1. Buy a pre-lit tree and half the work is done. I had to choose decorating or adding strands of lights on the tree.
2. Buy a lot of prepared foods.
3. Gift bags! Wow! What a time and pain saver!
4. Online shopping.
5. Don't sweat the small stuff!
Me too! Pre lit tree (which we're forgoing this year), gift bags, online EVERYTHING!!!
If we didn't have the nurse here we wouldn't be having a Christmas. She put up the Christmas Tree (mom's favorite thing to look at), other decorations and wrapped the Christmas presents.
I ordered everything online:
Christmas stamps
Christmas wrapping paper - could not find mauve here so I got it online. A beautiful mauve and silver paper - with mauve leaves. It is gorgeous and matches the mauve decoratioins on the tree perfectly. Mom likes everything coordinated. We also ordered silver toulle ribbon for the bows.
Christmas cards
Christmas newsletter templace from Microsoft Word - then I added my own photos and family updates.
all the gifts were ordered from online retailers - hopefully all will make it here by Christmas - am concerned about two purchases
The only question mark will be the Holiday meal?
Leave LED lights up year round.
No tree at all! Just put the cards up. :)
The best one is to go else where for Christmas.
Wow, great topic.
1. I soo agree with Joe on the go elsewhere!
In fact, I'd rather rotate through the family and get stuck with a big job once every three years or so, but have a free pass for two years. This is our free pass year!
2. Gift bags are absolutely the only answer. I buy them in big assortments at Sam's or Costco, , much cheaper that way. OR at regular stores, after Christmas at half price.
I take home a few when we're cleaning up, even at other people's houses (family of course).
Buy tissue paper again at Sam's or Costco. I ran out this year and even at WalMart the tissue paper was 10 cents a sheet. The SAME paper was much cheaper at one of the 'club stores' I patronize.
3. Keep the gifts to a minimum, and order on line with no tax or shipping. ALWAYS check for a coupon for whatever website you are purchasing from. I've saved up to 30% just making one simple check.
4. Unless you're ENJOY holiday cooking, don't do it. Keep the food simple, and try to avoid lots of heavy fattening foods. We all eat too much and are grateful for fewer temptations.
5. I use a template for my holiday letter on my computer. I try to keep the letter simple, chatty and upbeat.
I print photos on the back. (that does use up color cartridges) I print out the envelopes using a clip art decoration on the front. So I use plain printer paper and regular envelopes. I do not buy cards at all. I start the letter in October, jotting down ideas, and work on it now and then. I know some people think they are hokey, but we have lots of elderly family and friends who really adore them.
6. Towns and shopping malls have events for families and children that are free and colorful, and don't require planning ahead. One near us had snow, cocoa, a tree lighting and a visit from Santa this past Sunday.
7. Do a 'simple' tradition like an advent calendar, or going to a Christmas eve family oriented service, it's really the idea of repeating something simple each year, for kids, than doing elaborate events.
8. Consider some very simple effort of sharing with those who have less. Make up a box of food, gently used toys, or clothes, and donate it to a charitable organization, food bank, or church/temple/religious center.
One of the agonies I've had over the years is that some members of our family go over the top, and I mean over the top, with Christmas toys and gifts for their kids. It has been hard, as we've always focused on a very few gifts and just being with family. We also just did NOT have the same income, frankly.
So we've just told the kids to 'suck it up'. And they've loved the family thing. Sometimes going ON Christmas day, arriving in time for the dinner, but NOT doing the Christmas morning thing, has worked well, too.
Most people have a great deal of stress during the holidays, frankly. Especially the person providing the feast and taking care of everyone, usually female. We don't make other people happy, really. We need to give up the perfection, Norman Rockwell picture. My two favorite holiday stories are Christmas Vacation and Home for the Holidays.
One of the things I find odd is how remote the entire Holiday thing seems to be as I get older. I guess it is just age, but part of it may be the overwhelming stress on advertising and sales and Christmas going up in stores right after Labor Day in some cases.
Hugs
Happy Happy and Merry Merry
Elaine
We have a small family and we used to get presents for everyone. As my/hubby's parents passed away we sort of just slowly started decreasing the amount of presents. Now all we do is present for the grandkids.
We have the 5 kids sit in a circle and they pile all their presents up next to them. The aunts and uncles give presents just to the kids also. The kids then take turns opening the presents. It works well and it makes the other grandkids wait and be patient to see what others get.
That cuts down on work and expense for us.
Then last year we did something for Christmas and it is now going to become a tradition. We celebrate our Christmas one week later and we ordered in pizza. Also had a salad and a few cookies. However, it was the best Christmas ever. Most relaxed everyone was and no dishes. Fun, Fun, Fun. The guys and gals were on the floor playing with the kids and it became much more a family affair with no cooking and dishes to do. IRish ;D
We keep cake mixes on hand and when a holiday or birthday rolls around we bake them in the bread machine. Chocolate, yum...always a crowd pleaser! :P
Irish, I love the pizza idea. Really everyone in my family loves pizza and it would save me a bunch of cooking!
Carolina, I save gift bags too! Why not. It makes more sense than throwing them away just to buy more. I believe in the no cost traditions as well. Our little town has a big Christmas lighting you drive through. That's much easier on the joints than some of the other things in town to do and it's beautiful every year.
Lighthouse33, your tree sounds beautiful. I love that the Christmas wrapping and bows match. I've tried that before, but somehow I always end up with multi-colors under the tree.
Quote from: stephL on December 13, 2011, 05:17:44 AM
We keep cake mixes on hand and when a holiday or birthday rolls around we bake them in the bread machine. Chocolate, yum...always a crowd pleaser! :P
Never thought of that!! Take the paddle out and just set on the bake cycle?
Carolina,
Great ideas! :D Hooray for your "free pass" year.
Things I like:
1)Online shopping. Love it!
2) Keep gifts to a minimum. Less to buy, less to wrap, less to bundle up and travel around with. ;)
3) We have a couple traditions. We must watch "The Christmas Story" together once. When our kids were little, we went to the movies on Christmas Day. Me and my husband could sit and rest and we enjoyed a new family comedy together.
4) Share with others who are in need. This year we bought presents for a child with the Angel Tree program.
Irish, I really like the pizza idea. AND the fact you celebrated one week later. Seems like sometimes we feel we must do it all in a day or two, and I don't really know why. We can celebrate whenever we want, however we want to do it! ;)