Are you Christmas-retarted?

by Thegoodgirl 40 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Thegoodgirl

  Hi guys, haven't posted in a while, but I don't see this topic covered: Is anyone else out there as Christmas retarted as me?

  I feel so awkward stumbling over the words "Merry Christmas" to friends. Also, who do you buy for? Work friends? Family only? Kids only? Last year I didn't get anything for my friend cause hubby told me people our age don't buy x-mas presents for their friends. Well, lo and behold, she got me like three presents. I felt like such an a$$. So I did scramble to get a gift for her, but it was given after the 25th.

  I am meeting with a group of friends and friends-of-friends for dinner. I am getting a gift for one friend, but not the others, since I'm not close to them. But what if they all exchange gifts at dinner? Isn't it bad to not have a gift for everyone there? Or will they understand, and not have a gift for me either?

  How many gifts do you get for your spouse? A whole bunch? One? None since you're sharing your money anyway? How about in-laws?

  Do you have to send a Christmas card if someone sends one to you?

  I did manage to put up lights and a tree last night, I'm so damn proud. The tree is only about 15 inches high, but it looks great there on the windowsill.

  So who else is as Christmas-retarted as me? I'm starting to hate this time of year.
• 

  stopthepain

  Yeah,I hear yah.I have no clue on christmas etiquette.It feels overwhelming,and I do find it hard to say merry christmas,espescially to people who know I never celebrated holidays.I also don't know how to proceed with my extended family,all of who are not jdubs and knew it was a cult from the get go when my parents joined{got hooked in}.Now I feel like i'm left out of everything.I guess I kind of like it though.How do you just jump into it?
• 

  Thegoodgirl

  Yes, exactly, STP. I feel the same way with extended family. Do I just suddenly start sending grandma a gift after having not done so for twenty-some years? I feel silly.
• 

  mrsjones5

  Me I think I need to give myself a huge leadtime to get really. Maybe start in August or September. I dont even have my tree up and it's an artificial tree!

  Josie
• 

  bikerchic

  So who else is as Christmas-retarted as me?

  ME!

  You hit a nerve with me on this one. I don't know if I'm just overly tired from overly working.....nope I did more last year so that can't be it. I just can't seem to get into the swing of it this year and so far every attempt I've made at making homemade gifts, buying early gifts (they seemed good at the time but stupid when it came to wrapping and sending them), sending cards ( 2 came back) and decorating the house and tree I haven't finished nor will I at this late date anyway most of what I've mannaged to do just totally sucked, didn't turn out and zapped me of every morsel of energy or thought of caring I had in me. We didn't even put up lights outside this year.......sigh.

  Yep I suck at the whole Holiday thing, or at least this year I do, maybe there is hope for next year.
• 

  whyamihere

  Well.......I really haven't got anything for anyone...LOL

  Crap! I have to do it all on Thursday Night! Dammit!

  Brooke
• 

  jgnat

  I am convinced we all have to let go of the "obligation" part of Christmas, and start incorporating the "joy" part. As for a friend giving THREE GIFTS (overdone in my opinion) the proper response is to say "Thank you."

  I do several things to instill a sense of reality in the season. I have relatives who go over the top in their spending, so it is impossible to give their children a gift that won't get tossed in the corner. So I go out of my way to locate eclectic or inappropriate gifts for this family. Why keep up? I can't. I call this strategy "planned incompetence." Now, when I get it "right" it's a pleasant surprise.

  My daughter, who always considers everyone else above herself, nearly had a meltdown last Christmas. Trying to keep track of all the relatives and obligations overwhelmed her. She was ready to cancel the season. I reigned her in and asked her to recall her favorite memories of Christmas past. I was a poor single parent, so our Christmases were always heavy on the creativity and low on the funds. One gift each. It worked, I raised two unselfish and frugal adults. Probably my children's fondest memories was sitting around the kitchen table making home-made Christmas cards. My daughter took that memory and ran with it. Except she did it more Martha-Stewart style, which is her way. She went online for "creativity" ideas. She and Naomi (my adorable granddaughter) made a gingerbread house together. Mom took Naomi's picture covered in icing. She then developed the picture, mounted it to make a fridge magnet, and made an adorable "frame" from ribbon and beads. A little over the top for my taste, but the gifts that year are personal and still on my fridge.

  http://www.christmasmagazine.com/en/spirit/article_stress.asp

  http://www.ehow.com/tips_3565.html

  Oh, and do food.
• 

  Kaylen

  We need a christmas for dummys book
• 

  mrsjones5

  thanks for the tips jgnat
• 

  jgnat

  Kaylen, we could do it! Too late for this year, but that's a fantastic idea. Lady Lee, where are you?????