We always got the lifesaver book, too, saef.

My daughter is getting office supplies in her stocking. She will be thrilled, and we will, too. She'll have her own mechanical pencils and lead, tape, stapler, post-its, etc. and we'll be able to find ours when we need them!

saef, I love Lifesavers ! I fogot to ask Santa to bring me some.

Bargoo, have you thought up a reward for yourself for your managing maintenance so well over the past year? Something kind & sweet for yourself? I'm hesitating to recommend a roll of Lifesavers, since I think non-food rewards are the way to go, but ... as for me, I don't crave Lifesavers at all, even Wild Cherry or Butterscotch, but I get a warm glow when I look at the pictures of Lifesaver books online. Since I was an only child, I had a truly prodigious Christmas stocking. It was actually a pair of long-johns, with a snap-on flap at the back -- not real ones, of course, made of Christmas-y red felt. That thing was always crammed on Christmas morning, and yes, it was mostly my father's job to fill it.

I am getting little whiffs of Christmas spirit here and there, though I'm tense from keeping my mother entertained. She has two settings: unconscious and frenetically active. She's a lot more extroverted than me. She doesn't read or do quiet things on her own, but likes assembling things or working on projects. When I want to lie about after returning from the gym, she's ready to go places & do things. So this is not a relaxing holiday for me.

I had forgotten about those lifesaver books-- I always got them too-- usually for Hanukkah though! My favorites were wild cherry. Haven't had any in a million years....

I gave DH one for Hanukkah one year and he thought I had lost my mind. Apparently it is not a Hungarian tradition.

Now I want a book of lifesavers for Christmas. It was a BIG deal when we got those as kids - I loved them.

Yep, my kids would think I'd lost my mind if I produced one of those for them, LOL.

We never had stockings as kids because Santa came on Christmas eve and hand delivered our presents. Made it kinda awkward on Christmas Day - everyone else in the neighbourhood was opening gifts and eating their dinner and we didn't really do much of anything.

DH instituted stockings for the two of us when we moved in together.

Handy that we all married (or in my case "am with") non-Estonians so that now we get 2 celebrations each year. And there is no arguing which spouse's family we spend the holiday with.

Dagmar

We always opened gifts on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day was for a big Holiday dinner with relatives.

In my family, I wanted to open at least one present on Christmas Eve, but my parents wouldn't allow it.

When my kids were little, they got to open one--that I picked. Always pajamas. One year, that I thought they had outgrown the pajamas thing, I got chastised by my DD for not getting them pajamas to open!

Stockings were always little things and a little candy. Nothing much. No stockings this year. Or pajamas. It's a little sad without DD here. But I see her FB postings and it looks like she's having fun in Washington state.

Christmas for me, from the time I was in late elementary school through college was a huge celebration with my sister and her in-laws. We'd choose one house for brunch--there would be 12-16 of us. Then we'd all open presents, one at a time, so it would take hours! Then we'd go home for several hours and meet again at a different house for dinner. I cherished those days.

I will be missing for a few days , going to DS#2 tonight about 125 miles from here and will be home, I dunno, Wednesday or Thursday. This will be baby Faith's first Christmas , she is 9 months old. DS#1 and DIL will be going to San Diego to see DGS who can't come up this year so Christmas is a little scattered but will be joyous anyway,

Moley holy, I am ready to have my house, routine, and pantry back! No more eggnog, remove the cookies ... and I actually am looking forward to some plain steamed broccoli tonight! My innards have not been their usual cheerful and productive selves. . The scale damage has been minimal, only a pound, but I am fairly sure it is a real one. Over the last week or two, it would not be unrealistic to think I've had 3500 extra calories. It's been a good holiday so far - hope everyone else is doing well!

While I've had very few "treats" this weekend, the scale is up a bit. I tend to think it was from wine more than anything else. Unfortunately I have no good salad stuff in the fridge so I'll have to stop at some point today and get some to go with the leftovers in the fridge. I won't have to cook much at all--I have leftover carne asada and chicken for one dinner, stuffed shells for another (I think there is enough for the three of us), and Swedish meatballs for the third.

I never did have anymore of the eggnog, so that might be thrown out. I did buy a fruitcake--it only had four servings, but I cut it into chunks and served it with toothpicks last night as we played Cards Against Humanity. Only half was eaten--it wasn't nearly as good as my Mom's. Maybe next year I'll make a small loaf.

I got a tin of Swedish ginger cookies as a gift. I had two. Six is a serving, so I don't feel bad about that. At our Christmas eve party, I had one nibble of a cookie (DS ate the rest). I made caprese bites for an appetizer--cherry tomatoes with mozzarella and basil and then drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. Everyone loved them! A healthier alternative to some of the other stuff there.

Allison , funny thing about the eggnog I have always liked it, I hadn't bought any this year but had some at a party. To my surprise I didn't care for it that much. I think that trying to eat healthy and avoiding unnecessary sweets ( most of the time ) has made sweets a little less appealing.

I have fallen into the carb addiction pathway/cycle. These past several days have been a slow but steady treat cycle directly into <no I won't eat carbs anymore> for ten seconds, them an overeating of them as a start to the day... and just continuing to munch spoon bite lick them in.

must halt! not tomorrow, but right this very minute. kudos to those who have diminished the taste for sweets. I was there but now I'm no longer with you.

to self: Stop the insanity! reminder reminder reminder

aim to check in with mission success (and own up if mission less than success)

kittycat, carbs are my bane as well. Especially this time of year. While it's hot I love a piece of cool fruit for breakfast, but in the winter I want something that'll "stick to my ribs" and that is often a slab of bread with cheese melted on top. It's not a good thing to fall back on.

Weight, which was up 2 pounds is now up 3 pounds.

Yes, I must stop now, too!