Comments on: We’re Not Decorating for the Holidays This Year

By: Sandra Foyt

Sandra Foyt — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:42:42 +0000

Deb – It’s all about finding the right balance for you and your family. We’ve had years where we baked countless batches of cookies, and shared them with everyone we knew. And it was fun then. There have been years where we spent days making ornaments as gifts, or intricate Christmas cards. That was fun too.

My problem is that I tend to go a little overboard with all the holiday crafts and activities. Sometimes to the point where I produce way more stress than necessary.

But, I keep on trying to do better each year, and to make our traditions reflective of what the entire family wants to do during the holidays.

Fortunately, this holiday comes back every year, giving me lots of opportunities to get it “right”, and to pick up great tips from friends. Love the appetizer buffet idea!
Sandra Foyt´s last blog ..We’re Not Decorating for the Holidays This Year

By: 9to5to9

9to5to9 — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:58:49 +0000

Good for all of you! My kids are 4 and 6, so there’s still a lot on the “must-do” list. We branched out into outdoor decorations this year – no professional consultants, though. But we didn’t bring nearly as much of the old stuff out of the garage as we usually do, and I have managed to curb my manic baking frenzy – I made only two batches instead of six. And if you think I’m bad, my mom starts baking at Thanksgiving!

As for dinner, I switched to an appetizer buffet years ago. It’s much easier!
9to5to9´s last blog ..Cranberry icebox cookies

By: Sandra Foyt

Sandra Foyt — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:35:20 +0000

ChristineMM – I admire your healthy holiday attitude. Also, you’re so fortunate to have ornaments handed down in your family, and a tradition of family dinners! I think I’ve been trying to create traditions for so long, that I got caught up in the form of it rather than the essence. I’m hoping that by not getting caught up in all the nonessential stuff this year, I can figure out a better way for my family in the future.
Sandra Foyt´s last blog ..We’re Not Decorating for the Holidays This Year

By: Sandra Foyt

Sandra Foyt — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:18:19 +0000

Jeff- That’s it, exactly. Being rushed to do too much doesn’t leave time for simple pleasures.

Cait – You remind me of when I was the Teen being a mom to my little sisters who were 10 years younger. The best part of the holidays was making them special for them. But, it’s also nice to NOT have to do it!
Sandra Foyt´s last blog ..We’re Not Decorating for the Holidays This Year

By: ChristineMM

ChristineMM — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:10:33 +0000

Wow! Whatever makes your family happy I guess.

We don’t decorate outside except for either a cheap fundraiser wreath on the door (live) or a reusable non-live wreath.

We decorate indoors minimally with some candy dishes rec’d as gifts and a snow globe.

We have the tree filled with ornaments from my great grandmother, grandmother and mother and new ones I bought as souvenirs i.e. one from Disney trip, one from Hershey park trip.

We do baking of certain things each year that get eaten. We make a gingerbread creation. We listen to old CD music I already own.

Not much of our Christmas is new consumption stuff except the food.

We have Christmas Eve dinner w DH family & Christmas Day dinner w my family (here). My DH loves to cook gourmet so he does all that. I do all the baking which most winds up being gifts for people in my life life my hair stylist and the guitar teacher.

Some of my neighbors hire professional decorators for outside. One neighbor hires professionals to buy and bring in the tree, put it up and to help decorate it. I don’t care what they do. I’m not competing.

We only do what is fun for us. We stretch out the things we do and have fun. If it is too much we ditch it.

My kids love doing the things and often the ‘one time only’ thing they ask for next year as a tradition.

If you don’t want to do stuff then that is fine. We enjoy what we do. And we don’t do it to one-up our neighbors or friends.
ChristineMM´s last blog ..Watching More Author Lectures Lately

By: Cait Hagar

Cait Hagar — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:51:32 +0000

I think it’s cool what you guys are doing. I really don’t think you NEED a tree and all that shiny stuff to celebrate. For little kids, it’s definitely something they look forward too. They want to set up all the decorations an wait for Santa, so that’s all part of the fun… and they are absolutely careless as to how much trouble it actually is.

Kind of like, Thanksgiving. People (and kids especially) don’t always see that Thanksgiving is a day to be Thankful. They see it as, “OMG FOOD!!!!111!!!”. This I can say I’m guilty of. Lolz!

People forget what the real reasons of certain holidays are.

I’m going to my Dads for Christmas and I know that the house will be all xmas-ed out, because he has younger kids. But, as for my house – we have NOTHING that looks like it isn’t anything but just anther day.

I know that when I was little, I used to LOVE things like this. I used to love to get gifts (who doesn’t?) and have fun decorating, and even stay up all night waiting for Santa. Now, I would much rather watch my younger siblings do it, because it’s fun watching them get all excited… I guess it’s kind of like being a Mom.

Cait Hagar
Cait Hagar´s last blog ..Electric Guitar Drawing

By: Jeff Ferguson

Jeff Ferguson — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:37:15 +0000

Christmas has become such a rush rush time that it seems you can’t really enjoy the time with those you want to spend time with. Our schedules are compounded by multiple birthdays in the last week on the 19th and 24th.

Last year we were with only one of our daughters (of five children total) and in a way, it was nice to have a much slower time.

Create a great holiday!