Archive through November 23, 2002
TV ClubHouse: Archives: Shopping Days Left till Christmas.......:
Archive through November 23, 2002
Goddessatlaw | Monday, November 18, 2002 - 10:08 am     Indianapolis - it's Ayres here now, but they have Montgomery Wards still in Illinois, I think. |
Fruitbat | Monday, November 18, 2002 - 10:12 am     Never heard of Ayres either. I am from Michigan originally and we didn't have them there. |
Max | Monday, November 18, 2002 - 10:13 am     The only way to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving is to have a well-thought-out plan and go EARLY. Figure out what you want and which store it's in. If you're going to a mall, figure out a 'map' of which store to visit first, second, and so forth, so you can move through quickly. Park where you can get in and out of the parking lot easily, even if that means you need to walk a little (parking close is fine, but sometimes it takes you longer to leave than it took to do the shopping!). Then, arrive at the store/mall when they first open. Get in, execute your plan (don't get sidetracked) and get out. By the time you've bought all your "target items" and are heading to your car and home, the place will just be starting to get crowded. It's not glamorous, but it's efficient. As for me, I shop all year long. I don't have a lot of family to buy for, but I do buy toys all year at sales and keep them for toy drives and the family sponsorships we do at my church and work. The work for me now is to find everything and sort it all out! I have also purchased things for family and friends during the year. Basically, whenever I see something special that I just know one of my friends/family would like, I buy it and hold on to it until an occasion like a birthday or Christmas arises. Most of the 'work' of the season for me is organizing things and making stuff. I help with the toy/food drive at work, put together boxes of food/toys for families through my church, and am helping to organize a toy drive with my local PT Cruiser Club. Then, there's the "cookies and more" event at church. Folks make TONS of cookies and we set them up at tables around the fellowship hall. People come in, get a container and we load them up with whatever cookies they like. They then pay for them by the pound. It's a lot of fun and a great fundraiser. So, I need to make a LOT of cookies soon (it's happening on Dec. 7)! Finally, I make some small things and give them to co-workers and acquaintences. Usually I make ornaments of some kind. I haven't picked a project yet this year, so I need to get cracking on that! My biggest beef with Christmas is that it always seems to sneak up on me and I never have enough time to enjoy it. |
Wargod | Monday, November 18, 2002 - 10:37 am     Max, will you do my Christmas shopping? I'd love to be that organized! I usually start much earlier than I did this year, but got sidetracked. Now most years, I have presents in bags hidden all over the house, then a day or two before Christmas I go on a marathon wrapping spree. This year I got smart and started wrapping as I buy. I've still got the presents scattered throughout the house, but at least they're wrapped, LOL. |
Jkm | Monday, November 18, 2002 - 12:56 pm     Well - I've tried the wrap as I go and the wrapping the night before (or just a day or two before). Here's the problem for me --- If I wrap as I go -- I have to keep a list or I forget what all I've gotten. (two kids that don't understand $ being equal -- only understand number of presents being equal) If I wait -- I'm up most the night (can't start until sure they are asleep) We've out grown santa so - kinda gotta wrap most every thing. Although the years I or my dh have taken the time for setting up a search/savanger/game to find certain presents with all the clues etc or wrapping the box in a box, was a lot of fun -- just depends on having enough time at the end to do that sort of thing. |
Wargod | Monday, November 18, 2002 - 01:19 pm     I keep a list of what I need for the kids..makes it much simpler, LOL. I just mark off an item when I get it. I bought one gift for my son which I thought he would enjoy...a street hockey set. Wasn't on the list but the price was good, and just the week before he'd been playing with one of the neighbor kids and loved it. I thought I was being cool, til I showed hubby and he went, "uhm, babe, did you buy rollerblades?" LOL. That is why I always write a list...but it also gives my hubby and I time to sit down and decide what we want to give them since he doesn't usually get the chance to go shopping with me. My wrapped gifts are all over the place....in closets, locked cabinets, the garage, lol...I've even left some at other peoples houses if I thought they would be to hard to hide. Luckily, my kids are still little enough that they haven't figured out that if they go looking for them they'll find them. |
Max | Monday, November 18, 2002 - 01:27 pm     Sure, Wargod, I'll do that for ya....for a FEE! I'm good at spending other people's money! |
