How's everyone doing Christmas wise? Done, almost? Haven't started?

JustTrace

JustTrace

New member
I just did inventory while wrapping some "santa" gifts for the kids. I realized my daughter has almost double the gifts of my son. They are 8 years apart (she's 5 and he is 13) but I still like to have the same amount of gifts if I can for them. Guess I will have to go out and get a few more things for my son. LOL...thankfully I haven't spent close to my budget, so I'm good there! :)

Today I made 6 dozen cookies for a cookie exchange on Tuesday evening I have been invited to by a lady down the street. I must say, this is totally new for me. We lived in the sticks for 8 years before moving back to the city in Dec of 2013, so there wasn't many opportunities for neighbourhood parties. (our closest neighbour was three acres away! ). I'm looking forward to being with some of the neighbourhood ladies and getting to know them all a bit better. :) We are friendly at the bus stop where the kids get on and off the bus, so it was nice to be included. :)

Other than getting DS some more things, I still have DH's stocking stuffers to do. Half done now, so that's good! :) I am usually done everything in terms of gifts by end of Nov. so I'm a bit behind this year. My own baking will be done next weekend on the 14th most likely.

We have a Christmas party on the 13th at the Mason's hall and a few concerts to attend as well. It's so fun for me to be so busy again! :) LOOOOVE IT!

So how is everyone else doing???
 
I'm usually done with all my decorating, and most of my shopping and baking by now, but this year I am soooo far behind. My son had pneumonia and I was sick with a cold over Thanksgiving into the first week of December, so I just wasn't feeling much into doing anything. There are still boxes of decorations all over the house and I just keep putting it off. We still have to finish up shopping for the kids-mostly stocking stuffers and we have to pick up our layaway this weekend I believe. The kids and I did some baking and I taught them how to do plastic canvas this weekend because they wanted to make some Christmasy crafts to give to family. My scrapping and holiday motivation are struggling right now. We might get some snow tomorrow; maybe that will help get me more in the spirit.
 
Well, the tree is decorated, as is the mantle. I've not put the Christmas Village up as yet. David's gifts are bought...but that's as far as I've gotten. I will make cookies this year so the grandson can help. I still need to make 'white trash' for DH's office. This Friday, an office dinner out with clients [expensive], and Saturday, a luncheon with the water aerobics class. I think I'm making a large salad- it's pot luck.
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Left to fully purchase are stocking stuffers, a movie for Christmas Eve (from the elf), and then gift cards for the rest of the family. :D

Pay off layaway, and then we'll be fully done.

Tree is going up this weekend (like 14th), because we have a small apartment, and the spring on part of the couch broke and Josh doesn't want to move that seat, hehe. Thankfully, for my birthday 2 years ago, we got a skinny tree hehe
 
I have to get the GameStop gift cards for my teen cousins and a new coffee mug for my Dad and then I am DONE!
I did the entire decorating on Black Friday since I did all the Black Friday shopping I wanted to do on Thanksgiving! :)
I usually start for my family in August, but Christmas shopping for my kids starts in March, after their birthdays so that I can pick things up on sale through the year. (Gotta do what you gotta do when you have a tight budget like we do!) :D
 
We all sound like we are pretty close! :) I love Christmas but I do have to admit, I hate taking everything down! LOL.
 
I'm done shopping for my kiddos, but still have to buy for my niece and nephews. Almost everything is wrapped and under the tree :)
I'm going to do a scavenger hunt for each of their big presents. So I need to finish up that. I made cute clues, all Digi scrap decorated of course, and will be hiding clues on Christmas Eve :)
One of the presents under the tree is a box with the first clue, so once they open that... They will get to hunt for that gift.

I just love Christmas!! :)
 
GingerScraps said:
I'm done shopping for my kiddos, but still have to buy for my niece and nephews. Almost everything is wrapped and under the tree :)
I'm going to do a scavenger hunt for each of their big presents. So I need to finish up that. I made cute clues, all Digi scrap decorated of course, and will be hiding clues on Christmas Eve :)
One of the presents under the tree is a box with the first clue, so once they open that... They will get to hunt for that gift.

I just love Christmas!! :)
Click to expand...

Ginger that is an awesome idea! Can you give an example of a clue... ? I might want to try this. :)
 
I am super behind. Didn't think I would be able to make the family christmas event so no plans for baking... oops! Plus as usual I still have some presents to buy and make...
 
