Christmas 2019

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sweetpumkinpye

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I thought that January was very slow, but now the time seems to be speeding by. Got to keep an eye on the end of the year so I am prepared.
 

AuntJamelle

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Time flies!!!! I am going to have to start giving some serious thought to how I'm going to tackle prep this year. We are booked for a week long trip to Disney in September - which is taking up a LOT of planning time and will continue to do so. The trip itself will cut into the HGP as well. I don't want to get back from trip and be way behind on prep so that means more done EARLY this year. :)
 

sweetpumkinpye

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AJ, how exciting for the trip to Disney, I love planning trips.
Looks like you will have a lot of planning this year but you are one of the most organised people I know so don't think it will be a problem.
 

Holiday_Mom

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Time flies!!!! I am going to have to start giving some serious thought to how I'm going to tackle prep this year. We are booked for a week long trip to Disney in September - which is taking up a LOT of planning time and will continue to do so. The trip itself will cut into the HGP as well. I don't want to get back from trip and be way behind on prep so that means more done EARLY this year. :)

Good thinking, AJ! You're going to have so much fun!!! We did a trip to Disney 9 yrs. ago. From my experience, you'll want to have you're meals planned out for the first week or two when you get back from Disney. That will be one less thing to think about and if you can have any frozen ahead of time, you'll be loving it. As for the HGP, may be over the summer see what you're suppose to be doing the week before, the week of and the week after your trip and work on those things that are important to you.
 

sweetpumkinpye

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Can I tell you that when I see the title Christmas 2019, my heart smiles a little.....
 

sweetpumkinpye

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Half way through March. I would like to sit down soon with my planner and really think about how I would like this Christmas to be.
With DD moving out last year things have changed a little and I need to get it into my head what we can change so that all of us have an amazing season.
 

sweetpumkinpye

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We have been discussing plans for outing this Christmas with our family and some with my SIL and her family. Switching things up and going to visit some new places this year. Also planning on more baking sessions from Oct through to Christmas.
Minta, it is nice that you can talk to your family about potential plans so early in the year. I know that if I start talking to some people about Christmas their eyes glaze over LOL.
My family know what I am like though so will humour me.
 

Minta

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Minta, it is nice that you can talk to your family about potential plans so early in the year. I know that if I start talking to some people about Christmas their eyes glaze over LOL.
My family know what I am like though so will humour me.

There are only a few family members that I can talk to about Christmas year round, the rest roll theirs eye at me and shake their heads LOL
 

sweetpumkinpye

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There are only a few family members that I can talk to about Christmas year round, the rest roll theirs eye at me and shake their heads LOL
Well talk to the ones you can and don't let the others dull your sparkle. LOL Anything to get our Christmas fix.
 

Holiday_Mom

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I'm thinking about changing our tradition of hosting Christmas Eve with my side of the family. If I actually say it out loud to the family, I think I would hear the following: <record screeching sound> <gasps> :eek: <followed by deafening silence>

I was thinking of not doing anything in December and maybe doing a Christmas Party in July instead. On the other hand, the festiveness isn't the same in July. I am not sure what I'll do. Thankfully, I have plenty of time to think through options.
 

PamelaG

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I'm thinking about changing our tradition of hosting Christmas Eve with my side of the family. If I actually say it out loud to the family, I think I would hear the following: <record screeching sound> <gasps> :eek: <followed by deafening silence>

I was thinking of not doing anything in December and maybe doing a Christmas Party in July instead. On the other hand, the festiveness isn't the same in July. I am not sure what I'll do. Thankfully, I have plenty of time to think through options.
That would be a drastic change. What made you consider this idea? I really want to do a Christmas in July party for my girlfriends - there's just my husband and our daughter so our Christmases are fun but quiet. My sister, brother-in-law and two nephews live where it's hard to travel to in December and their lifestyle is quite different from ours so it's rare we get together for the holidays. A Christmas in July party would be fun though - Christmas music, some games, maybe a craft or exchange sort of thing, a movie, and lots of goodies. Sorry, I got totally off track from your post - I'm interested to hear how you came to these thoughts. Do you have a large family? Do they live close by or far away? Do you think they would miss the family get-together on Christmas Eve? What would you do instead on that evening?
 

Minta

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Well talk to the ones you can and don't let the others dull your sparkle. LOL Anything to get our Christmas fix.

Oh I don't let them get to me. I will think, plan and talk Christmas all year long and when it comes time for the Christmas season my family and I will be ready to enjoy it with less stress and more activities while the rest are stressed out still trying to figure out what they are going to, what to buy and how to pay for it.
 

Minta

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I'm thinking about changing our tradition of hosting Christmas Eve with my side of the family. If I actually say it out loud to the family, I think I would hear the following: <record screeching sound> <gasps> :eek: <followed by deafening silence>

I was thinking of not doing anything in December and maybe doing a Christmas Party in July instead. On the other hand, the festiveness isn't the same in July. I am not sure what I'll do. Thankfully, I have plenty of time to think through options.

I agree with Pamela, that would be a drastic change. Are you ready for that drastic of a change? Maybe change up how you host, instead of dinner maybe a breakfast or brunch or a dessert bar?

For CIJ I am thinking of doing a small event with my family and my SIL and her family and have the kids make ornaments and make some cookies.
 

Holiday_Mom

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That would be a drastic change. What made you consider this idea?
The idea of doing Christmas in July vs. Christmas Eve came one day in January while on a walk. It just sounds more fun to me to do something like that with extended family. We had a snowball fight on Christmas Eve which was fun but we had to cut it short since we were all heading to Mass next. There's a part that would also like to keep Christmas Eve for my own family now.

Do you have a large family? Do they live close by or far away? Do you think they would miss the family get-together on Christmas Eve? What would you do instead on that evening?

We host my parents, my siblings and their family on Christmas Eve. It started as 9 people and now about 15-20 people are here depending on the year. We all live with in 20 minutes of one another. I don't think they would really miss it. We all get together the next day for Christmas dinner at my parents' house or my brother's house.
 

Holiday_Mom

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I agree with Pamela, that would be a drastic change. Are you ready for that drastic of a change? Maybe change up how you host, instead of dinner maybe a breakfast or brunch or a dessert bar?

Yes, I'm ready but I don't know if anyone else is ready. Because of all the other family get togethers on my side and my dh's side, Christmas Eve dinner works best. I had thought of January 6th since that is the Little Epiphany but my aunt does something. She was at a wedding this year so if she doesn't host again next year, that might be a good time to change the date.

On the other hand, Christmas time is the only time that all of my siblings get together. Trying to plan something in the summer would be nice too.