Sorry, but my holiday cheer has gone right out the window this year -sm
Posted By: humbug on 2008-12-22
In Reply to:
For the second time in 2 months, after never having had any problems with this in the past, my credit card number has been stolen and used fraudulently. I follow all the guidelines for using a credit card, etc., and check my account online constantly to make sure everything is okay (actually used to work in the fraud dept for a major credit card company) and yet again there are charges on there I have not done. That card is closed again and they are reissuing a new card number. Do I have to stop living in order that the little thieves of the world are able to provide for the people on their holiday list? Sorry, just really angry at this right now. Merry Christmas to me, huh? 
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I am not a fan of Lowe's this year. They changed everything to seasonal or holiday sm
trees and decorations. No mention of CHRIST in anything. So sad.
I'm avoiding the entire holiday shopping insanity this year. - sm
My family and I have all reached the point where it's nearly impossible to find anything that the other person would really like or can really use. The last years have been just the stupidity of us all trying to buy gifts on a limited income, which after all the shopping-mall challenges, wrapping challenges, and Post Office lines (as everyone is scattered all over the country), just to send each other things that end up being white elephants, we discussed it and said, 'Why are we doing this?' I had come to dread Christmas time like no other time of year. Even tax time was better!
So instead, last year we said enough of this commercialism is enough. We just kicked back and enjoyed the season. Went to the ice rink in the city and looked at all the lights on the buildings. Wrote cards (with actual LETTERS in them, not just printed names & greetings, which in my mind are a waste of postage), donated toys/gifts to kids or families who really could use a Christmas gift, and maybe got a few small things for close friends. I cut my Christmas card list down to just a few close friends who live far away, family in other parts of the country or the world, and skipped all the ones on the list who haven't bothered to return a phone call, note, or email in the past 5 years.
I spent Christmas Day with my best friends, then decided to go climb the hundreds of steps up the steep hill to Coit Tower in the city, and marvel at the view of the bay on a clear winter evening.
It's amazing how stress-reducing it's been to give up the Holiday rat-race. A few years ago I 'went AWOL' from everyone and everything on Christmas Eve. Drove up to one of the smaller & less-crowded Sierra ski resorts, Dodge Ridge, which is kind of out in the middle of nowhere up in the mountains, at the end of a dead-end road well off any main highways. After a nice day of skiing, I timed my 2nd-to-last run so that I was the very last person to get on the chairlift before they closed it down. Once at the summit, with the sun starting to set (and my ears turning numb in the wind & snow), I took my time adjusting boots, poles, etc., so that I'd be the very last one down the mountain. And much to the consternation of the Ski-Patrol making their last day's sweep of the mountain to make sure everyone's gotten down okay, I took my sweet time doing that, as well, and was rewarded with an incredible sunset off in the distance in the West, even though it was still snowing lightly on the mountain. And it was incredible to be able to go swooping down the runs alone, without any other sounds or skiers.
On the drive back home, the clouds cleared and there was a huge full moon - (I believe someone said the last full moon on Christmas Eve for 30 years?) It lit up the snow in the canyons like it was almost daylight, and I pulled off the road a few times just to enjoy the view and the silence. (A TRUE 'Silent Night'!)
:)
Holiday Inn w/Bing&Astair and The Holiday w/Diaz&Winslet NM
.
If you need to cheer up or be inspired (sm)
Listen to this song! I don't really care for the video but I love the song and the words!! Really beautiful! Makes you wanna jump up and spin around your house :-)
In case the link doesn't work it is Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten (not the acoustic)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=4lFXy5bIiSA
Color-Guard Cheer
DH has to wear red to work now, and I wear a lot also. For warm loads I usually add one of the oxygen products or else color-safe bleach, and for cold I add bleach for colors.
I can't use regular bleach on whites because even if I rinse the load twice, DH itches terribly.
The Holiday does it for me. or Holiday Inn for a priceless oldie.nm
x
Husband is a die-hard Eagle fan!! I am a Packer fan so it will be against my nature to cheer for Chi
x
My son goes outside with the dog & raps on the window...
startles the heck outta me! And he knows it, and loves to do it! I keep telling him he's gonna give me a heart attack one day.
what about window tint
that's another removal option, heavy window tint like the car tint that you apply with soap and water, available at Lowe's and such.
How about window shutters either outside or in - sm
that you can pull open or shut. They are usually on the outside of a house (look at old, old houses) but I am sure you could do the same thing inside, though you would need room on both sides of the window for them to open flat.
2- month window
and then there won't even be a way to give a bad rating of the dealer.
How to remove car window tinting sm
I've got some ideas off the internet using alcohol, Joy dish soap, ammonia, and wall paper steamer. Anyone else have any ideas? Mine is on the inside glass on all windows. It's 10 years old and really needs to be removed as it doesn't clean well anymore and smears so bad I can hardly see at night to drive. Any ideas out there? TIA.
Fog is not excused lateness. You look out window,
x
Sun exposure, yes -- through a window, no. YOU do some reading, please. nm
nm
Go jump through your window, Chuck.
.