Ginger, I thought I was the only one who did stuff like that! Every year, I come up with some weird and crazy way for the kids and grandkids to receive their gifts. I've done scavenger hunts and poems with clues but last year was the most fun. I set up an Amazing Christmas Race (based on the TV show), and each family had to find a little gift for one in the family and then complete the silly challenge tucked in with the gift before receiving their next clue. Their big gifts were at the end. They had to build a 2-foot tall Christmas tree using only straws and marshmallows, play a Christmas carol on the piano with the rest of the family singing, (piano players in both families), daddies put blindfolds on (Christmas print of course) and had to catch little green bean bags in a Santa hat that the others threw to them. Let's see... They also had to put together easy Christmas puzzles with no pictures, put the lines of The Night Before Christmas in the right order, act out all 12 characters for the 12 Days of Christmas, string a popcorn garland as tall as their tallest child, make and put cotton ball Santa beards on all of the kids, mix up just enough reindeer food for each of the reindeer according to a specific recipe (trail mix that we ate later), and several things I can't remember. The only thing I forgot was the mat for them to jump on at the end. If you watch The Amazing Race, you know what I mean. My daughter-in-law ran in with my son and their kids, right before my daughter's family, shouting, "Where's the mat?!" I grabbed the little mat by the door and threw it down in front of them. The losing family had to wait on the winners for the rest of evening. Everyone got presents. Now what can I do for this year?

Oh, decorations and gifts? Not finished but well on the way with both. I need to print some of last year's Christmas pictures as I decorate with a lot of little gold frames on my staircase and need to update some pics. Here's a picture from last year. Some are really old - the two on the left are my kids as teenager and little kids, and then with their spouses, and then 3 of my 5 grandkids.
IMG_0091.jpg
 
Wow! Kathryn!!! I got tired just reading that! What fun though! Goodness.... you are just incredible with your ideas!!!!

Awesome!!!

The tree goes up on the weekend here (our family tradition was to put it up on Christmas eve, probably because they were real trees and didn't last very long), the presents are 60% bought (which is very early for me, and I only buy for hubby and the girls, no one else is around, and I do have to buy a present from my mum for the girls too, and I buy one for myself, why not!)... food will be on the light side as it's hot here over Christmas, we tend to eat lots of cut up veggies, with various dips, and cheese... and it'll have to be mostly gluten free, which means I have to check chocolate (Ferrero Rochers have wheat in them! Baci don't apparently)... and make lots of "healthy" treats, but I think we'll survive if the girls can have potato chips!!! :D

My Secret Santa gift for work is bought and under the tree there already, the first two presents went under today, mine was one of them, so it made me feel very accomplished! (and I made a card too, of course!).
 
Here is a little look at what I will be printing out, then rolling into a little scroll and wrapping some in little boxes. I used the December Monthly Mix... {insert shameless plug here... https://store.gingerscraps.net/Monthly-Mix-Holiday-Joy.html}
Christmas_Treasure_Hunt-2014-Chandler-3.jpg


Here is a complete list I made for myself, so I don't forget anything. I took most of the clues from searches off the internet... I don't have the sites saved, as I just looked around, then copied any I liked. So I can't give any proper credits to those sites. There are a few I modified, and a few I made up myself.
Feel free to use anything you would like :)

Christmas Treasure Hunt 2014
This will be inside a package under the tree

The rules are quite simple – it’s always the same.
Have some fun, some laughs, and join in the game!
Just solve the riddle that to leads to the clue...
How long will this take? Well that’s up to you!

Isabelle
-----------
#1 Inside the gift under the tree (with the above rhyme).
Santa Claus wears a bright suite made of red,
Now go look where mamma rests her head.

#2 Put Clue on my pillow/under pillow-
Warm and cozy,
Sitting in your favorite space,
The next one is hidden
by the fire_ _ _ _ _.

#3 Put clue by the fireplace-
Your Patience may be starting to lag,
Now go look where you'd find the trash bag.

#4 Clue put by the garbage bags-
One sheet, two sheets, three sheets, more...
Some use less, some use more.

#5 Put clue in TP holder in my bathroom-
Do you want to build a Snowman?
Chan and I may have done all the work, but here you will find your next perk.

#6 Put the clue by the little snowmen we built-
Rudolph is Santa's #1 flyer-
Now go look in the washer and _ _ _ _ _.

Put Gift in the Dryer!


Chandler
-----------
#1 Inside the gift under the tree (with the above rhyme)-
Santa's beard shows us he is pretty old,
Your fist clue is where we keep food cold.

