I don’t like a lot of hustle and bustle. So even when Kaitlin was little and we had presents to buy for relatives, I planned ahead so I could keep the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas a quiet time. What is this time like for you?
December 14, 2016
These days, we stay completely away from any holiday hustle and bustle. What little shopping we do is already taken care of. Any needed shopping is done away from the crowd, either by shopping at other stores or going in the morning.
I do most of my non-grocery shopping online. That simplifies things a lot.
I never go anywhere near sales. The crush and the hysteria aren’t worth the one or two bargains you might pick up, if someone else hasn’t picked them up first. I try to visit shops when they’re virtually empty and I can choose what I want in peace without feeling hassled.
I agree! Except we live in the sticks so mostly shop online.
it’s very quiet for me. and has been for a long long time.
and I love it.
I read about all the frantic activity.
I love the sparkly lights most of all. so any activity is planned (if it’s planned at all) around seeing the lights and then going somewhere that I love the food…
sharing good conversation with the marine.
I don’t recall my mother ever being frantic about it all either! so perhaps it’s just in my blood?
We always go for a drive on Christmas Eve to look at the lights. Kaitlin, Torben and the pups will join us this year. 🙂
it’s probably starting to get busy here, but as I don’t need to rush about getting any type of gift, I’ve not really thought about it…
Although, when I’m out, I note long rolls of wrapping paper in shopping bags, so I guess people are “on2it”…
I will need some more food stuffs but will do that early next week…and I need to buy some more things for my “own present” and am hoping to get some today, when I really feel like getting up/out (had my mocha)
That sounds nice and peaceful. 🙂
We have no family here except Dave’s sister and her family and they often go away for the holidays so ours are very quiet. They will be in town this year but two of their three children’s families will be gone and the third is on call so this will be another quiet year. I used to miss big family gatherings but not so much anymore.
As adults we’ve always lived away from our extended families, so our Christmases have always been peaceful. Except for the times years ago when we would fly to be with Andy’s folks for Christmas. We stopped that when Kaitlin was about 5. We spent the night before our flight in Albuquerque because we wanted to get an early flight and arrive at a decent time. We ended up traveling for just about 24 hours and arrived about 5 am the next morning. I will spare you the details, but we decided not to fly in winter again. 😀
I actually haven’t bought or made a thing this year yet
and time is definitely running out!
Years ago I worked in retail and that was a nightmare during the holidays.
But this year my sister and I have vowed not to get each other anything that would add to the clutter.
So… the people I must buy for will get a gift card.
I usually chip in with the others for a gift card to Dinner Theater for my step-mom and her hubs.
I’ll get Lily a gift card to Michaels or someplace where she can buy clay.
Maybe another niece will get a small one for Amazon so she can pick out a book.
We have all vowed to keep it very small.
I guess I better figure it out soon though! LOL!
xoxo
At least it’s a lot simpler than buying gifts you have to wrap. My sister worked in retail before she retired, and she agrees about the madhouse.
The Christian community here would go through the res of the month in preparations for the festival and the new year. For the rest, it is to hope that Christian neigbours will share goodies with them during the season!
Sounds like a great plan!
My family is large and our Christmas traditions were more about spending time than spending money. As my siblings and I grew up and had our own families, we continued gift exchanges for a few years, but that petered out as some of us moved to different cities. Now, we each handle gift giving separately and observe some family customs. mostly getting together for dinners and sending greetings across the miles. So hustle and bustle is kept to a minimum.
That’s great. 🙂