I thought it might be fun if we shared what we are doing to prepare for the holidays. Maybe we can get some ideas from one another and help each other have a pleasant holiday season even when we think we're going crazy.

So what have you done to prepare?

We got our tree last night. It's up and the lights are on but not all the ornaments yet. My oldest son and I got all the stuff put in the shed from the fall, and hubby decorated the front of the house. We have a manger scene that sits beneath a tree adorned with white lights, a wreath and garland with white lights and a spot light on the door. All of that is done.

My son and I went Christams shopping today. Now hubby and I are watching a Christmas movie. It's a goofy one - Deck the Halls. It's stupid, but funny at times.

Tomorrow we'll go to church. I'm hoping for some beautiful Christmas music.

What are you doing?

Do you have a Christmas party, go to parites?

What do you like best about the holidays?

My tabletop Christmas tree, trustworthy thing is over 20 years old but now out since end of November. It has unique decorations --some souveniers from places I've travelled, some little gifts, some handmade and given to me: a Venetian glass candy decoration (from Venice), a little plastic German beer stein (when I was in Munich), Santa Claus in dory (Cape Cod), a few Chinese cheap but cute toy characters (ie. straw goldfish), an East Indian tiny doll in sari, pipecleaner Christmas figures originally for gifts, chili pepper decorations (from New Mexico), a beautiful fake paper violin with gold bow, a hand-painted face on a shell by a nephew, etc. It's a tree that has no duplicated decoration but full of meaning and memories dangling and dripping from boughs.

The tree is the only Christmas decoration we have in house, but it has enough meaning for us.


Tree is minature and fake, since my homes have been condo-sized and over the years it's at a scale for children and anyone to look at it for awhile close-up.

When I send out Christmas cards to family and close friends, I do use a calligraphy marker to do it calligraphic script on envelopes and inside cards.... I used to make my cards...ages ago. Some of it elaborate calligraphic in circles,etc. that I did frame some pieces as gifts.

By now, if I didn't do minimal calligraphy on cards, after all these years, someone will comment..

We play more classical tunes and Christmas music.
For reasons that aren't totally rational, nearly every year, I tend to buy several weeks in advance, at least 1 of the Christmas issues to a cooking magazine. I seldom try a recipe, but love looking at the recipes, ideas...which we have used occasionally.

Near Christmas, I do enjoy watching how the Grinch stole Christmas or White Christmas. All nostalgia, but just things I did do with family members near/on Christmas..

Where we live is near a water body that flows out to an ocean inlet, where there are small motor and charter boards. And there is a city tradition of Christmas Lights Boats..where the boats do parade /sail up and down with lights on the boats. It's quite lovely..we don't much snow below the mountains, so it's easier for boats to show off like this at night.

The parties have begun and it will be a whirlwind until
mid January.
This year we will be giving alot of gift certificates or
shopping online, especially that most of our grandkids
are older and harder to buy for.

The little ones will be getting toys and clothing : )

Cindy

i creating out cristmass trtadisions becouse lucien is so young, the onlie consitent thing so far are new pj for christmass morning, yes get up get washed get changed into new cousie christmass pj, keeps things relaxed and comfortable on the morning ittself.

overand above that i dont't have much that is rigid so far apart from cooking too much food as usule lol.
becouse luciens so young the day can still be handed over to him, we don't have familie over heer so no necessitie visites but it be nice to see some familie over the holidays. A walk some time on christmass morning is nice their is a big tree filed park within 5 minets walk from my house, the people out walking on christmass afternoon all seem relaxed and happie its nice to be ou then, the trees, the good natured people, as long as its low key i am happie enough.
so i get some nice ideas as to how to creat a christmass for us reading your posts.

This year is simple, simple, simple!! Sounds kinda sad but I'm already looking toward next year to do my usual stuff. We love Christmas with a passion but struggling with a new business has put the biggest damper on the holiday fun this year. So we've simplified. I was sad, SAD for 2 weeks not wanting to care about any of it. But I've decided that it's okay. This will give me a whole new perspective, and probably a better one on what it's all about. We decorate, outside with lots of lights. Two beautiful trees that we rescued from the bulldozer next door...both are lit up sooooo pretty! The rock garden is round and has a few figures, lit (little) snowmen all around the rocks and a Christmas tree in the middle. Every building is blazing, too. Inside...WOW....we're so abbreviated this year!!! We have 2 4 month old kittens and simply cannot do my Christmas village (makes me sad)and the usual inside decorations. The tree is barely surviving with those little boys! So, I guess we're trying to make it as nice as we can. Not a lot of parties, certainly no where near to what I was used to a few years ago.....so a quiet, refective year.

if you ladies would cast your minds back to when the kids weer little how did you marrie santa clauss with, jesus....or what age weer the kids when you started doing this, what age did the kids get it at??