#2 Put clue in the fridge or freezer-
For fast heating or cooking, I am tops.
And, oh, that good smell when my popcorn pops!

#3 Put clue in microwave-
I can take you to places you've never seen,
But first type your password in on my screen.

#4 Put clue buy computer-
I have a round knob and also a lock.
Visitors and the UPS man may give me a knock.

#5 Put clue on front door knob-
I know that you're ready to come inside,
But first check the car in which you ride.

#6 Put clue inside the car-
Did you wear your slippers, I'm sure your feet are cold!
If not you might want to hop,
Go to Grandmas sewing _ _ _ _!

Put Gift in the Shop!
 
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Kathy!! That is so cool!!!! I LOVE this idea, I might just snag it to use in the future!! :)

My parents always hid our stockings, so the "treasure hunt" ideas started there. I have always hid their stockings, but as they get older... I have gotten more and more creative about the whole process ;)

They both love it, and they are 14 and 16. Your Amazing Race idea would work for any age! I would even love that :) So so cool!!
 
You guys are so creative! My kiddos just find their presents under the tree or in front of the fireplace. I am mostly finished getting presents, but for a few bits and pieces, however, I have hardly wrapped a single thing! Maybe I should go do some wrapping now! I am planning on printing albums for parentals and have to finish that tonight or tomorrow.
I have already had 1 cookie exchange, have another this Sunday. My Mom's Club holiday party is this Friday, Zoo Holiday Present event & Family Photo Shoot this Saturday. Plus, more cookie making probably the 20th. I think there is more, but I can't think of it right now.
The big issue - haven't even started Christmas cards/letters!!
Last year, we were sick for the whole month so we didn't do anything. All of these normal events got cancelled, no baking, no parties! :( Planning on keeping everyone healthy this year.
 
Eeeek - don't even remind me....


I totally blame my back, followed by my back surgery for being so behind :p
 
WOW Ginger and Kathy! That is fantastic!!!! Great ideas there and way too much work for me! LOL...

I am traditional. Stockings are hung on the fireplace mantle and then when filled, they are laid down/propped up in front of each child's gifts from Santa. My kids each get their own Santa paper and then that's not used again for a couple years. Only Santa's paper has his likeness on it. Nothing else is wrapped with Santa paper. Kids each get about 4-6 gifts from Santa and then they are placed on the hearth of the fireplace with their stockings. DH and my stockings (which he fills mine and I fill his) are also put on each end of the love seat. All other gifts go under the tree.

We dont' put anything at ALL under the tree until Christmas Eve. That goes for extended family gifts too. Gifts for my niece and nephew and my mom and Chris' dad are wrapped and kept in the front room until we see them. FIL comes on Christmas day so his will go under the tree this year after we open our gifts. :) My mom usually spends Christmas Eve with us and stays over but this year, she is going to my brother's house for the first time in five years. (don't ask)...So I will take her gifts to her on Boxing Day when my side of the family meets.

Santa never wrapped gifts for us when we were kids. His were always unwrapped and placed under the front of the tree with a tag for each kid. In our house, Santa wraps and the elves write just the child's name and last initial on the gift, no tags. :) Saves me trying to change my handwriting lol!
 
I'm so far behind...I really need to get moving!
Kathryn & Ginger, you ladies are so creative! Your families must have so much fun.
 
Love your clues, Ginger!

I think I'm going to do another crazy Christmas idea this year. It will take a lot of boxes and paper but it's a lot of fun. You start by wrapping each person's gift in a box or bag with the person's name on it. Then you wrap that inside another box or bag that has a different name on it. Continue like this so that each gift is wrapped at least 5 or 6 times, and each time there's a different name on the outside. This is quite chaotic but fun. I did it when my own kids were little, and I remember how crazy it got as we passed the presents around to the person who's name showed up. Eventually you got to the inside and the real gift. Now that some of the grandkids can at least read their own names, it might be fun to do again. I'd better hit the stores for some cheap paper!
 
I absolutely am loving this thread! So many creative ideas! Money is super tight this year, so I'm looking for ways to make it fun. This is also the last year before my oldest goes off to college. :( It's a good thing that I have a few days off before Christmas... I'm going to have to put some of these ideas into practice!
 
Kids are TOTALLY done, unless we pick up small things for their stockings (like earbuds for my daughter, and maybe a small Hot Wheels for my son)! Last of their stuff was picked up today! :D

TREE got put up today, as well!!
Clips of it (plus the kids opening today's advent calendar goodies)



And proof positive I am the one who put up the tree :P
 
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