Re: ***Holiday Planning, 2016***

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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2016 ***

Postby blessedw2 » Thu Dec 29, 2016 10:25 am

I am glad it was less stressful d harmony... I think your dd thinks you enjoy making the cookies... lol... I no longer make gobs of cookies myself and I know my girls loved the tradition but my body and brain just laugh at me at the prospects of doing this again 8-)

Also re: the trip... it doesn't mean that you have to make a decision. It was less stressful this year and that was a blessing. Good for you.

d nancy. sorry you got snowed in!
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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2016 ***

Postby blessedw2 » Thu Dec 29, 2016 10:31 am

other changes:

re: money gifts for people who help us. I know how much it is each year but it always shocks me when it comes around because of lack of planning.

I am good at putting things aside for the holidays - I now have a section in my closet - I used to put things (gifts) in my Christmas decorating boxes but then would forget it. So I now have one area where I put gifts and mark them.

so: For my tips for helpers: I will start putting them by person in a white envelope in the closet clear box marked tips etc. so each month I will put a tip marked for the person away so that I don't have to come up with extra money. Also I am going to put money away for both dd's and dh's gifts monthly as well as our Christmas play so that I have the money and don't put it on a charge card.

instead of having the grand plan (because it is too much for me now - especially the cleaning) I made 3 x 5's for my card file.
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Harriet
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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2016 ***

Postby Harriet » Thu Dec 29, 2016 6:43 pm

Holiday recap:

You can't get started too early - there's no such thing. (smile)

Surprises that shouldn't have been:
*church having Eve service (at which I had to be present) even though it wasn't planned or put on any calendar, etc. :roll:
*gifts needed for children at in-laws' party even though d36 asked to end tradition (she has the most children to receive gifts, so coming from her it should have carried more weight).

Oddities, don't forget: humidifier should be thought about in advance

My gift-wrap experiment 2016 - I wrapped NO gift except a fishing rod all year. I used bags only otherwise. It wasn't as much help at Christmas as I'd hoped. It still took time to get right-sized bags, tissue, still had to have tags, strings. Carrying a lot to in-laws is just as much trouble, really, keeping them from falling over. I guess there was enough time saving that I'm glad I found out what it would be like. I'll say there was less opportunity for perfectionism to be a problem.

Next year consider dd36's co-worker's idea for lots of children's gifts: buy felt stockings at Dollar Store and fill every one the same.

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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2016 ***

Postby Nancy » Thu Dec 29, 2016 9:23 pm

Turkey is still thawing. We will have turkey sandwiches this weekend, turkey soup etc.

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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2016 ***

Postby Harmony » Sat Dec 31, 2016 2:19 pm

Other things I thought about as I reflect:

Make sure I have $ correct bills ahead of time for those I give to.

Sit down with DH at a quiet moment when I have his attention (not as easy as it sounds) and go over the church schedule. I missed Church Christmas morning because we were going to Niece's and I didn't think we could manage to do the early one. DH was ready to go but ran out of time also. Christmas eve there was 3 services and we were going to pick one and after DD got here we ran out of time even for the last one. Could have made it if we'd planned differently and explained to DH it might be our only Christmas service. It might be easier next year with the holiday not on Sunday.

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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2016 ***

Postby blessedw2 » Sun Jan 01, 2017 10:24 am

d harriet.. for the d kids over all these years (youngest is a teen now) - we used to give presents to each child but as there become many children we went to a name pull; each child pulled a name of another child which eliminated all those extra presents. We have a dollar limit which is approximate but helpful. We usually pick it in November. It works really well and eliminates guilt and expenses.

We do this for the adults as well and will eventually do it for the next generation as d mil's grandchildren start having children.

IE: dd younger picks cousin name
dd older picks cousins name
I pick from the adults
dh picks from the adults.

We all give ideas in our realm of likes

what I like is the tradition of going around by age - everyone lets one person open, so that we can see the gifts. (first we do great grandchildren group, then grandchildren open, then with d mil we (the older adults, lol, open gifts one at a time after we have dessert set out)

We also do a grab bag from d mil - we all take care of our own children but everyone co-ordinates it - we get gift cards to coffee shops or their favorite spot $10 and maybe something silly, and maybe a sweet of some sort
Last edited by blessedw2 on Sun Jan 01, 2017 10:32 am, edited 2 times in total.
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2016 ***

Postby blessedw2 » Sun Jan 01, 2017 10:28 am

d nancy. your turkey sounds great. I haven't made a turkey - ever. I want to; but it scares me.

hi harmony
Sit down with DH at a quiet moment when I have his attention (not as easy as it sounds)
this made me smile

to everyone: awesome work and awesome learning!


I also tend to going toward the perfection of the holiday but I was happy d harriet that you veered away from it - good for you. Sorry the bags didn't work as well as you had hoped but glad you had a nice holiday.

d brother got christmas presents again - perfect but not crazy. I had told him we were going to cancel christmas presents but he continued last year so I did buy him a present.
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2016 ***

Postby blessedw2 » Sun Jan 01, 2017 10:33 am

Holiday un-planning:

put away Christmas slowly each day
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Harriet
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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2016 ***

Postby Harriet » Sun Jan 01, 2017 4:55 pm

And this is a good week for it, too, blessed. Cleaning in the "entry" this week, which, at our house, means you brush almost against the tree when you walk in the front door! The only thing I'm waiting for is ds' children's opening of presents I brought back to our tree from their great-grandmother's party. (Their Daddy was too sick to go.)

I love waiting for each child to open a present, with all eyes focused on their individual importance at that moment. It really hits home, then, that we are concentrating on "the thought that counts" for each giver, too. I noticed my ds took over that supervision for me this Christmas when he and his sister's children and his little sister were opening together. He's a good one to do it - his nephews do NOT question their uncle, lol. But at the big party yesterday, it was "ready, set, go!" LOL! blessed would have been rolling her eyes with me! The "thank yous" were sparse. Oh, well, they had fun.

Reminder to self - next big family meal it's dd18's turn to say grace. We need to let each of our own kids' generation rotate through during these years when none of their kids are really old enough to look forward to doing it. The mothers think the kids want to, but the kids hadn't really thought of being in front of everyone, and the next thing you know, they're hiding! For now, older folks are the ones to ask!

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Re: *** Holiday Planning, 2016 ***

Postby Nancy » Sun Jan 01, 2017 8:42 pm

We went out met dso & his family for a nice meal at R. Lobster for bdays 2 this mo. Celebrated early for them it was fun.

I f U can cook a chicken U can cook a rurkey it is just bigger and takes longer and needs a bigger pan it's harder to lift out of the oven. U have to get ths gizzard bags out before cooking. I add 2 c. Water to it. Directions are on the rapper.


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