Christmas decorations......

[Skippy123]

I am crazy excited because the boys understand the holidays this year. When the boys were babies I did not decorate; last year I bought the boys their first tree but this year, I am excited, they get it! lol Anyway, we are decorating after Thanksgiving. Any sooner, is a bit too early!

When my son was little, he had his own Winnie the Pooh tree in his room...and he would just sit there and stare at the adorable decorations....I kept that tree for SO long....even when he no longer used it....I loved the memories!!!

cheers--Sharon

aww, Sharon, that is so sweet; thank you for sharing that beautiful (fond) memory. We are going to make gingerbread cookies to decorate their tree. I have some cute ribbons to for hanging the cookies. If they happen to get hungry, I won't mind them nomming on an ornaments. lol


Autumn, your house looks beautiful!!! girl you are on it!

 

[packrat]

I didn't even put my Fall stuff up this year. There's been a couple years Christmas stuff went up on the 23rd b/c someone in the house couldn't get the boxes down from the attic for me. And this year again I'll be the Grinch (how many times have I had You're a mean one, Missi Grinch sang to me, I wonder??) b/c it always ends up being me doing all the decorating and taking it all down again. Bah.

However, as much as I grumble..I love Christmas (I can do w/out the Christmas songs starting LAST WEEK tho, that's a bit much..except for Feliz Navidad, that's just a fun song anytime). I wish we had more room to store things so I could go nuts and decorate to the teeth for it. I got a couple cute new signs to put out this year. The kids each got a cheesy little tinsel tree last year for their rooms.

Bing Crosby in the liquor store yesterday was just TOO much! I needed a drink! (marketing at it's best...altho the cashier did say he had more than one complaint from customers about the early Christmas music)

cheers--Sharon

Oh boy. I figure, I live in Iowa, the trees should be bare and it should at least be chilly to cold outside before the music starts. I do love when I'm driving thru town and it's snowing, and the songs come on, people walking w/boxes and bags..I admit I love that, it makes me smile.

I think I scared my kids the other night when I was flipping thru channels, grumbling about the holiday music and then was like oh oh oh Feliz Navidad yaaaaay! They sat perfectly still, eyes straight ahead. Then as we pulled into the driveway the Snoopy song came on so we had to sit and listen.

 

[marcy]

We put lights up outside last week because we had warm weather for a change. We were kind anxious to get them up because we moved on December 22nd last year so we didn't do any decorating for Christmas then. We will put up our Christmas tree in early December. I am definitely ready to take them all down by January 1st.

 

[canuk-gal]

We put lights up outside last week because we had warm weather for a change. We were kind anxious to get them up because we moved on December 22nd last year so we didn't do any decorating for Christmas then. We will put up our Christmas tree in early December. I am definitely ready to take them all down by January 1st.

HI:

Good job Marcy! Do you take the lights down when it is still cold and icy?? Although I no longer put lights up on the largest part of the house, I would take them down in Spring.

PS, I want something nice (like a snowflake or angel) that will hang on my Shepherd hooks (for flowers) that I keep spiked in the ground all year....

cheers--Sharon

 

[chrono]

I'm the Grinch; I tell hubby not to bother with the lights, wreathes and tree because it's such a hassle to unpack them, set them up, only to take them down a few weeks later.

 

[partgypsy]

We get a live tree so we wait a week or a little more into December to get it and put it up, and then leave it up until New Years, then take it down typically new Years day. I just like having the tree up a few days after Xmas to soak it in. If we put it up right after thanksgiving, it wouldn't last all the way through.

 

[bebe]

My inside is done. Yes, it is early but we are going to be super busy the next few weeks so I felt I better get it done. It takes me about 4 days to do it. Our outside "might" go up this coming weekend. I feel a bit odd putting it up this early but we have already noticed some exterior decor going up. I don't even turn the lights on on one tree that can be seen from the street! But maybe this weekend I will turn them on.

 

[AprilBaby]

It's killing me but everything in my town was lit the first weekend of Nov because we were having a marathon and they wanted the Christmas business in the downtown. Many houses are already lit. I need at least another two weeks to even start thinking about it!

 

[zoebartlett]

We are lame about decorating. We have a tree but we don't put it up every year. We moved a few months ago and we don't have enough room for it in our living area. Plus, we have two cats and one of them gets into everything, so we've skipped decorating for the most part. I do hang a wreath on the front door but I'll wait until early December to do that.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Nope - Dec 1st for me as well.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Any more decorating? Please post pictures--we've had threads before and I love seeing what/how folks decorate their homes. I bought some outdoor lights at Rona and hung them on my shepherd hooks and they looks decent! And got another big poinsettia....will probably get one more, one with three colors or a lemon....

cheers--Sharon

 

[Autumnovember]

Ours are up! We go to pier 1 and buy stuff from there for halloween and for Christmas. No tree yet, that will be up after Thanksgiving. I actually really dislike Christmas but I enjoy decorating for it. Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday but I can never seem to find cool decorations for it! Here are some of our decorations (can't wait to buy a house so I have room for more).

