Christmas shopping.

[Rachel]

I do mine early. Ppl have been grousing about stores putting up Chr. decorations after Halloween. But you know why? They've figured out a lot of ppl do the shopping early & they think the decorations will "put you in the mood." It doesn't.

[Littlebit]

It does for me. To each his/her own.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

[Butterbean]

I just can't get "in the mood" until Thanksgiving. No amount of decorations in stores can change that.

[haleoalau]

I just can't get "in the mood" until Thanksgiving. No amount of decorations in stores can change that.

ditto. Christmas decor/music etc, do not come out until the day after Thanksgiving at the earliest.

Poor Thanksgiving. It gets ignored earlier and earlier every year...

[Nitro]

I've done some of my shopping. Of course they are preorders for Blu Rays that come out in December. Does that count?

[GameCook]

What the stores know is "The earlier you are to shop the more you are likely to spend in total during the season."

Having said that, I too have already began my shopping, but I buy eclectic gifts that take some tracking down.

Having said that, I flatly refuse to get in the Christmas spirit until after T-Day. We do an elaborate Christmas decorative display indoor and outdoor that we necessarily have already began putting up. But we will not light it up until the day after T-Day.

[ghenne]

I've got about 3/4 of my shopping done, but keep in mind that I make a lot of handmade gifts. My husband and I have been working on some wood projects that are really coming out great, so we are working on those each weekend.

I'm not in the Christmas spirit per say, but I'm enjoying crafting for Christmas. The decoations don't really put me in the mood. I think Christmas decorations should wait until AFTER Thanksgiving, that's was the tradition when I was growing up. I think it's sad when you see Santa near the pumpkins and turkeys.

[okbye]

I haven't been in the Christmas spirit for 30 years since we moved to this winter deficient state. Luckily Christmas spirit is not a requirement for me to buy things for people. I shop year round, I'm pretty much done with my shopping except for a few gift exchanges where I don't know who I'm shopping for yet. Regardless of when it is if I see something that someone would like I buy it.

[repmogirl]

I went to the Tanger Outlet Mall in Branson today. You would have thought it was the week before Christmas. I went in the Gymboree outlet & picked up a couple or three cute things for G's nephew to be, only after I picked up things did I realize that the checkout line was 40 people deep & there was one person checking. I put my things back & walked out. When we went in Osh Kosh I paid more attention... Spenser stood in line while I shopped. The Nike store was full, but they were much more prepared for it. I got Spense Air Jordan's for basketball for $19.99 & a polo for $4.87, no pain at all at the checkout

I wouldn't have driven to Branson just for basketball shoes, but Spense had won some Ride the Ducks tickets that were going to expire when Branson shuts down in a month or so.

[sadiedog]

I want to go Christmas shopping! I have been seeing all the decorations coming out and want to jump in and buy new stuff for the house. I've even got an idea of what everyone is getting.

(Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!)

[vickatina]

Speaking from the point of view as a person who has worked in retail for about 10 years now, usually by the time Christmas comes around I am in NO mood to celebrate anything.

During my last few years at Wally World (2005-2007) I didn't even want to put up a tree or anything. But I did for the kids.

Now that I work at Wegmans (grocery store) I don't have the decorations "in my face" as much, so now I'm starting to get into the spirit more.


But, I don't do any decorating until after Turkey day. Shopping I may do early, depending on the gift, how expensive it is, or if inspiration hits me.

[indybear]

I do Christmas shopping year-round. In fact, I have next year's present for one niece already. I stay away from the annual "hot item" and instead take advantage of sales, especially for kids clothes. I also give "traditional" gifts - the nieces and nephew on one side always get the annual Waterford ornament, so I don't have to figure out what to get for 4 teenagers.

I love Christmas, but after a day in the kitchen, trudging through the malls is totally unappealing. I usually just barely get some lights up outside, and other than the tree, we don't do much inside.

[Rachel]

I marvel at the ppl that go out to shop the day after TG. The crowds, the traffic, usually the weather,
and the LINES!
no way.

[sadiedog]

My thing is to wait until about 10:00 am to go out on Black Friday. I have found no crowds and the sales are still in affect. Heck, some places (BB&B, for instance) allowed me to get sale prices about an hour after the sale ended. I shop for a couple hours, have lunch, then return home.

I never buy any of those things that require me to be anywhere at 5:00 am, so that's never an issue.

I've got the Christmas music on the PS3, all set up to the stereo, today I'm going to get the music on the MP3 player.

[aslansavz]

Vickie - I'm the same way. I did bookstore retail in a mall for ten years, and lost all 'spirit' of the season. It took quite a while for me to get excited about Christmas again. I've found the Joy again, and stay away from retail as much as possible in this part of the year. I don't mind seeing Christmas at hobby places because crafters do start early to finish projects, but I don't like seeing it anywhere else til the day after Thanksgiving.

[Jikuu]

This year, since I still count as "poor college student", I'm making Good Eats fruitcake to give to family.