My cat Molly jumped out a second story window
My cat Molly jumped out a second story window to get a bird once. She landed on her feet with the bird.
Has anyone done all the latest updates for Window and did you have any problems. nm
:
get out and take it off the back window. good luck.
x
ok sk8girl, the window is wonderful and a really good thing
for your eyes. If you focus near and then you can focus out a window, you will save your eyes and type for about 20 more years than you would without a window. I lost my window and my eyes followed close behind. I love that you all have the same stacks of books I do, same bowl of almost food, required coffee mug and the fact that it looks like we all spend our lives right in that chair. ha ha.
Exercise, take a walk, jumping jacks, crack your window, do something
s
Hubs did window cleaning as a teen & always got swamped w/folks wanting them
s
In our town, the Chinese restaurant has a painted sign on window: Hot Wing sold here. nm
n
Bigger issue - a 16 year old living withi a 29 year old and liability
Are you still not responsible for him until he is 18, how can he tell you where he will live? Unless he emancipates himself and he does something wrong, can they go against you since you are his mother and legally responsible for him? I worry more about him living with a 29 year old sister rather than returning a house key to me that is a bigger issue.
My 14-year-old is going to be a mother-in-law (so funny) if you google it and 11-year-old daughter
x
Won $2,000 on slot machine on New Year's Eve. What a way to start the year. nm
!
Set my budget a year in advance, save all year and
nm
Holiday coverage.
I have worked on days where the doc would not do surgery on a trauma patient until the ER/trauma examination was typed and in the file, making it a STAT report. Somebody has to be there to type it and send it back to them in a timely manner, not the next day.
Anyone get the holiday blues?
For whatever reason . . . family conflicts, financial stress, lonliness, etc?
holiday giving
What you are doing is a wonderful thing and I understand your hurt feelings. Perhaps next year you could channel your energy into giving where it would DEFINITELY be appreciated. Regardless of whether or not you support the war in Iraq, there are many of our troops there who would love to receive a card or care package for the holidays. There are plenty of needy children here in our country who could use a card or gift for the holidays. Why not give where it is wanted and needed? Your church can give you the name of a needy family for you to help at the holidays. You have many options to chose from. Pick something that will make it feel good on both the recipient and the givers side??
Holiday budgets - do you have one, keep one and ....sm
what works to keep you in budget if you have one? My husband and teenager went WAY over budget last year for Christmas so this year I've told them that it's cash only for their purchases and no internet shopping (that got them in trouble last year buying too much stuff because they didn't bother to track how much they were spending).
We've got $1300 budgeted for this Christmas. That includes $150 each kid for Santa gifts (2 kids), $100 each for my husband and myself to get each other something, each of us gets $100 total to get gifts for each other (i.e. kids get $100 to buy gifts for each other as well as we parents), $50 each allotted for our 3 parents, $25/each alotted for each of our siblings (small gifts always given - agreed amongst siblings years ago) and $50 to get gifts for the kids teachers and bus drivers. It sure adds up, doesn't it?
Holiday traditions - what do you do...sm
The night after Thanksgiving, we order a large pizza for dinner, watch Christmas Vacation and Polar Express, and then drink hot chocolate while the kids decorate the Christmas tree and the cats act like kittens again. What does everyone else do?
TV holiday commercials
Of course, there are zillions of commercials now with Christmas coming up. I just had to tell you my favorite and see if you have one. This would be fun.  This week, there have been tons of diamond commercials on TV, Zales, etc. There is one where the family comes down the stairs and somebody is sneaking a look in a present (it should be one of the kids). All they show is the mom and a close up of her face being caught! Then they say something about diamonds etc. I usually don't pay attention to commercials but I love that! She looks like a real mom, and I felt like that was what I would do, getting caught at sneaking a look. (Of course it would not be diamonds, but I'd still get caught even if it was a blender LOL).
Holiday tins
You can usually find these in a dollar store for about $1 each and you can line them with waxed paper. I use these when I make fudge for my daughter's teachers.
This holiday has gotten way more low-key and quiet for me.
My kids are 20, 18 and 17. The oldest lives at college and has to leave by 11:00 a.m. on Easter morning to make it back to school on Sunday night. We'll go to church on Saturday night to the vigil Mass. We don't buy new outfits, because we don't need them. No egg dyeing, because no one here likes to eat them. But, we will have a big breakfast early on Sunday morning, nibble out of the community candy basket, kiss the oldest one good-bye as he heads back to school, and then I'm going on a hike at the local environmental reserve where I'll sit down on a rock or log somewhere and enjoy the peace, think, and pray for a bit.
Quiet is nice.
What is a holiday? I don't know anymore. NM
xx
Holiday for MTs? - Unheard of.
I have been an MT for a long time and very rarely do I see a holiday. As an employee I had to take the holiday off whether I wanted to or not. Now that I'm on my own I can work when I want. I usually do work holidays as we are a "one-income" family. My weekends usually consist of working morning and partial afternoons on Saturdays and maybe mornings on Sunday - but that is my choice. So, for the weekend and holiday I will be working.
One of my fav holiday weekends, second
Saturday, we have a huge craft show to go to, followed by 3 baseball games of my boys', followed by some serious picnicking Saturday evening.