Yep, Thanksgiving is kind of hard to decorate for. You can do the fall theme and have that extend from Halloween through Thanksgiving. Years ago, I bought some cute turkey place mats that I bring out every year, but other than that, we really don't decorate too much specifically for Thanksgiving...I like to put out items for Halloween and Christmas, but not much in between. Next year, I may try and do the fall theme that works for both Halloween & Thanksgiving and then add in just a few specific dedicated holiday touches. World Market had a couple really cute decorations, but I didn't want to spent so much for just one month.

ETA - and why do you dislike Christmas? I have a more difficult time w/Thanksgiving than with Christmas.

MC - Just saw this. The biggest reason is because I think its just a major marketing holiday and it just feels way too materialistic for me. I think it stems from how I was brought up and how we celebrated Christmas. We always put a tree up, my parents bought a few gifts, and that was it. I'm Russian so my mom follows the Orthodox calendar when it comes to celebrations. Dad is Jewish. I grew up coming to school hearing about the lists my classmates or friends were putting together and I could never relate because we just didn't do it that way. The whole list thing puts a bad taste in my mouth now. I'm sure when I have kids someday I will be able to enjoy it some more but till then ...meeeehhh. For now, my mind is made up about my future kids making lists for Christmas. A lot of families do it with their children and thats totally cool. I would rather have a nice family dinner, fireplace lit, and enjoying each others company without any gifts involved. This is the reason I really love Thanksgiving. No gifts involved. No lists. Just spending time with family. I was watching a movie with hubby the other day who is American and in the movie, there was a scene from Christmas. Everyone came downstairs in their pajamas, early morning, and sat around the tree and opened their gifts. I asked hubby if thats how they used to do it at his house and he looked at me like I had five heads, haha. It's just totally foreign to me. Absolutely looooooove decor, the lights, the smell of firewood burning outside. And I do enjoy buying gifts for people - a lot.

Oh, and I had my first American traditional Thanksgiving last year. We put out a turkey for thanksgiving but besides that its all Russian food.

 

[packrat]

AN-we didn't celebrate at all growing up, for religious reasons, and it was never that big a deal to me. When JD and I got together, he celebrated, so we started having people over to eat and decorating, presents etc and it was fun. then the kids came and it became even more fun.

 

[Autumnovember]

AN-we didn't celebrate at all growing up, for religious reasons, and it was never that big a deal to me. When JD and I got together, he celebrated, so we started having people over to eat and decorating, presents etc and it was fun. then the kids came and it became even more fun.

Yeah, I buy my nephews gifts for Christmas and it IS fun. I am sure I will start having my own traditions with my own kids when I have them someday. Watching kids open gifts is always a special moment - I just want to be careful not to spoil them on this particular holiday because I want to avoid it being all about the presents. Hubby and I don't exchange gifts (my choice). This year, I want to cook up a big storm for us an stuff face

 

[canuk-gal]

AN-we didn't celebrate at all growing up, for religious reasons, and it was never that big a deal to me. When JD and I got together, he celebrated, so we started having people over to eat and decorating, presents etc and it was fun. then the kids came and it became even more fun.

Yeah, I buy my nephews gifts for Christmas and it IS fun. I am sure I will start having my own traditions with my own kids when I have them someday. Watching kids open gifts is always a special moment - I just want to be careful not to spoil them on this particular holiday because I want to avoid it being all about the presents. Hubby and I don't exchange gifts (my choice). This year, I want to cook up a big storm for us an stuff face

AN:

What traditional foods do you make?????

cheers--Sharon

 

[Autumnovember]

AN-we didn't celebrate at all growing up, for religious reasons, and it was never that big a deal to me. When JD and I got together, he celebrated, so we started having people over to eat and decorating, presents etc and it was fun. then the kids came and it became even more fun.

