So whats new ladies ???????

[HALEY]

i so agree with Janet and Nina, we cut way back on the adult gifts, we went from $50.00 gift certificates down to $25.00. and i'm not even getting Christmas cards of Micah made this year, were getting Christmas pictures just taken of Micah and were only getting the special package that they have no more...
When Mike gets home were going to have to re-do our budget, cause with them cutting my hours and the cc are charged again were going to cut more things out. I even asked him to ask his mother if she can watch Micah on Thursdays until i got back to full time, so i can only put micah in daycare 3 days a week, that will also help...

[Janet]

Quite a few years ago, we all started cutting back on gifts. Most everyone just bought for the kids and our parents. Now there are no more little ones, so as far as my family, we just buy for the 3 of us and my mother.

[Tiramisu]

My kids got into a big fight a couple years ago because the single one (Roxann) wanted to draw names. She complained that it wasn't fair to her because she was single and couldn't afford to buy for everybody. So, in addition to us buying for all the kids, we took her shopping and paid for her gifts to the other kids. We said it would only be that one time, never again.

Roxann started the gift drawing thing again last year and the others told her that what she was doing wasn't fair, that it wasn't their fault that she couldn't find anybody to marry, etc. She only wanted to look at what she had to give, not what she was getting. They told her not to get them anything, just to buy for the kids. I told her to pose with each one separately, make a digital picture, print it out and give it to them. Everyone seemed to love that idea.

She has always and will always be our problem child!

[Nina]

My kids started something new a couple years ago, and it has worked well for them. All the adult kids and their spouses/partners put their names in a hat and draw amongst themselves. This way, they're not all buying for each other. They were always getting stressed about what to buy this one or that one, so I suggested it one year, and it has worked. It cuts down on the expense and the stress. They actually have fun with it because they're always trying to figure out who has whose name lol. They draw the names at Thanksgiving.

[donna1990]

This is the first in many years that I am not doing anything, not even putting up a tree.
We don't have little ones any more, our family is so small now. It is a bad time of the year to have surgery and enjoy the holidays, next year will be better.
Talked to two of my oldest friends today and they are not doing anything either.

[judy]

My shopping is finished. I did it all online, and had the time to find the best buys on almost all of them. There is a major difference in prices if you do the research, plus free S & H makes a big difference. You do need the time though, and if you're working and taking care of a family, I don't think it's doable.

The rest are just money gifts or candy boxes. I usually send out email Christmas cards. They are Jacqui Lawson cards and are lovely. I guess there are some people who don't approve of email cards, but I pay for these. These are interactive, with music and all. And...I don't really care if someone doesn't think it's good enough. I send them out of love and caring. I used to make my own cards, using Paint on the PC, card paper, card envelopes, etc. Those were beautiful, but I don't feel like doing it anymore.

The house is about 2 days from finished. The guys haven't come since Tuesday.
Steve didn't want to work Wednesday, and we are having an ice storm since yesterday. Schools are closed, there are power outages because the ice is breaking off tree branches which are falling onto electrical lines. The roads are really bad. I heard something about 3 inches of ice. Yikes! I really would love to get out of the house today. Cabin fever has begun to get me. I can just go to the post office. Our roads are clean and the PO is off of a highway. I'll see.

My couch is coming Monday and so is Marcia, the cleaning woman. The guys are just going to have to wind it up quickly! They have very little to do as far as I can see.

I went to a meditation group leader last weekend, and am going to a group tomorrow. I meditated just about every day for about 5 years and I miss it. I really felt my connection to God when I meditated, and I want that back.

My roof had a slight leak yesterday - they'll fix it for me. I like that! They also salted my walk and cleared our roads in my condo community.

I was watching the news and they were talking about doing online surveys and joining online focus groups for money. They were saying you can make
a couple of hundred a month. I went online yesterday to check this out. Most
of the surveys involve buying something and you get money. There's one where I just reply to emails businesses send me and I make something? I would say 25 cents each. I'll check them out again to see if I can filter out the nonsense and find a few that will only take a short time and pay me a few dollars each.
I gave them an email address I never use, so I don't have to bother with them if I don't want to.

That's about it for me. My tree is a tabletop, super tacky LED lit, color changing tree, that Mackenzie and I picked up when she was little. I have 2 angels that also change colors. I need a wreath for the door, and that's about it.

Max and Annie are really behaving. She is almost paper trained, and he loves to go out on the deck and pee. He discovered that pooping out there is 2 treat worthy! They both get treats when one of them hits the mark, and they love it.

Annie is so adorable and sweet. She is my tiny girl. She follows me wherever I go, although she can be independent. Right now she's probably napping upstairs on my bed. They get along beautifully. I must take some pictures of her. She was 7 months old on 12/9! She is a tiny, but tough - don't take her treats or else!