As for the decoration bit, I'm willing to let it slide that they put up decorations early. I caught Target having Halloween and Christmas decorations up at the same time, and I gotta draw the line there. One holiday at a time!

[L. J. Monaghan]

I tend to do a lot of mine throughout the year. If I see a bargain on an item in July that I think will make a great gift I just pick it up and store it until December.

By the time that the actual "Christmas Season" comes around, I usually only have 2-3 gifts left to pick up.

[Marz Epan]

I don't want to hear Christmas music or see decorations until after Thanksgiving. Somehow we go from Halloween to Christmas in the blink of an eye and Thanksgiving gets pushed aside like it's unimportant -- maybe because retailers can't profit from it like they do Halloween (candy, costumes, decorations) and Christmas (gifts and decorations)? It's kind of sad that a holiday that focuses on gratitude is used as a kick-off to promote materialism and greed the very next day (Black Friday).

[LinC]

I do not have the Christmas spirit, but I have made good progress on my Christmas presents. Most of my family is in California, and I like to mail their things the week after Thanksgiving. So I have to start early!

I did buy Christmas cards yesterday, but only because they were 30% off at Barnes and Noble.

I don't mind the decorations (I can ignore them), but I wish stores would at least hold off on the Christmas music until later in the month. I find it amazing that in December, all the glitter and twinkle seems so magical but by January the 1st it just seems tawdry.

[Erin]

I don't want to hear Christmas music or see decorations until after Thanksgiving. Somehow we go from Halloween to Christmas in the blink of an eye and Thanksgiving gets pushed aside like it's unimportant -- maybe because retailers can't profit from it like they do Halloween (candy, costumes, decorations) and Christmas (gifts and decorations)? It's kind of sad that a holiday that focuses on gratitude is used as a kick-off to promote materialism and greed the very next day (Black Friday).

QFT.

[GameCook]

I marvel at the ppl that go out to shop the day after TG. The crowds, the traffic, usually the weather,
and the LINES! no way.

Our family tradition is to go hunting on Black Friday. It has been since before I was born.

Waterfowl hunting requires us to get up at 2am to be out of the house by 2:30am. As we drive to our hunting site, it is interesting to see all the businesses open (or at least lights on in preparation) and way more people up and about than normal at that hour. Usually at that hour all we ever see are cops and other hunters. Not on Black Friday. Not even close.

[Dana]

I don't want to hear Christmas music or see decorations until after Thanksgiving. Somehow we go from Halloween to Christmas in the blink of an eye and Thanksgiving gets pushed aside like it's unimportant -- maybe because retailers can't profit from it like they do Halloween (candy, costumes, decorations) and Christmas (gifts and decorations)? It's kind of sad that a holiday that focuses on gratitude is used as a kick-off to promote materialism and greed the very next day (Black Friday).

QFT.

+1

Most of my gifts this year will be baked good again. I ordered some clearance bags from Nashville Wraps (which i highly recommend) and I'll be using some left over cello bags from last year's purchase. Other than that, most of my decorating will be centered around gold...so that it can be Thanksgiving related...then morph into Christmas w/o me having to spend a lot of dough.

[beenie]

I'm actually happy for the one radio station in town that goes 24/7 with the Christmas music starting right after Halloween - it helps me get in the spirit to start making Christmas cards, which I'd never have time to make if I waited until after Thanksgiving to start (I make a lot).

And I can't even tell you how wide the smile on my face was when I first saw Christmas stuff at Hobby Lobby... in September. Which reminds me, we need a new tree this year.

[repmogirl]

I'm always excited for the Holiday stuff to come at work!

Our holiday packaging is great this year. It just gets better & better

We have several "gift" options that are ready to pick up & go great to a party. Great hostess/office type gifts that don't need anything or very little extra.

Nothing is over the top or gaudy, or even overtly Christmas.

The new cranberry muffin in yummy as is the Cinnamon Swirl Crumb Coffeecake

Pannetone comes after turkey day

[GameCook]

. . . .Somehow we go from Halloween to Christmas in the blink of an eye and Thanksgiving gets pushed aside like it's unimportant. . . .

Sort of like how Veteran's Day (Nov. 11) is now.

[lonewolfette]

I did a buttload of my Christmas shopping online this past weekend. I won't be doing more at least until next week... I spent too much already.

[Trega]

. . . .Somehow we go from Halloween to Christmas in the blink of an eye and Thanksgiving gets pushed aside like it's unimportant. . . .

Sort of like how Veteran's Day (Nov. 11) is now.

I guess if it's not a gift-giving holiday, it gets pushed aside

[Charlene]

Speaking from the point of view as a person who has worked in retail for about 10 years now, usually by the time Christmas comes around I am in NO mood to celebrate anything.

During my last few years at Wally World (2005-2007) I didn't even want to put up a tree or anything. But I did for the kids.

Now that I work at Wegmans (grocery store) I don't have the decorations "in my face" as much, so now I'm starting to get into the spirit more.


But, I don't do any decorating until after Turkey day. Shopping I may do early, depending on the gift, how expensive it is, or if inspiration hits me.

I love these and I'm probably going to steal them