Wargod | Monday, November 18, 2002 - 01:54 pm     LOL. |
Jkm | Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - 04:46 am     "Hubby doesn't get to go shopping", is he really disappointed -- if so can you share him? My would rather run naked through the woods with wild dogs chasing him than go shopping at Christmas time (really anytime). He takes the girls and does my Christmas shopping at the local Walmart a couple days before Christmas. It's the thought that counts -- at least the girls are old enought to tell him no on certain things. First year we were married he bought me cushions for the kitchen chairs and two nintendo games. (HE played the nintendo - not me) Lol. Bless him, he meant well!! I had to try real hard to think about that - the thought not the gift counts -- (his mom about killed him - so it was ok) A couple more years and the girls will have Driver's licenses -- then I'll be back to the "good" presents -- Dad will just give them the money to shop for him. I can't hide any of it at my house wrapped or otherwise -- they know everywhere and dh is just as bad. I keep it at work, neighbors, trunk, etc. I remember one year my step mom was so proud we didn't find the presents she had hid -- they were in plain sight with a table cloth over the top of them - we just thought it was a table -- but it was a stack of presents that had been there for weeks!!! People are putting up Holiday Decorations in droves right now - some have their lights turned on in the evenings already. Driving around looking at the lights is probably my most favorite tradition!!! |
Jkm | Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - 08:00 am     I think I may cut out of work early today and go shopping.... Tuesdays can't be that bad, can they? |
Wargod | Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - 09:04 am     Heh, my hubby doesn't mind shopping too much so long as its not too busy and the kids aren't with him. We usually do Christmas shopping together for the kids and this is the first year that he hasn't been able to do any with me. He actually does well picking out gifts for me, lol. He knows what I like...books, music, weapons...I'm fairly easy, LOL. His mom...sigh. She buys a gift for "us." But, actually its what my hubby wants. She'll ask him what we want, he'll either tell her something he wants or she'll just go find something. I don't really care...its his mom, LOL, but I would appreciate them not acting like this is a gift for "us." One year it was a playstation...the next a dvd player, both nice gifts, but neither bought with me in mind, lol. So, this year hubby says his mom wants to know what "we" want. I thought for a minute, and told him to tell her he wanted a rolling tool box..he's been driving me nuts about it!! He said, "but, thats not a gift for us!" I just laughed. Hehe, I know the problem is my mil doesn't bother taking the time to get to know me so has no clue what I like. Oh well, lol. Will start Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving..though I'll start geting them out probably this weekend to go through them and get them organized. Hubby is off from his full time job for four days, so hopefully it will be less hectic for him around then. |
Jkm | Wednesday, November 20, 2002 - 05:53 am     34 more days to go..... I ran out of "shopping" money already this week. Sigh -- All the great Wednesday only sales will have to wait until Friday again.... |
Jkm | Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 05:23 am     33 stockings for sale at on the mall -- 33 stockings for sale, take one down pass it around 32 stockings for sale at the mall. 33 days left!!!! |
Sia | Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 05:55 am     Max, I love your plan-of-attack for shopping the day after Thanksgiving! You are prepared, girl! I'm going to be watching my grandchildren that day; nothing in the world could induce me to venture to the mall on that day! Someone up-thread mentioned hanging Christmas trees upside-down. A friend of ours did this about 10 years ago with a live tree by nailing it to an X-shaped cross brace and hoisting that to the ceiling. Be aware, however, that the tree couldn't be watered, so its needles dried out and dropped off much sooner than a watered tree's needles would. This means putting the tree up much closer to Christmas than you might like. I try to put our tree up on the day after Thanksgiving. How about the rest of you folks? Anyone decorate for Christmas earlier than Thanksgiving? Who waits for Christmas eve? That used to be the tradition!! HOLIDAY REMINDER: Our county sheriff was interviewed on TV this week about car break-ins at our local mall. People are leaving Christmas purchases uncovered in their cars--often with the doors unlocked. Please remember to put purchases in the trunk of your car, or at least under a blanket on the floor of the car or in black lawn/leaf bags; sometimes just seeing the store's name on the shopping bags in your car might tempt some thieves. Be safe. I hate the news stories about people whose homes are burglarized at Christmas-time, especially right before the holiday when their presents are stolen from beneath the tree. Talk about the Grinch!! That would be awful. I'm not sure how to safeguard them in this case. I do wrap gifts and keep them in the closet, but that's to keep the kids from seeing what their presents are. |
