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Archive through December 10, 2009

Reality TVClubHouse Discussions: General Discussions ARCHIVES: August 2009 ~ December 2009: The Holiday Thread : Archive through December 10, 2009 users admin

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Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Friday, December 04, 2009 - 3:24 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
Interesting, I noticed a couple of the shopping centers had their christmas stuff up before Thanksgiving and I thought that is weird. Haven't been downtown so I don't know if the cities around me have theirs up yet or not.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Monday, December 07, 2009 - 1:48 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Around here you don't really notice the decs in parking lots at first unless you happen to be shopping there when they're putting them up. They don't turn the lights on for them until after Thanksgiving, so I think the only reason they go up so early is because they have so many parking lots they do.

Dakota finished her candy cane (clay) ornaments tonight. I helped her glaze them and they're sitting out drying overnight, tomorrow she needs to tie the ribbons on and then she can get to wrapping them. I finished my beaded ornaments and have them boxed up (except for the few I'm doing for me) I also made some little clay heart ornaments for my nieces and Kota.

Biscottiii
Member

05-29-2004

Monday, December 07, 2009 - 5:08 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Biscottiii a private message Print Post    
WARNING WARNING!
For anyone mailing Flatrate USPS boxes of presents.

I was so pleased, a couple nights ago to get one of my boxes all packed and taped up to mail. Grabbed one of several boxes I had picked up when mailing Flatrate boxes of food to Rural Alaska last winter.

Point is about Flatrate boxes, it's one price according to size, no matter how heavy the box, usually runs cheaper even if the box isn't so heavy. Here's the link, you click on the size box link and that shows the price at the bottom info:

USPS Flatrate Boxes

Tonight I went to tape on the address and just happened to catch. Very SAME size box said "Priority Mail" not "Flatrate" (which travels Priority, as well). Somehow I had grabbed the wrong type when picking up free boxes at the Post Office.

It would have cost me a fortune, or else I would have had to take it back and repack. Which might be a problem if one is pressed for time.

Note: If you use a flatrate box, all the seams need to come together, can't have bulges, it needs to be perfectly square.

Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Tuesday, December 08, 2009 - 10:46 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Happymom a private message Print Post    
We finally decorated! Unfortunately, I don't feel in the Christmas spirit more because of it though. It is coming soon, but just doesn't feel like it, even though it is white outside (unusual cold frosty morning in NorCal). Hopefully when this semester is over, I'll have more time to do Christmas type things.

Good advice about those boxes. Flatrate is a good deal.

One of these years, I hope my girls and I will put together beaded ornaments. I bought a kit at Hearthsong several years ago, we still haven't done them. I think they are snowflakes. Maybe next year.

Llkoolaid
Member

08-01-2001

Tuesday, December 08, 2009 - 11:05 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Llkoolaid a private message Print Post    
Got my tree up finally, house is a mess with boxes of decorations all over the place. I am not putting most of my stuff up this year, cause I am taking my tree down on the 27th because most of my family have decided to have a small christmas and spend most of our money on a trip to Florida. We have rented 2 big houses and will be gone from the 29th until the 7th of January. Even the kids are more excited about the trip than Christmas. It is almost like lets get it over with so we can go. Sure makes it a lot easier with the shopping hassle. I am pretty much done. Just got to pick up a few cards and go to the bank for some American money and I will be done. One of my daughters is going to Thailand for Christmas so I am just depositing money in her account, same as my son who isn't coming home, cash for him. Sounds sleasy doesn't it, but that is what they want and it works for me. I think I may enjoy this christmas more than most without all the shopping hassles.

Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Tuesday, December 08, 2009 - 11:10 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Happymom a private message Print Post    
Not sleasy at all! It sounds like everyone will be happy! Have a great trip!

I know what you mean about boxes of decorations all over. One of my kids said it looks like Christmas threw up in here.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Tuesday, December 08, 2009 - 11:34 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Doesn't sound sleazy at all, Ll, sounds like a couple of fun trips coming up for your daughter and the rest of your family.

