Is everyone ready for the holidays???

Or are you like me?? Ms. procrastination. Every year I promise that I will get my shopping done in the summer. I actually just finished my shopping tonight. Literally did all my shopping on line.

My tree is up -- I put it up on Thursday -- this past Thursday. Oh and it is just the tree -- I have one - just one ornament on so far. My husband convinced me a couple of years ago to get rid of my beautiful expensive artificial tree that I used for a couple of years. It was given to me by a good friend. She is now in her 70s and told me it was too difficult for her put up. And holy cr*p she was right. She laughed at me after I told her it was a beast. She asked me what part of "It is difficult to put up did I not understand?" But it was gorgeous!!!!! I gave it to the local SPCA thrift store about 2 years ago.

Back to my current pos Walmart pre-lit tree. It is on it's 3rd Christmas. Last year I tried vigorously to try to find the one light burnt out on 2 different strands. After hours of changing out bulbs and bleeding fingers I gave up and added lights -- Kind of defeats the purpose of the frickin pre-lit tree. Oh well, The tree is up. I have been working mega overtime the last 8 weeks -- for Christmas, taxes, and a January Vegas trip. Yesterday I apparently contracted a virus/head cold. Working in a hospital it is a continuous perpetual breeding ground for a host of bacteria and diseases. So now I am coughing a lung up and I think I tore either my spleen or my liver and I am convinced I have bruised my sternum. Some how I offered to work another extra shift Sunday so I will only have Monday and Tuesday to finish decorating the tree.

On the bright side for my husband. I haven't had time to put up all my Christmas cr*p. Which sets just well with Ebeneezer aka my husband. I have a small family so I do not have tons of presents to buy. I do miss putting all my Christmas china and dishes out. I have a big collection of 1950s made in Japan Christmas collectibles -- this year they will stay in the box.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

 

I adore your post. Sounds like me. (I finally went out and bought a fresh ELF TREE, it was called. Three feet high. A little wonky, leans this way, not quite even all around) Just what I was looking for and it CAME WITH A STAND. Just recently downsized and last thing I have room for is a frigging 8 foot behemoth in my much smaller living room. Merry Christmas to you!

 

Due to allergies, we have had artificial trees for years and our current one is pre lit. So when I put it up this year I had a string of burned out bulbs, I used something sold at Walmart and Lowes called "LightKeeper" miniature bulb fixer. It works by sending a high voltage charge through the string in hopes of causing a shunt in the burned out bulb and allows the current to flow to the rest of the string. It works most of the time and I used it last year to fix my outdoor light strings.

 

Here is the one ornament. Thanks hammie maybe I can find that gizmo at our Walmart.

 

Getting close. I started way late but I don't have a ton of gifts to buy. No tree this year but I need to pick up some poinsettias to finish decorating. Don't want to pull the decorations out of storage this year.

 

Also, don't forget to check the two fuses in the plug, these are about 1/4" long and have two metal ends with a glass tube in the middle. Sometimes you can see if the wire inside the tube is blown, if so, there is no juice going to the string of bulbs.

 

We have two trees this year, a Nordmann and a Noble. Outdoor lights are up -- my extended golf junket earlier this month put us back in that regard. House is decorated, presents being wrapped. Baked yesterday afternoon and evening, and again this morn, so we can take goodies to the neighbors. Menus are taking shape. Family starts rolling in on Wednesday. Good stuff. Merry Christmas, all!

 

I know this will sound crazy, but I've had my tree up since November 12th; although, I don't decorate the house until December 1st. We bought an artificial prelit tree about 6 years ago; unfortunately, the lights on the tree started blowing in blocks. It took DH and myself hours to remove the lights and a couple bottles of wine to make it through that night! Our fingers were so sore from fiddling with the branches and clips, we swore we would never get another prelit tree! Anyhow, the reason for my tree being up so early aside of Christmas being my favorite time of year is, I collect porcelain Christmas angel ornaments and want to enjoy them as much as I possibly can during the holidays.

Shopping used to be completed by December 1st when the kidlettes were young, now that they are older it seems I am barely done by Christmas. I did most of my shopping online on Black Friday and I was shocked how fast everything arrived; I am so glad Canada has hopped on the Black Friday bandwagon sure helps having great sales before Christmas. I just have a few stocking ideas to pick up, a couple of gift cards and groceries.

Most of the baking was completed last week, just have to bake the "allergy free" goodies. I'm fortunate that my mom does half the baking to help out. I've taken the torch over for her in regards to the family dinners, I'm now the official host. This year will be a bit different as I've been diagnosed with a few food allergies (wheat, dairy and eggs) so a few dishes will be modified or made twice.

