Is there anybody who just isn't into Christmas?

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I still love Christmas but I have substantially cut back on decorations. My kids are gone and we usually are at their homes with small kids for Christmas. I avoid the stores like crazy. Refuse to do the malls at all. Do lots of handmade gifts unless someone really needs something store bought at Christmas. I did go to ToysRUs to look for a little sleeping bag cause we will be traveling the grandchild for Christmas. Someone suggested Walmart would have a better selection and I said, "Hey, I love these kids but not THAT much". I don't do Walmart.

If you want to love Christmas again, simplify, simplify, simplify!!!!

 

[gritsar]

The Christmas spirit doesn't usually hit me until a few days before the actual day.
I'm more into the peace and beauty of the season than I am all the frantic preparations.

 

[BlackBart]

Allot of people are disillusioned with Christmas. It has turned into a gross materialization holiday. It is pounded into you by the marketing people, Buy Buy Buy.
People give huge expensive gifts, which makes you think who are they trying to impress or buy.
Christmas has gotten so commercial and the true meaning of Christmas has been swept to the side.
We put up the tree, spend time with family/friends, exchange small meaningful gifts and donate to the food bank and third world programs such as
https://plancanada.ca/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=1299&nccsm=15&__nccscid=11
One year we worked at the food bank helping cook and serve people at the homeless shelter. That was probably the most rewarding Christmas we ever had. To give yourself, to give your time.
We consider oursleves lucky to live, where and how, we do.

 

[EweSheep]

I am not into Christmas decorating and I do like to keep things simple.

My xmas tree is a scraggy swanky tree which it looked like it has been runned over by a bush wacker. Cute tree and it does not take alot of decorations. I would need to thin out decorations tho! I am going to have a few Christmas round ornaments that we are going to glue our names to it and put on some sprinkles on it. Just like my Grandmother did, and to this day I still have it! i dont need a HUGE green tree with tons of decorations! For a tree "dress" I threw in a red bath towel on the bottom of base.

Saving up some comic papers for wrapping gifts, that is what my Dad's family did when they were young, living in the 30s - 40's and it is simple too! Hubby brings home a large roll of blank newspaper remant rolls from leftover prints that the newspaper toss out. Let my DD;s drawings all over it and we can make our own wrapping papers with colorful markers and crayons! Save some $$$$$$$$!

No ribbons and bows, we can make some from scratch papers and score it with scissors to "curl" them.

Trying to avoid Xmas rush, by shopping now for simple stuff. If you buy one of those ZhuZhu hamsters, dont buy all those accessories to go with it, just let the kid play with it in open cardboard pieces or your old Matchbox race car tracks. Sometimes it helps to have one expensive stuff and the rest of it is little stuff such as stocking stuffers. I do NOT like going into stores which they play Xmas songs over and over and over. UGH! It would be nice if they play a variety, not like a broken record of three songs, playing again and again within half an hour. UGH! People are at their worst when shopping, I'd rather see some smiling faces instead of facing a firing squad or a mob hell bent in getting ONE item that is so popular!

any old ornaments you dont use or want to keep, donate them!

 

[ScoobyRoo]

for the last several years my decor has been getting less and less. Two nights ago my DD informed me that she wanted to go "all out" on decorations this year.

I told her that is fine but you have to help put it back. We have seven trees that we used to put up,,,,Wait before you

,,,,we had the main tree in the family room, my son has my grandparents old aluminum tree in his room, older D has a purple one for her room and middle D has a pink one for her room and several other smaller ones tucked in corners of the dining room. Plus decorating the fireplace mantle and bannister.

I guess when you do get older, you kind of start cutting back or in my case with the bad economy looming over our heads. I don't have to worry about getting gifts. My kids are great about stuff like that. They would rather go to the 'plaza' for dinner, ride the horse drawn carriage and go to a book store for Christmas.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Quote:

that is what I love about my kids. They know they are very fortunate to have a place to live, have food to eat and clothes to wear. I agree that the meaning of Christmas has been swept aside by the commercial industry. Having our family together is a gift in itself. We are donating some turkeys to several needy families in town.

 

[Camelot Farms]

Im normally a Christmas nut but this year....not so much. I would just as soon skip it with all of the family/health and financial drama that we have going on. I keep telling myself that I will eventually get in the mood. In the meantime, I am extremely greatful for online shopping with free shipping.

**hoping somone comes up with a cure for my bah-hum-bug disease**

 

[kathleengp]

Just small for us too....one of my children (18 year old son) died suddenly 18 months ago and it certainly takes the wind out of all holidays. Last year I did totally store-bought new inexpensive tree ornaments because I couldn't bear to look in the ornament box - too many special ones.

We'll see about this year.....but seeing as the tears are starting already just typing this, it doesn't look likely. Same with stockings....same with all of it....just can't. Not without everyone here....he would have been 20 for this xmas....wonder what he would have wanted this year....

Counting my blessings that I'm up and out of bed and reasonably productive and generally feeling good....happy christmases are a bit too much to ask though.

I will ignore it until I can't any longer and then do it, but do it small....got me through last year.

 

[Katy]

If it wasn't for the grandkids I wouldn't do much at all. It's become so commercialized it's hard to even enjoy it anymore.

 

[DuckLady]

Quote:
+1

Our first grandchild will be born next month. I think that has a lot to do with why I feel better about it this year.