[Orangecupcakez]

There is only 29 days til Christmas and I have not purchased a gift for ANYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now talk about stressful!!!

Anyone else in the same boat?!?!?!

[Jillegal]

Yep, make room in the boat for me. Not one purchase made yet Too, too much going on lately - albeit wonderful going's on I'm making strides though in that I've prepared a list of those who shall be gifted and have gifts ideas beside pretty much all. My plan of action is to start on a Friday night and be finished by store closing on a Sunday evening. I won't drag my sorry butt home until its done!

I'm not up to thinking about outside lights, inside decorations, cutting and trimming of the tree, menu planning and where on earth I'll put everyone...yet. I'll think about that tomorrow, after all, tomorrow is another day

[lessofsarahtolove]

I'm right there with you, Dawn and Jill -- not a single gift yet. Can you spell, "D. E. N. I. A. L. ?" Things have been just TOO hectic to get around to that, but now the clock's ticking! We had our annual miserable Thanksgiving with her family yesterday, and tomorrow (Saturday) we'll have our annual Second Thanksgiving At Home. Then on Sunday we'll get a tree and trim it, and put up the lights outside.

The gifts?? Well, like Jill said, there's always tomorrow.....

[Inca's Momma]

I enjoy my annual procrastination until the 23rd or 24th then I freak out. I'm thinking this year though that I do need to at least try to do it earlier as to avoid stressing the baby.

[slimmingsi]

i really hate christmas lol so i get my mum to buy me summat for my dad and my dad to buy me something for my mum sorted

[Crime girl]

Hey all!
I am also living in denial that Christmas will get here I guess. Not one gift and you can bet I am not going out in the hordes to look in the next few days. Maybe online shopping is a good option for me.
Anyway- tomorrow is another day and eventually I will have to do something, right??

[SwimGirl]

I've already shopped and finished shopping for 4 people.. just 22 to go! Yes, thats right, I have to shop for 26 people! How does this happen? My boyfriend and I both have a small enough family that we need to shop for everyone, plus he has co-workers that have been buying him very expensive presents all year long. Luckily we both recieved good raises recently, and have planned in advance for this, not to mention I am a very good shopper I'm curious though, why is christmas so stressful for everyone? If it's shopping for presents, I should sell my services, I can pick out the perfect present for almost everyone.. or is it all my family crazyness?

-Aimee

[Crime girl]

Ah HA!
I need your service! I would pay really good money if someone would shop for me!
26 people though???? I would have to send a card and apology to everyone- it would short circuit my brain to have to come up with presents for that many people.

This would be me!

[SwimGirl]

Crime Girl - I have to see them all around christmas, so I can't just send a card. Infact, on Christmas Day we have to see so many people I get to wake up in my own bed, go to the bf's parents house, where his brother and his two kids will be, and then we are having dinner with the bf's aunt, 2 cousin's, and their significant others. And on the 26th, we both work, then head to Seattle to do christmas with MY family, and my brother, his gf, my mom, her bf, and my aunt and grandma will all be there. The only way to avoid seeing everyone is to say I can't get away for christmas, but last year my mom and brother came to stay with me, only my place is too small, so they got a hotel (where I stayed too), and that was about 1,500! I love love love christmas though, and since I *still* get spoiled rotten, how could I not? As for the actual shopping ( I love shopping, I find everything on sale ) I always figure out what I want to buy for people, and THEN head out. And if you start early, you can get to all the good November sales, Pier 1 just had a HUGE one! Anyways, I'm babbling, but if you seriously do need help figuring out what to get people, let me know.. I might be able to help you

-Aimee

[PamPSM644]

I'm gettig ready to give my credit cards their annual work out. I've found that the closer to x-mass it gets the lower the prices except for toys that are in high demand and I have no reason yet to buy those.

[Crime girl]

Aimee,
WOW! You have some busy days ahead of you. It sounds hectic but fun- it is always nice being surrounded by family on the holidays. I unfortunately can not go to my folks house for Christmas this year so my presents will have to be shipped. Unlike you though- I only have around 10 presents to buy total for everyone so that is not too bad.
As for shopping- I hate it. I am in awe of your ability to know ahead of time what you are buying everyone. I am one of those "deer in headlights" kind of shoppers. I wade into crowds and end up totally confused on why I am in a particular store. I end up buying all my gifts on the last possible day and my family is lucky if it is a good store I am buying from when I finally break down and buy all my gifts. I fear I am hopeless.
Anyway- thanks for the offer of help but I don't even know where to begin.
Lynn

[SwimGirl]

Lynn - the place to start is, figure out what they love to do, what they like to drink, eat, do in their spare time, do they have bath's, drink wine, drink coffee. And then you go from there! My boyfriends co-worker loves to drink wine, so everyone told us to buy her a bottle of wine, but to me thats just too obvious. So instead I bought her really nice wine glasses, and got her a nice christmas ornament (she loves christmas), and I bought her these chocolates that no one knows about, but are SO SO good! I spent 3 hours wrapping presents yesterday, hehe, I'm sick, I colour-co-ordinate everyone's presents, make nice bow's, I'm in love with ribbon with wire in them For my boyfriends mom, who hates to wrap presents, I wrapped all her presents and put them in a box, and wrapped the box... I'm evil!! Uhm.. yah... me likey christmas.

-Aimee

[Br00klyn]

Well I haven't really done any shopping either.. however, its like this every year. I did do all my shopping for people in Newfoundland, the day before I was leaving there to come back.. that way I could get bigger gifts and not have to worry about the shipping...

We have about 10-15 people here in Calgary to buy for including some of Steve's family, some of my family and then a few friends. However, I have the same routine every year... One Saturday mid December, I get up early, go make a shopping list while I enjoy a coffee at Starbucks or Tim Hortons... then go shopping for when the stores open.. I buy everything I need to then come home for the evening and sit by my tree and wrap gifts. I love it!

I'm not worried about leaving the shopping so late as I'm a really good shopper and usually find great deals too!

Happy Holidays...

[Crime girl]

And I thought I only would be inspired by weigh loss talk but I have decided I am going to sit down this weekend and make a list of everyone and brainstorm what they like and what kind of activities they are into. Maybe if I follow your plan Aimee I can start to like shopping and quit dreading this every year. You sound so organized and it also sounds like you get presents that are special for everyone. That's what I want to do.

I am not making any promises because I think my IQ drops in large crowds but I will give it a try- that is if I have any brain cells left after this semester of school. I have been working on two papers for 2 months and they are making me insane.

Well- anyway, thanks for the help! I hope everyone has a wonderful day!