Celtic flame, we always taught our kids that Santa was a cartoon character like Mickey Mouse. We told them about St.Nicholas though because he was a real person, but our main emphasis has always been on Christ. The kids didnt miss out by not believing Santa was real ~ in fact they were grateful for our honesty.

As for how we're celebrating Christmas this year....we have bought everyone goats, seeds, trees, etc for Third World Countries. We've got some foodie treats, but haven't gone overboard, I've decorated the tree and house with homemade decorations, nativity scene, etc and we're looking forward to some quality time together. My hubby has more than just Christmas Day and Boxing Day off work for the first time in 22 years, so we're very excited he'll be able to have a proper holiday!

Bertha has a pink tree in her room...what else? My daughter bought it for me last year...I found some really neat satin balls that are pink and turquoise and that kind of colors...it also has a few choice flamingos and frogs sprinkled around on it...and a metal peacock a friend gave me in college...I topped it with an ornament my other daughter made me that says "HOPE"...I get up before daylight...so I journal and have my quiet time by the light of this little tree...I love it...

I also have a live...more traditional tree...in the living room...I haven't done one of these for the past several years...the girls finally gave up being upset...but this year I just wanted it...it has all the old ornaments...baby's first Christmas 1979 and 1980 are still my favorites! I also still have many of the ornaments that the girls made in grammer school...and some funny ones I made for my very first married Christmas...they were "Glue Me, Glue Me" ornaments and were little kits that you glued together...I still have Santa, Christmas Tree, Angel and a Mouse that have survived these 31 years...

I'm having the writing group over tomorrow night and that will probably be it for entertaining until my daughter and her family get here on the 21st...

I've never done much outside...and don't plan to this year...

Celtic...it's been too long...I don't remember how we addressed that...

We celebrate Christmas Eve. We’ll be going to the 5:00 children’s mass, and then on home to let our grandchild open her first present. Our traditional Christmas dinner is Fondue. This year we will have more people than usual over for dinner and to exchange gifts.

Me and Hubby
Son, Danny and wife and grandchild
Son, Mike, and wife ( expecting baby this Febuary!)
My Mom
Mike’s in laws with the X
Mike’s sister in law with husband
Mike’s wife’s grandmother.

We’ll need extra Fondue pots. Mike’s father-in-law is a fantastic musician and has a beautiful voice. He’ll bring his guitar along and I’m sure we will be singing the night away with little Anaiya pirouetting around the living room.

Tonight Hubby, my Mom, Grandbaby and I are heading for downtown. They have a beautiful Christmas market set up. Thousands of candle lights are aglow, and hot wine and hot honey coated almonds scent fill the air. At 6:00 beautifully dressed angels appear on the townhouse balcony. There they play harp,flute,organ and violin, It’s a sight to behold in the dark of the night, seeing their robes blow in the wind, and their golden wings shine in the candle light. I can’t wait to see Anaiys’s face when the twenty four angels appear. Here are just four of them.

...

I hope you all have enjoyed your second advent. We don’t have snow, but it’s very cold, so the fireplace is roaring, and the decorations are twinkling out from every corner.

Wow, this year I am so far ahead of myself. I baked and have some frozen for Christmas Eve/Christmas. I take about 12 dozen cookies to the Nursing Home and another 12 dozen to Safe Nest, a shelter for women and kids in peril. So those are done and ready to go...

My shopping is all done, did mostly the catalog thing again this year, that works so well when everyone is many miles away...

Christmas Eve is church and then usually spent riding through the park viewing the light show, then home to relax and get things ready for Christmas Day which will be spent at my sons home. I will make my traditional Italian beef and Italian sausage with peppers. We have a big potluck type celebration, we nibble shamelessly all day long...

I have been watching Christmas movies nightly since Thanksgiving, some are sappy but I am too this time a year so it works for me...

My cards went out early and I am waiting to enjoy and display all the cards yet to come from all my Boomer sisters...