LOL Happymom about Christmas throwing up.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Tuesday, December 08, 2009 - 3:56 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Silly help needed!

I always buy Kota a couple crafty things for Christmas, but also always buy her a gift card for Michaels so she can go pick out something she wants or can add to what I bought for her. Oh, thinking about it, Caleb will also have a gift card for Microsoft points for the x-box.

I need fun, silly, creative ways to wrap them so they don't look like gift cards. I've wrapped them in bigger boxes stuffed with stuff to make them heavier before so don't want to do that. Santa leaves them $10 itunes gift cards in their stockings, so don't want to do that. Also don't want to buy gift card holders (tin cans, stuffed animals with pockets, etc) either for them.

Any ideas?

Beekindpleez
Member

07-18-2006

Tuesday, December 08, 2009 - 4:34 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Beekindpleez a private message Print Post    
War...how about wrapping ribbon 'round and 'round and 'round the card until it's fat and puffy? It would take them a little while to unwrap them.

Karuuna
Board Administrator

08-31-2000

Tuesday, December 08, 2009 - 4:44 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karuuna a private message Print Post    
You can get the $1 Christmas stockings, decorate them with their names and hang them on the tree. Did this for DS last year and he never thought to look on the tree for gifts. Didn't find them until the next day!

Llkoolaid
Member

08-01-2001

Tuesday, December 08, 2009 - 9:36 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Llkoolaid a private message Print Post    
Ohhhhhhhhhhh that is a good idea Karunna, I think I will use that for Hilary's little gifts, like earrings and gift cards and maybe even her trip money. Thanks for the great idea.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Tuesday, December 08, 2009 - 10:19 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
I like the stocking idea because I can hide them on the tree til the day or two after Christmas. The kids like their gift cards (hehe, Dakota wants the $500 gc from Michaels...which she didn't get, lol) but they can't do anything with them on Christmas and usually for a day or two after except put them aside and wait to use them. If I hide them on the tree, by the time they find them it's like a surprise gift and Michaels will be open to go shopping for Kota and Caleb will have time to play the x-box and use his points.

Bee, I may try the wrapping and wrapping and wrapping with the pack of guitar picks we got Caleb. That's another one he'll know what it is as soon as he sees it if it's wrapped normal.

Heh, Ll, one year Darren's mom asked him what he wanted for his birthday. He jokingly told her he wanted someone to pay the tags on his car. She decided that was a good idea, but instead of giving him a check or cash in a birthday card, she got a bunch of 1's, 5's, and 10's and wrapped them seperately. There was a bill in the card, another used as a bookmark in a book and wrapped, one wrapped around a rock. There must have been 15-20 little packages, bills wrapped with everything from a roll of toilet paper to a keychain (no big gifts, just little things she either had around the house or could pick up cheaply somewhere.) After the first couple, he figured out what was going on, but it was a pretty creative way to give money as a gift and wrap it, because there were no two little presents that looked alike.

Hukdonreality
Member

09-29-2003

Wednesday, December 09, 2009 - 5:04 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Hukdonreality a private message Print Post    
Maybe you could buy a paperback book that they might like and put a gift card inside the pages. Or buy 2 packages of Twinkies or something and put the card between them. The pack would be puffy and they wouldn't suspect a gift card stuffed in there.

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Wednesday, December 09, 2009 - 9:27 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Julieboo a private message Print Post    
Just read Santa's tweet. He turned in his sleigh to the Cash 4 Clunkers program, lost two reindeer to the swine flu, his workshop is closed because his elves joined a union, and he crashed into the North Pole after being chased down the driveway by Mrs. Claus with a giant candy cane. It looks like mommy was seen kissing Santa Claus afterall.

Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Wednesday, December 09, 2009 - 9:40 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Happymom a private message Print Post    
lol!

