Okay, Missjannas post made me think, how far along am I with my holiday shopping?

I realized, holy cow, I'm almost finished and it isn't Thanksgiving yet!

2 people down, 8 to go, and I will manage to kill off at least another 3 people this weekend....however going to NH over Thanksgiving and not having to pay Sales Tax is inviting, although from what I understand it's a crowded mess...

I bought two gifts for one person.
I cannot adjust to a warm holiday season, I feel like I have so much time until Christmas!!
I have to make a list...
Oh oh!! I did buy lovely Holiday cards~

I felt anxious as soon as I saw the title of this Post! Not one present has been purchased. Curses to being in a line of work that just gets busier as the holidays approach (all of them)! I must sit down with DH this weekend and make the list...how did I let this go again..?I swore this year would be different....sigh.

Funny you should ask GT I just started shopping this week...it's my favorite time of year to shop because it's one for them, two for me One niece, 3 nephews down...miles to go! Normally, I try to buy gifts throughout the year, especially when traveling, but this year I failed miserably so I'm basically starting from scratch.

Scarlett, I felt the same way after moving to south TX...15 years later my body clock still gets confused at times :-? ...as do I

I think subliminally I have been hoping that the Yankee would have a Brainstorm and take me away for the holidays...like Europe or India LOL

I have a new shopping strategy. Yesterday I went to the car wash to get my car washed - while there got my mother some car wash gift certificates. Then stopped to pick up pizza and salad - gift card there for someone else. Today while waiting for daughter to get her hair cut - I think you get the drift.

This works because I have no kids on my gift list (well, teenagers - but no toy store stops!) Wondering if anyone needs anything from supermarket, dry cleaner, hardware store - general goal is to avoid the mall!

I have most of Mr.R5's and family/friends goodies as I
Detest
(would say that with all caps, but it's too nice a day to "shout") shopping malls(even more so this time of year).

I try to do all my shopping in my lovely small town downtown and the rest on-line.
He, OTOH, will delight in a last minute frenzy on or about the 23rd of Dec.
God bless him.

I wonder if most couples are different
in their purchasing habits??
R5

Scarlett, what a great idea! While your husband is asleep whisper sweet somethings into his ear, like..."you are a studly man who wants to take his adoring wife overseas for the holidays"

gail, does this mean there will be holiday envelopes under your tree this year instead of holiday packages?

Every year on Christmas Eve when I'm running around in a mad panic to finish my shopping I swear it will be different the next year. Every year it is the same.

Until this year. I have no idea how I managed to be this far along this early.

I think our husbands all band together in the mall/stores the day before Christmas and shop together!!
It is a huge conspiracy !

Everyone I know has too much of everything already. This year I making a change. It isn't going to be stuff, and I just don't what it will be quite yet.

Just need gifts for spouse and a couple of gift cards. Wrapped everything I had on Wed. night 11/17. Reason? We see one family at Thanksgiving, one at Christmas -- so I need to have things ready by Thanksgiving anyway. And I enjoy shopping but not when everyone else is out.

JJ5, there are times I like to give the gift of trees...or food!

I take my family of 10 (6 adults, 4 grandchildren) on a family trip. Usually at Christmas because it is getting more difficult to take the grandchildren out of school. My motive is to spend the money with them while I'm still around. I do buy the four grandchildren one present. Owa

It pays off to be Jewish All I get at this time of the year is some Chanukah money holders for 2-4 children, the quantity depends if my 2 sons have or don't have girlfriends.

Now cooking is a completely different story, but I love to have guests, and always cook from scratch. Will be making a list this weekend to feed all kind of dieters and picky eaters.

Shopping? Yikes! I went to the mall last weekend (without a list), wandered around aimlessly and left empty handed. I'm off to a fabulous start

No more waiting in the toy store line at 5 a.m. to get the lastest gadget for the kiddies. Although I do miss it!

We might just take a family ski trip over the holiday break instead but we'll figure that out over Thanksgiving.

Trees or foods! Huuuuuum! There are about 20 gifts I need just for immediate family members. But food might work. I've always given my DAD food from the European store. Things he had in his childhood.

One year I wrote everyone a letter with their gift. It was about 15 years ago and maybe it's time for another letter, plus some food. Good idea. I would love to take them all downtown (Chicago)
although we have too many varying schedules. But I think I may try to pull that off the Monday or Tuesday after Christmas. If that flies, I just may stick with sports equip. certificates or food specialty favorite, and their individual letter, only to be read by themselves.

Toys are a joke. My grandkids have their own electric cars,great bikes,computers, horses, and/or every American Girl doll thing they want. My 8 year old grandson has his own go cart and track. My ten year old granddaughter has been to three different birthday "makeover" parties in high end spas, just from girlfriends at school. Clothes are REALLY hard, and I won't go there. They've all grown so much that 2 are taller than I am. And I don't know what they know, what is in and what is not. I won't try to compete and don't want to. I try to give them experience instead. And some skills, like cooking. They are very, very lucky kids. An orange just doesn't do it anymore, let me tell you.

Although I normally love to shop, you could not pay me enough to go to a mall this time of year, lol!

I have bought for MIL who is in a nursing home, things to donate, and then a few stocking stuffers...but thats it so far. The worst part is that I have NO idea what to get several people!!!

Normally we do a trip over Christmas and take our stockings, and the stuff in the stockings are the only gifts exchanged. I thought the kids would be upset over the lack of big gifts, but not really.

This year is different though...we moved and so it is our first year in our new home and dh and the kids want to have Christmas here...gifts and all!

So...the whole family is getting new showshoes. Still need to order those.

Figure if I can make it through Thanksgiving then I can start to think about Christmas.

I had to smile when I saw Faina's post - in my case being Jewish doesn't get me off the Christmas-shopping hook. Three of my 4 kids married people who aren't Jewish, and my sweetie is the definitive WASP - so we do have a Christmas celebration complete with presents and a tree. I will admit to enjoying it enormously, but don't tell anybody. In terms of shopping, I still have a lot to do, but did manage to get my sweetie's present a couple of weeks ago. I wondered out loud where I was going to hide it once I got it home, and the salesman said "Oh, just put it with your girly things - they never look in there!" He was right. It's quite safe.