What are you doing to get ready for the holidays?

[QueenofAllThings]

Hurricane Sandy has really thrown off my timing ....

Just ordered the photo Christmas cards. Will start work on the cookies soon!

[Lady Snowdon]

We've just signed up for what to bring on Thanksgiving Day to the IL's, so that's finally settled (38 people this year to make cranberries for...should be interesting!).  Pretty happy about only doing one Thanksgiving this year; in previous years we've tried to go to up to three, and it hasn't worked well.

I have a list of Christmas presents for people put together.  I'm going to a sample sale this weekend, so hopefully I'll do some damage to the list and get some awesome sales.  I have about half the stuff on my list purchased already, so that's nice. 

We have our new wall sconces installed, but still need to paint the living room before Christmas.  That should be fun, right?   

Holiday cards have arrived and look gorgeous.  Need to sort through my list of addresses and decide who to send cards to this year.  One old friend of mine still isn't talking to me, so I don't know if I'm going to send her a card or not. 

I, too, sound more organized than I feel.  That gives me hope! 

[afbluebelle]

Pulling my hair out and beating my head against the wall. I'm usually done with Christmas stuff by September... thanks to Korea, I've barely started.

Stressed out? Me? Not at all :twitches:

[AngelicGamer]

This thread made me remember a hint (I think it was a hint) that my uncle loves a certain author.  There's a book of his out of print that I don't think my Uncle has.  So there's an email sent off to my aunt.  I really hope he doesn't have it.  He's insanely hard to buy for.

[Hmmmmm]

Right now, I'm busy planning.

Planning what my office potluck offering will be
Finalizing TDay menu
Starting list of Xmas gifts
Organizing the extended family gift exchage (we do a secret santa)
Planning for our annual tamale making day... checking schedules for which Sat works best, finding out who is coming, planning what my non-traditional filling will be

I don't actually start doing any Xmas stuff until after Tday.

[joraemi]

Well, I decided I should start planning my Tday menu!  I bought a fresh turkey yesterday.  I dont' know why, but the season has totaly gotten away from me.  I have just  few gifts purchsed and some stocking stuffers and that's IT!  I'm really behind ,but for soem reason, it just isn't bothering me!

[Hmmmmm]

Well, I decided I should start planning my Tday menu!  I bought a fresh turkey yesterday.  I dont' know why, but the season has totaly gotten away from me.  I have just  few gifts purchsed and some stocking stuffers and that's IT!   I'm really behind ,but for soem reason, it just isn't bothering me!

I have nothing purchased but a stocking stuffer for DD that I got such a good deal on back in the summer, I bought it.  DH is convinced I'll forget about it so I've set a reminder notice on my calendar for every other week.  Going to proof him wrong. 

[Esther_bunny]

I'm so not into it this year. This is my first holiday season w/out my dad and visiting him was always the best stop for me.

However, I have all my Christmas shopping done...except for one. That one may or may not getting anything from me (long story, toxic mother, ugh). Yay for online shopping!

For T-Day, we are staying at home and DH's mom is coming to stay b/c her husband is going hunting. I love her, she's very creative and fun to hang out with. We are keeping the menu simple since it's only going to be the 3 of us.

I think for Christmas we are going to visit DH's dad and stepmom. I've already told him that I don't want anyone freaking out if I have to leave the room for a bit to be by myself. I just can't imagine a Christmas w/out my dad. He was the only person that *truly* got me, we were best friends.
I'm thinking I might need to increase my meds to get through this but we'll see what the doctor says.

We usually stay home for New Year's (Amateur Night is what we call it).

I'm just ready for school to start in January!

[Minmom3]

I have NO MONEY at all for gifts this year.  Jobless.  Not homeless, so I'm not having a pity party, I'm just flat donkey broke...     So, I will be a baking fiend this year.  People like my cookies, and they make requests, so I'll make up a large amount of cookies and hand them out to family, and nobody else gets anything else this year anyway...  It will be OK.  Hopefully I'll get a job soon, but we'll just see...

[Esther_bunny]

Minmom3: Baking is a gift! I've baked things as presents before and they're always well received.
We can only store so much stuff, but eating, well there's always room for more!

And you know some people can't bake and love to receive homemade goodies. My mother-in-law is a baking disaster and readily admits it so she loves when I bake her a pie.

/they're better gifts than you know

[KenveeB]

I've been picking up supplies for my Christmas candy bit by bit on grocery trips, to spread the cost around. Any day now I'll start making the first batch, which is the official start of the holidays for me. The smell just fills the whole house.

I'd fallen behind on shopping, but I've mostly caught up now. I have a few gifts still to pick up but I know what they are, and only one person who I have absolutely no idea what to get.

[Jovismom]

I've been doing photo Christmas cards of my dogs for the last 15 years.  Last year was the first (sad) time that I only had one dog on the card.  It was also the first time I had a digital SLR camera instead of a point and shoot.  The photo I took was one that I considered to be the best card photo I've ever done.

This year I'd been dreading taking the Christmas card photo because I knew there was just no way I'd get anything comparable to last years.  I dragged my feet through October and finally just a week or so ago, had an idea and took some photos.  Much to my amazement, I think this year's photo is even better than last year's.

It's a silly thing I know but, I mail the cards early in December and they really kick off the season for me.  Knowing that I've got a shot that I like makes me very happy.  I'll be even happier when the batch of "test cards" arrives.   

[afbluebelle]

Online orders are starting to come in, and I've finished 1 1/4 out of four of my wreaths... Shopping is partially done for everyone, and almost done for the husband. Hopefully I will be almost through by next week so I can start focusing on Kiddo's birthday (Dec 18th).

[CakeBeret]

I just got done with my Thanksgiving spreadsheet. I have a list of all my dishes with links to recipes and lists of ingredients needed, and a 2-day schedule for getting all the food prepped and cooked.

[KenveeB]

I'm proud of myself. I had gotten really behind on my shopping, so I kicked it into gear. I've now officially finished everyone on my list except for 1 person. There are a few things I still need to buy, but I know what they are and just need to pick them up.

Of course, that one person I have NO idea on. Bah.