are passed, along with two younger brothers, and all three kids live out of state. My dh's parents are both gone. It's quiet and I miss the bustle of the holidays. Be grateful.

[HonnyBrown]

Coffee, I know first hand what you are saying!

I was so far into my head this past weekend, I thought Thanksgiving was next week.

I'm trying to destress by doing a lot of planning.

[piperbay]

Planning and preparing as much as you can ahead of time helps...

[AuntG]

Plan ahead and keep it easy. Actually the bad weather that is common during the winter season is what stresses me out.

[HonnyBrown]

I'm also taking a few shortcuts this Thanksgiving

Instead of making the cornbread-bacon dressing, I'm making Stove Top with sausage. They're going to drown it in gravy anyway.

I'm buying pies.

DH will do all of the cleaning.

[willdob3]

No company, no decorating, very few gifts to buy, I just enjoy the holidays & remember the reasons we celebrate....

[Giordan]

I hate every minute of it, ever since I can remember.

My Mom hated it, that's where it came from. Always a miserable time.

[PamelaSue72]

I truly love it all, everything about it. The shopping, the dinner, the baking and the cooking, all the decorating, driving around to see Christmas lights in other areas. DH taking his mom to church on Christmas Eve.

I plan, plan, plan. We don't stress over much for the holidays. We just do what we can and then let it go. I've got my list for cookies and candies that we're making for the holidays. I've made my lists for gifts and am working on the menu for Christmas dinner now (and I know it's not even Thanksgiving, but Thanksgiving is already under control). I love making the dinner, I love baking the pies. I just love it all!

DH was in the basement over the weekend, checking out the trees; we have three trees: one for the kitchen, one for the living room, and one for our bedroom. He was inspecting the strings of lights that he'll use to decorate outside.

We'll be out shopping on Black Friday, bright and early (I don't think we're going out Thanksgiving night, but we'll see. I think football may win out over shopping and that's OK, too). We're almost finished with our shopping, except for a few things for the grandchildren that we haven't purchased yet. And for each other, although I'm pretty much done shopping for DH, too. Still have to get a few things for the cats; they need some new toys.

I cannot imagine hating Christmas. I start to get excited for the holidays around the middle of October.....I hope I never get too old to not care or to hate it all. It's still a very magical time for our grandchildren and we do what we can to keep it that way.

I don't like the bad weather, though, either. Ice and snow and all the cold. You can keep all that.

[RainyDayGal]

I really enjoy it all. Go to hubby's sisters house for Thanksgiving and they come to ours for Christmas. The only thing I don't like about it all is when I'm ready for them to go home they're still there. LOL

It also helps that we are all very casual. No dressing up, no fancy table settings or any of that. I can't wait to start decorating for Christmas!