Christmas approaching way too fast!

[ddalford]

I'm trying to prepare for Christmas and it's coming up fast! Wish I could have a pause button and pause for indefinite amounts of time. lol Trying to crochet as many Xmas gifts as possible. Money sure is tight this year. Prices are going up on everything as everyone is well aware. Think it's gonna be an old fashion Christmas. Sounds good to me! Ok I am done whining lol!

[Peggy85225]

An old fashioned Christmas is the best in my book.

[ratdog]

I'm trying to prepare for Christmas and it's coming up fast! Wish I could have a pause button and pause for indefinite amounts of time. lol Trying to crochet as many Xmas gifts as possible. Money sure is tight this year. Prices are going up on everything as everyone is well aware. Think it's gonna be an old fashion Christmas. Sounds good to me! Ok I am done whining lol!

 

 

Ever see the Twilight Zone episode with the stop watch?

[Momcrochets]

my little whine: wish we could get some of our family members to accept that fact that our income does not go up just b/c the cost of living does...AND we don't make as much as they do, either...ugh. (and I wish they'd appreciate handmade. giftcards are faster, yes, and easier...but just not the same, (and cost more :ugh)

kay, pout over. on the bright side, this means less holiday crochet racing at the finish line, stress. so there. I'll be happy for that.

[bigfunfam]

Yes, Christmas is coming fast. Money is tighter than ever and in our family everyone has more money that us. We are definately the poor relations, lol. I am blessed that most of our family love handmade gifts. Even so, with money so tight I can't even afford to make fancy handmade gifts. Small gifts are what we are giving this year. I struggle with feeling bad/embarrassed when others give us such nice things and I hand them a scarf, or pair of mittens or something as their gift. Yes, I know that is not what it's about, buy my heart yearns to do more ykwim?

[Momcrochets]

Dee, I know exactly what you mean! same boat here.

[ddalford]

An old fashioned Christmas is the best in my book.

 

When I was a kid we didn't get much but I was always happy with what I got. My stocking full of fruit and nuts with a little candy and one nice gift. It was so nice.

[DebraKay]

I know what you mean! Seems like it was just September and then POW! It's November and closing fast on Christmas! I am not going to finish all that I had planned which is no ones fault but my own. Should have done more when I could. Once my arm started acting up, now I am limited as to how much I can get done in a day. I did no crocheting at all today. It's my left arm that is so sore too -- you'd think that would not really bother my crocheting that much since I am right handed. But it does. Okay -- I too, am done whining. I am thankful that I can still buy gifts but they are not quite the same as hand made. I think the kids really like crocheted things -- especially if I get the colors right. Well, there is nothing saying I can only gift at Christmas. I can always start sending "just because" gifts throughout the year. I think that may be a better choice for me so I do not have so much to try to get done at one time. Besides a "just because" gift can really lift your spirits!

[pretty monsters]

I've got all my Christmas gifts done this year! But I started the last day of October. Lucky for me, my family is not big on elaborate gifts or showy parties. I couldn't have gotten luckier!

[FrLopLady]

Yes, Christmas is coming fast. Money is tighter than ever and in our family everyone has more money that us. We are definately the poor relations, lol. I am blessed that most of our family love handmade gifts. Even so, with money so tight I can't even afford to make fancy handmade gifts. Small gifts are what we are giving this year. I struggle with feeling bad/embarrassed when others give us such nice things and I hand them a scarf, or pair of mittens or something as their gift. Yes, I know that is not what it's about, buy my heart yearns to do more ykwim?

 

as a kid I probably wouldn't have ever appreciated the hand made stuff..shoot I know I didn't..but what I wouldn't give now to know where the fisherman knit sweater is that my mom made me when I was a young girl...

 

I would LOVE a handmade item. Something made for me specifically! I am making a few items for special people in my life. Finding out what colors they like, what style they would choose to wear. It's been fun trying to figure that out since I am NOT the fashion queen

[bigfunfam]

as a kid I probably wouldn't have ever appreciated the hand made stuff..shoot I know I didn't..but what I wouldn't give now to know where the fisherman knit sweater is that my mom made me when I was a young girl...