As for Sunday, fairly relaxing, a little work in the morning and evening, visiting family in the afternoon and picnicking some more.
Monday should be a fairly quiet day - a little work in the morning and evening, a late morning Memorial Day parade and early afternoon picnicking, maybe a movie with the kids!
Love this weekend -- gets me started on a great summer!
seriously disgusting how this holiday
extravaganza. What about the fallen heros??
Tax Free Holiday
I'm posting this here and in the WAHM forums, this link shows which states are having sales tax exempt shopping, when they are having it and what items are exempt. Everyone (Especially MTs) could use to save a few bucks.
http://singleparents.about.com/od/taxfreeholidays/2007_Sales_Tax_Free_Holidays.htm
I know the link says 2007 in it, but its for 2008 (as in my case NC is this weekend).
Let's vote a new holiday in ...
Just ONE day a year that we all are nice, friendly, nonjudgmental, noncritical, etc.
holiday quandry
I too think it would be good for everyone to come to your home, as this is your first Christmas as husband and wife - this is very important to the two of you and family should respect that.
Holiday memories....
My dad saying (when I was age 4 to 6) that there was an elf that would hop on his shoulder every morning when he got in the car to go to work and ask if I had been good the day before. I can remember waiting for him to get home and then excitedly asking him if he talked to the elf...ok, now I'm misty eyed!
Waiting in the longest line to get Cabbage Patch Kids for my daughters when they first came out....lucky enough to get ones with decent enough names and birthdates close to my girls' birthdays.
Making the dreaded yam/sweet potato casserole at Thanksgving and ALWAYS setting the marshmallow bag on the hot oven door, thus melting the plastic, nice touch.
Realizing that I don't care if I have to pay full price, I do not shop the day after Thanksgiving any more!
We don't have a holiday dinner without
mac and cheese. This is mostly due to my niece. The only thing she will eat at these major meals is kraft mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and rolls. She is 14 years old, but SIL and BIL have no problem with it. I am lucky, my kids don't like everything, but are good eaters and most of the time are willing to try new things.
I go through this same thing every holiday -
I have to spend the holiday with my family by myself and miss my husband or else I have to insist that he go and then we are both miserable all day and it turns out bad anyway.
I never know what to do...
I want to spend holidays with him, but at the same time I do not want to make him go somewhere he obviously does not want to be.
I'm sorry that I cannot give you answers, but just wanted you to know that you are not alone.
holiday shopping
Did anyone see on the news the WalMart employee trampled to death by the mob storming the place when the doors opened? What a sad commentary that is on society. I will be saying a prayer for this person's family.
THE HOLIDAY!!!!! I saw it 4 times at the movies with all sm
different sets of friends. SOOO romantic - ultimate chick flick. I never saw a movie with Jude Law before that one. MY FAVORITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME! Jude Law is amazingly gorgeous. I promise, you will love this movie. Ultimate in romance and humor!!Even my husband liked it and he doesn't like chick flicks.
Holiday custodial woes
My daughter divorced last December, so this is the first big holiday since. There is a lot of turmoil and anamosity between her and the ex-husband. BTW, he cheated and is now married to the "other woman"; they and her three children live in a neighboring town. My daughter mentioned to him that she wasn't going to do a lot for Easter for their daughter, who is now going on 9 (too old for the Easter bunny IMHO) and will have her BD with gifts next month. Joy did make her a new outfit for school and gave her a chocolate bunny and a favorite cream egg. So, the ex's family had a Easter egg hunt yesterday and Joy allowed Emily to attend, even though it's her weekend to have Emi. Emily comes home with a foot-diameter-size Easter basket, crammed with candy, junky plastic toys, stuffed animals, candy, and more candy. Joy stored three large boxes of this type junk two weeks ago. Emily has had 10, yes, 10 cavities in her short life and he still buys candy for her at every opportunity. This seems to me to be a pattern--whatever Joy does he tries to "outdo," even when it's not a good thing for Emily. Can't say too much--will come across as "sour grapes." He is not an impulsive kid--going on 36 years old. I'm sure it's not going to be the last time. How do others handle this? I was divorced but we lived in another state, so this type of "competition" didn't happen.
Wondering about holiday gift
I just recently met some darling, sweet girls, actually believe they would be my third cousins, my cousin's son's daughters?? Well anyway I thought they were probably the best behaved little ladies I had met in some time. We were at a funeral and quiet as a mouse. Afterwards they seemed to take to me and I talked with them and asked if their stud earrings real diamonds, no and I just kiddingly told them maybe they should ask their father or grandfather (my first cousin) about getting them the real deal. Now this is what I was thinking about doing. I know I can buy some sorta inexpensive diamond stud earrings for these young ladies for Christmas but my daughter thinks I might be overstepping my boundaries. Any thoughts on this? I would love to get just because I thought they were mighty special.
I have a holiday ponytail-scrunchie......... nm
:)
Cheers to you and yours, Hay! Love your holiday
s
you couldn't pay me to shop on a tax holiday
that's like shopping on the day after thanksgiving. No thanks!!
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