Dfennessey
Member

07-25-2004

Wednesday, December 09, 2009 - 9:52 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dfennessey a private message Print Post    
One year a friend of mine was struggling financially and one day I was over her house and went into the freezer to grab some ice and noticed that she only had ice and a freezepop in her freezer (at that point her oldest was around 18 and her youngest was 7. My roomate and myself decided we wanted to get her something that had to do with food but did not want to get her a gift cart to the grocery store because she would get everything else there besides food, so what we did was we went to the store and bought a whole bunche of meat/chicken in the family pack. I think we spent about $100.00 just on meat. We went to her house when we knew she was not home (only her oldest son was home) we split the meat and put them into freezer bags (I think we got one oven stuffer roaster) and we put it in her freezer. We went home and called ehr on her cell and told her to call us when she was close to home because we had to come down and tell her something very important. She called us about 20 minutes later and said she was on her way home. So we go back down her house and beat her down there so that way her oldest would not spill the beans. she walks into the kitchen where we were sitting at the table. We stood up and opened the freezer and saind "Merry Christmas" and ran out the door. She came running after us in tears saying it was the best present anyone has ever gave her. she still talks about it to this day and that was about 10 years ago

Mameblanche
Member

08-24-2002

Wednesday, December 09, 2009 - 10:17 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mameblanche a private message Print Post    
Wow DF, just wow! You and your room-mate are the 'gold standard' of true friendship.

Scooterrific
Member

07-08-2005

Wednesday, December 09, 2009 - 10:34 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Scooterrific a private message Print Post    
That's awesome Dfennessey...brought tears to MY eyes.

Grooch
Member

06-16-2006

Wednesday, December 09, 2009 - 10:40 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Grooch a private message Print Post    
Very sweet. Nice to hear some nice stories this time of year. :-)

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Wednesday, December 09, 2009 - 5:54 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
I just hope the reason she didn't have any food in her freezer wasn't because the freezer was broken ...

JujuGrinchDawg


Mameblanche
Member

08-24-2002

Wednesday, December 09, 2009 - 7:23 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mameblanche a private message Print Post    
Im sorry. But Jooj's post has me in stitches!

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Wednesday, December 09, 2009 - 9:46 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Dfennessey, that is such a wonderful gift for your friend. That probably meant more to her than anything else you could have done for her.

Heh, next time ya'll think your families are nuts on holidays and they're driving you bonkers, just remember what poor Shrek gets to say in the Shrek Christmas special about his (extended) family on Christmas Eve...."They lit me on fire!" That was the first time I'd ever seen the Shrek Christmas show and I laughed my butt off.

Babyruth
Member

07-19-2001

Wednesday, December 09, 2009 - 9:57 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Babyruth a private message Print Post    
You could hide a gift card in a CD/DVD case, an empty toilet paper tube or paper towel tube (add a couple small rocks for weight and noise), a deck of cards, any small odd sized box (chinese food box, tin of mints, round cookie tin) with extra objects added for weight/noise...

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Thursday, December 10, 2009 - 10:43 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Thank you BR, those are great ideas as well and some I will probably use. I had a good idea today, lol, and quite happy with it. We're going to get each of them $5 in movie bucks and $5 in fast food gift certificates. During school breaks, they usually go to the movies with their friends once or twice and that will be enough for them to go to the cheap theater for a couple of movies each and run next door and get a drink and something to eat. Since they'll be out of school 3 weeks, that will give them something to do a couple afternoons and it's fairly cheap.

The day my nieces were here last weekend, middle niece colored a picture and wrote a letter to Santa. Very cute, she actually asked for her two front teeth, lol! Anyways, told sis I'd take care of the letters from Santa and one day I'd slip them in the mailbox to find. I checked on line and found this site:

Letters From Santa

They have five different letters and backgrounds to choose from and you can personalize the letters with the child's name, age, etc. If anyone needs to do a letter, these are pretty cute.

Christy358
Member

07-10-2007

Thursday, December 10, 2009 - 11:10 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Christy358 a private message Print Post    
Retail clerk mantra:

Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.