Heyltslori | Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 09:24 am     I need some idea's for a gift for my sister. I would like to get her some kind of "---- of the month" club kind of gift....but not food. She likes to cook and read and she has two small children. Any ideas? |
Sia | Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 12:36 pm     A magazine subscription tailored to her interests? Does she like home decorating (House Beautiful, Architectural Digest)? Gardening (Organic Gardening, Better Homes and Gardens)? Crafting (remember the old Workbasket magazine? Isn't it around any more? There are lots of knitting/crochet publications, and some for cross-stitch. Reading? (Book of the month Club) I don't know; I will give this some more thought, Lori. Good luck selecting the perfect gift. To pull this off, you'd need to find out to which publications she already subscribes. |
Draheid | Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 12:53 pm     Heyitslor: How about a 'Candle-' or 'Potpourri-' or 'Recipe-' or 'Book-' of the month club membership? I'm sure there are lots of different --- of the month clubs you could choose. It all depends on what she would find most useful. One note of caution to consider: try to be sure that the membership doesn't automatically renew itself but has an option to do so. Just a thought. |
Jkm | Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 12:55 pm     Yankee candles does something like this too -- they'll deliver the scent of the month each month -- www.yankeecandles.com -- they smell really good too! Maybe Emerial has a ...of the month series of kind Bam-Bam. |
Heyltslori | Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 08:21 pm     Sia, Dra, and Jkm...those are GREAT ideas! Thank you so much!! You're the best! |
Sia | Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 11:00 pm     No problem, Lori. Let us know on which gift you decide! I think it would be so fun to be a personal shopper! I enjoy shopping, even when the budget is tight. When money's limited, I just have to get more creative. Lori, I'll bet there are gardening supply houses, too, that will send seasonal plants every months. Anyone know of a particular mail-order house for roses or other perennials. That's a gift I would love for myself!! |
Jkm | Friday, November 22, 2002 - 07:27 am     32 days -- who's going to brave the malls with me? Aw come on, you know you want to! It's not the actual malls that are so bad -- it's attempting to get through the traffic around the malls and in the parking lots. I think parking cars at holiday shopping season should be considered an olympic sport or at the very least a jacka** stunt!!! But to keep you in good cherry moods -- Keep hummig you favorite Christmas song and keep telling your self why you are doing this -- the joy of giving (ok if that doesn't work -- think about the stiff drink you can have when you get home ha-ha) |
Wargod | Friday, November 22, 2002 - 11:03 am     Had to run a couple errands yesterday and drove past a couple shopping centers and was shocked to see they already have the decorations up in the parking lots! It keeps shocking me how fast its coming up, and keep panicking about how little time is left, LOL. |
Wargod | Saturday, November 23, 2002 - 04:13 pm     Against the better judgement of my GrannyBat, I will be doing some Christmas shopping Friday morning. I just got the Wal-Mart sales ad....and oh boy!!!! Gameboy Advanced, 48 bucks, Barbie dolls, 5 bucks each, jammies (seperates,) 3 bucks each, Legos, 5 bucks each......How can I possibly not do that????? I will be taking Max's advice though. I will be up at 4:30am, and in Wal-Marts parking lot (furthest spot from the door!) by 5 am, and in the store by 6am! I know exactly what I want, and where it will be. I will be a Shopping Warrior!! And I will be home in my apron cooking an egg and sausage breakfast by 6:30am....hahahahhhahaa!!! Ok, that last part is a lie, I figure I'll come back home and go back to bed!!! Now, I haven't seen anyone elses sales ads yet, but unless they can offer an unbielvable, never before seen, now will ever see again deal...Wal-Mart will be the only store I go to! |
Halfunit | Saturday, November 23, 2002 - 05:13 pm     Wargod, May everything be within reach on the shelves, and may your cart be crashless. Ain't no way Half's leaving the house Friday!! |
Tess | Saturday, November 23, 2002 - 06:16 pm     War, that is an awesome (and hysterical) plan. I will be home doing the baking for our annual Saturday-after-Thanksgiving cookie exchange and of course I will be thinking of Wargod, Shopping Warrior!! Hahahhahhaha. |
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