Yeah, I buy my nephews gifts for Christmas and it IS fun. I am sure I will start having my own traditions with my own kids when I have them someday. Watching kids open gifts is always a special moment - I just want to be careful not to spoil them on this particular holiday because I want to avoid it being all about the presents. Hubby and I don't exchange gifts (my choice). This year, I want to cook up a big storm for us an stuff face

AN:

What traditional foods do you make?????

cheers--Sharon

So, Russian food is very heavily based around potatoes. We do the traditional turkey, we do mashed potatoes (no gravy, not a Russian thing). A lot of various salads, shishkabobs for those that don't eat turkey, various fish, and lots of dessert (no pumpkin pie!) One thing that I love is this tomato garlic appetizer we make. Its a big slice of tomato with shredded mozzarella cheese on top thats mixed with mayo (not too much) and garlic. Sounds totally absurd but damn, its good. I wish I could better describe the foods...I'll take pictures this year and show you guys. I'll be able to describe what ingredients are in the dishes better that way

I'm going to be making random American appetizers that are totally not Thanksgivingesque. I'll be making monkey bread for dessert, my best friend is making Jewish apple cake, and my mom is putting out some cake for my birthday along with fruit. Wowza. I'll buy Ferrero Rocher candy for the table, can't forget those.

 

[marcy]

Hi Sharon. Marty used to take down our decorations in the spring but now we are in an area with a HOA and I think they have to be down in early January. It will probably be snowy and icy then.

That is a great idea to get a snowflake or angel for your Shepherd hook. I think that would look really nice.

We finally got our tree put up. We put it in the den so you can see it from the street.

I love to drive around and look at the Christmas lights.

 

[canuk-gal]

AN-we didn't celebrate at all growing up, for religious reasons, and it was never that big a deal to me. When JD and I got together, he celebrated, so we started having people over to eat and decorating, presents etc and it was fun. then the kids came and it became even more fun.

Yeah, I buy my nephews gifts for Christmas and it IS fun. I am sure I will start having my own traditions with my own kids when I have them someday. Watching kids open gifts is always a special moment - I just want to be careful not to spoil them on this particular holiday because I want to avoid it being all about the presents. Hubby and I don't exchange gifts (my choice). This year, I want to cook up a big storm for us an stuff face

AN:

What traditional foods do you make?????

cheers--Sharon

So, Russian food is very heavily based around potatoes. We do the traditional turkey, we do mashed potatoes (no gravy, not a Russian thing). A lot of various salads, shishkabobs for those that don't eat turkey, various fish, and lots of dessert (no pumpkin pie!) One thing that I love is this tomato garlic appetizer we make. Its a big slice of tomato with shredded mozzarella cheese on top thats mixed with mayo (not too much) and garlic. Sounds totally absurd but damn, its good. I wish I could better describe the foods...I'll take pictures this year and show you guys. I'll be able to describe what ingredients are in the dishes better that way

I'm going to be making random American appetizers that are totally not Thanksgivingesque. I'll be making monkey bread for dessert, my best friend is making Jewish apple cake, and my mom is putting out some cake for my birthday along with fruit. Wowza. I'll buy Ferrero Rocher candy for the table, can't forget those.

HI:

I will start to buy 'Christmas" candy soon which include FR--which don't survive past week 1 of Dec! Please take pictures--that is the treat!

For many years my Mother did the 12 meatless dishes for Christmas Eve (Ukrainian) but that waned over the years. Depending on energy levels (hahaa) we do other ethnic dishes on Christmas Day. I could eat cornmeal everyday!

cheers--Sharon

 

[missy]

Last year was our first Christmas tree together and I really enjoyed picking out the tree and decorating it. We picked it out on Christmas eve afternoon and decorated it when we got home. It was a lovely new tradition for us and we plan on continuing it this year. We are going to buy a new ornament each year together and use the ornaments from the 50's and onward that my dh's family passed down from his childhood. Looking forward to seeing more pics in this thread as the holidays approach.

 

[blondie~]

I love your lit palm Autumnnovember!

 

[Autumnovember]

I love your lit palm Autumnnovember!

Thank you! It looks like a palm tree but its something else. I'll ask hubby, its his plant!

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

Got my tree up today!

 

[Niel]

We do two things for our Christmas at our house. Ugly angels. They are old tree topers that I just have a soft spot for.

The other is our Christmas tree. You'll see why that's special lol.

 

[canuk-gal]

We do two things for our Christmas at our house. Ugly angels. They are old tree topers that I just have a soft spot for.

The other is our Christmas tree. You'll see why that's special lol.

I like retro stuff. Those angels are awesome...despite their subliminal messages!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Gypsy]

I put my wreath up late last night. It made me smile every time I saw it today.
We're shooting for next Friday or Saturday for the tree.

 

[Skippy123]

My boys are soooo into Christmas/Lights and anything Christmas related. Their little faces light up when they see Christmas trees so Thanksgiving, we just put up our tree (they helped me with ornaments). We also put up our lights outlining the house and put up the wreath. We are set!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Sounds good folks!

Making cookies today--will tackle the Christmas cake later this week. Will try a gluten free version for my sister.

Got the Tiffany Christmas China out. Like Gypsy and her wreath, it just makes me smile.

cheers--Sharon