 

I would LOVE a handmade item. Something made for me specifically! I am making a few items for special people in my life. Finding out what colors they like, what style they would choose to wear. It's been fun trying to figure that out since I am NOT the fashion queen

 

I was never given anything handmade as a child. I am blessed that my children look forward to something handmade every year

[ddalford]

as a kid I probably wouldn't have ever appreciated the hand made stuff..shoot I know I didn't..but what I wouldn't give now to know where the fisherman knit sweater is that my mom made me when I was a young girl...

 

I would LOVE a handmade item. Something made for me specifically! I am making a few items for special people in my life. Finding out what colors they like, what style they would choose to wear. It's been fun trying to figure that out since I am NOT the fashion queen

 

 

 

There aren't many kids that appreciate hand made stuff...that's for sure!

[Yarn or Fabric]

I agree that Christmas has indeed snuck up far too quickly this year. I had big plans of making all sorts of stuff but it doesn't look like I'll be getting even half of it all done.. I'll be lucky if I finish any of it lol.

[Bailey4]

There aren't many kids that appreciate hand made stuff...that's for sure!

 

I think it depends on what you make, too. For instance the quality of store bought Barbie outfits has never been wonderful (at least the ones I had). My Aunt sewed and crocheted Barbie clothes for her daughter and that doll was the best dressed doll in the neighborhood. My Mom never

made Barbie stuff when I was a kid, but now she makes it for her grandkids and great grandkids and half the stuff never leaves her house to mail to the grandkids

because the neighbor's kids end up with the outfits for their dolls. I think I have purchased just about every knit book on the market for Barbie and the 18" dolls and she is having a blast being the cool grandma on the block. However, she gets frustrated when the kids aren't equally excited about a sweater, hats, mittens, etc. Adults are practical, kids not always so much. I expect polite, but not necessarily excitement over the practical stuff.

 

 

I can confess I never liked clothes gifts store bought or hand made as a kid. We had to have them, but it never seemed like a gift, but just

something we needed. We were always polite to the gift giver and realized that was what was needed, but it wasn't the same as getting a toy handmade or store bought. I can't think of any clothing gift that sticks out as one I was thrilled to get. However, I still have a Raggedy Andy doll my sister sewed for me.

[Bailey4]

my little whine: wish we could get some of our family members to accept that fact that our income does not go up just b/c the cost of living does...AND we don't make as much as they do, either...ugh. (and I wish they'd appreciate handmade. giftcards are faster, yes, and easier...but just not the same, (and cost more :ugh)

kay, pout over. on the bright side, this means less holiday crochet racing at the finish line, stress. so there. I'll be happy for that.

 

The old Nike commercial just do it.

 

DH and I are on the opposite end of the spectrum and we were the ones that drew the line early in our marriage. We were trying to save money to buy a home and we were constantly being pressured into the buying cycle we knew everyone else could not afford. We ended up donating more presents that people bought in those funky present aisles that nobody ever uses. We were the ones that finally said what the rest refused to admit, the gift giving had gotten out of hand. The first step was reducing buying for every person to buying for couples. That went over like a lead balloon. It was only a first step though. We broached the idea of drawing names, but nobody wanted that, so we decided on a radical approach that had been done in my family for years.

 

We declared in the summer that year that we were going to buy for the old and the young. We bought for grandparents (sadly no longer with us), certain Aunts and Uncles that had always been gifted, parents, and all the nieces/nephews until a certain age, and that was it. There was a near riot on DH's side, but my side of the family had been going this direction for years. People had side deals if they wanted, but openly there were no expectations. (Two of my sisters have exchanged with each other and nobody else for years. Nobody cares. They do it privately and it isn't a big deal)

 

We were the grinches. However, as time has continued and we all have experienced challenging finacial situations at one point or another they have come to appreciate NOT carrying the financial burden of huge expectations. They can focus on their own families and celebrating the season with extended family, not having a competiton for gifts. As I mentioned certain people still exchange and that is fine. However, because of this many have had the ability to pull back when finances have gotten tight because someone already set the stage for the present revolt.