Christmas Eve family and friends come over and we enjoy an appy night, when the kids were younger we stayed up until midnight and opened the gifts; but, as we all have gotten older most of us barely make it to 11pm so we now open gifts on Christmas Day. Christmas Day brings even more family and friends to enjoy a yummy Christmas meal. I love Christmas, there is nothing better than being surrounded by friends and family over the holidays.

 

You seem ready to welcome in the Holiday cheer!

I on the other hand is the complete opposite. Due to an unusual construction surge I've been working 12 and 10 hr. shifts daily. No house decorations, (my house is the only one on my street not decorated. How embarrassing). We have no tree in the house and our gifts are the green $ kind (no time to shop, LOL!).

Hopefully next year I will be able to get into the Holiday cheer. These brutal work shifts are taking a toll on me. Sometimes I don't even know what day it is, it seems they all melt together. Lot of us guys at work wonder how the month of November went in a blink of an eye and now we can't believe Christmas is just around the corner.

So yeah, certainly not ready for the Holidays this year, but on the bright side I do need a wheelbarrow to pick up my paycheck :evillaugh.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!! Good Wishes to all you degenerates and your loved ones!!!

 

I have two important grandkids in a different state so I send them a check in Nov. so they can go shopping before Black Friday. I went shopping to buy another great-grand-daughter a beautiful Christmas dress and jacket. I mailed it in Nov.

I planned a Holiday party for our condo that took place on Dec. 13th before the people where too busy to attend our party. Some of us decorate our front doors and decorate inside where our fireplace is located. I don't need a CHRISTMAS TREE because I live alone and it is just too much work for only me.

I have some neighbors that I like to hang out with and we have already given each other our Christmas gifts. lol. Just can't wait for Santa to show up on Dec. 25th.

 

We celebrated Christmas on December 11th as it was the only time my military son and DIL could be in our area. In order to avoid the inevitable Christmas depression - all our extended family is at least 800 miles away - my other son and I have planned an overnight Christmas trip to Harrah's Cherokee casino in North Carolina. This will be my first Christmas/casino experience. It should be interesting. Merry Christmas everyone. [emoji3]

 

I only put up one small tree this year, in the dining room to keep our pup Jaxon out of harm's way. I do miss the big trees so hopefully next year the little guy won't be such am imp.

 

Martha Stewart Alert!!!!! lol

Looks great, Breanna. Merry Christmas from us to all our Canuckistani friends!!!!

 

My plans are still in flux. I'm trying to unload a few shifts, not sure if I'll be able to. My brother is within about a 7 hour drive from me, I'd like to try to visit him. I don't think it's going to happen. My husband is working around Xmas Day and on call Xmas day. I'm working for 5 hours Xmas evening, they cater Xmas dinner to us from the Delta hotel. Not a bad spread I hear. There's plenty of good food in the house if it ends up I'm staying. We'll see how it shakes out.

 

Canuckistani....lol. I may start using that one. Merry Christmas to you and yours Ken!

 

It's yours, go ahead, no charge.

Aren't you two due for some Santa Barbara County golf and wine in the New Year. Plenty of room at Casa Our Place! (Just ask the Red Deer contingent.)

 

Hubby has two contracts on the go right now. We head to Aruba in January and unless he takes on a second contract again in the New Year, it is looking like he'll have more free time so ya never know Ken.

 

It's all about saving money during Christmas. I save my money on Poinsettias by keeping them year after year. They lose their leaves, but they still have the red foil wrapping around the plastic vase. If you delay Christmas a few days, you can get free trees on the side of the curb right after Christmas. I set out the same fruitcake year after year and display it on my cake platter. Well, it's off to the 99 Cent Store to do some Christmas shopping. I have a coupon from there; buy three items, get the fourth free.

In all seriousness I do spend several hundred dollars in toys and donate to Toys for Tots.

Merry Christmas, Happy belated Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Festivus for the rest of us, and a 2016 filled with many Royal Flushes, 3-to-2 Blackjacks, and hour-long craps rolls!

 

I actually put the lights on the tree this morning. Did the grocery shopping. This was after working a 12 hour night shift. Getting ready to catch a few zzs and get up and tackle the frickin tree. I'l take a photo when it is done. Wont be near as pretty as Breanna's. Im eclectic and collect different kinds of ornaments. Mainly Old World and Radko.

Just got a text from my hospital asking me to work tonight. They have already had several call ins--- The answer was--NO. After all the overtime I have done the last few weeks my house looks like a bunch of vegas degens have been partying for a week straight with no maid service.