rennea
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JAE said:I put up greenery with lights on the mantel and above the cupboards. It took probably twice as long because once I put the greenery above the cupboards I realized how disgustingly dusty it was up there, so I had to take it down and vacuum the dust away. All clean, now. A couple presents came from UPS today, too. I'll wrap them soon. I think I'll wait until pay day to by my kids' gifts, so I can pay with cash.
raebates said:That's exactly why I decorate. It forces me to clean. LOL!
raebates said:My wrapping is now done. All of the bags for my little ones at church are filled. (They'll go to my counterpart this Sunday so she can add what she's giving them.) The gifts for our fellow children's ministry workers are done. We've done the same thing for the last few years. Each household gets a bag of microwave popcorn and two envelopes of cocoa mix. The following is attached:
This world can be a cold and difficult place, yet you warm the hearts of children with God's love and compassion--just as cocoa takes the chill away on a cold day. You show children the richness of God's Word, and it tastes sweet and good to their souls.
The fragrance of Christ you carry with you is as enticing and unmistakable as freshly popped popcorn. And like these tiny corn kernels, you plant seeds of truth--seeds that'll one day explode into righteous living and overflow with the glory of God.
Thanks for all you do to touch kids' lives.
raebates said:Those are great, Jean! I'm going to put the pix in my file for next year.
I like to do cash, too, JAE. I collect change throughout the year, mostly paying with full bills to maximize my change. I then cash in my coins for Christmas cash. I usually have enough to do my heavy-duty Christmas shopping. I love having no Christmas bills to pay in January.
Jean DeVries said:Thanks! I just went and bought 9 four-packs of Frapp tonight. (They're only $4.98 at WalMart.) I think the woman at the check out thought I was some sort of freaked out Frapp addict.
Can't wait to work on them!
(Although I have no idea who's going to drink 36 bottles of Frapp for me....)
Teresa Lynn said:Ann,
where did you find a store that would allow a coupon on the cricut machine?
DD has had one since it came out and it seems in the last week I've seen about 15 new cartridges. Finally found a tinkerbell one and she saw DH get in line so we just gave it to her.
Last week I bought a bundle clearanced at Joanns it had an alphabet, the beauty/beast Disney one and a Christmas one I think i paid $85 which is the usual price of 1 the box said it was exclusive to Joanns funny thing never saw it before it was clearanced.
wadesgirl said:I just ordered two more gifts online. My niece wanted some new bedding so I combined a Christmas and bday present for her. I also got a griddle for my sister. My family is almost done now, just my baby brother to shop for. Now DH's family is a different issue! I've been asking them for lists since before Thanksgiving. I told them last night that I would email out a reminder. I'm going shopping with my sister on Thursday (yah, half day of work) and I would really like to get everything done. Not ONE person responded to my email today... maybe they just won't get presents.
And I found out that my cousins got into a fight over what to do at my grandma's this year. As all of us cousins have been getting older, we started doing secret santas. For some reason their family claimed this as their duty even though they don't like to give us the lists! This year two of the cousins were fighting over if we should continue to do secret santas or do a white elephant! Seriously, that's not the Christmas spirit and if it's that big of a deal, we don't have to do presents at all!
raebates said:A couple of years ago The Furry Guy's family had a big blowup about gifts among the siblings. We mostly stayed out of the fray, but it wasn't a fun year. I hope your cousins are able to approach their differences with a more mature attitude than the siblings did.
ChefBeckyD said:ACCKKK!
I just found out late last night that my brother and his wife and kids (who were coming for this weekend) are now going to be staying longer! Not at my house the whole time, but DB asked if they could spend Christmas Day with us!
Of course they can, I am not in the least upset, I'm excited to spend the time with them - but now, all of my plans for food, etc.....need to be rearranged! It was just going to be the 3 of us, and my Mom, and now I need to add 2 more adults and 3 more small children to the mix!
FUN FUN FUN!
TeresaG said:My presents are all bought and now I need to wrap them all. I hate wrapping presents but must do it at the weekend.
My husband and I are spending Christmas day with his parents. I am taking a dessert so need to have a think about what to make for that and then get on and make it. Other than that she is doing the food. We are then going to my parents on boxing day so I don't have to worry too much about food.
We haven't put our decorations up yet so will do that one evening this week and then I need to wrap all the presents.
wadesgirl said:I love wrapping presents, you just fly over here and I'll do it all for you. I've seriously thought about making extra money at the holidays offering to wrap presents for people.
I just picked out all my desserts to make for the 4 Christmases I have to bring stuff to. It's going to be a fun shopping list but I wanted to try so many things out of the Holiday Cookbook. This weekend I'm bringing Bourbon Spice Cake and Veggie Tray. Next time it's Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Cake. Followed by Peppermint Meringue Wreath Cookies and Creme De Menth Cheesecake. And the final one is Marshmallow Treat Ornaments and Peanut Butter Cup Torte.
ChefBeckyD said:I love to wrap too. When I was growing up, my Mom and my Grandma used to pay me to wrap everyone's presents. The joke of the family has always been that I even wrapped my own presents! I did! They would put them in boxes, tape them shut, and then I would wrap them!
If I was going to 4 different celebrations though, I would be making the same thing for all of them! I'm all about keeping it simple!
HA! Actually, I am making the Peanut Butter Cup Trifle for 3 different get-togethers this Holiday!:chef:
It's completely up to personal preference, but many people start decorating for Christmas after Thanksgiving. Some may start even earlier, while others wait until closer to Christmas Day.
One way to make your Christmas decorations stand out is by incorporating DIY elements or personal touches. You can also try using non-traditional decorations, like adding a pop of color or incorporating unique textures.
Consider using items you already have in your home, like wrapping paper or ribbons, to create festive decorations. You can also shop for sales or clearance items and look for DIY ideas online.
No, a Christmas tree is not necessary for holiday decorations. You can create a festive atmosphere with other decorations like wreaths, garlands, or candles.
There are many ways to make your home smell like Christmas, such as using scented candles or essential oils, baking holiday treats, or simmering fragrant ingredients like cinnamon, cloves, and orange peels on the stove.