My Christmas shopping is done!

[Rorey]

It's done because I'm not doing any.

I'm intending to continue my own personal lockdown straight through the end of the year. Today I did get out. I went to the car wash (automatic - I didn't get out of my car) and then this afternoon I got a movie from Redbox. I chose an outside kiosk and went through the usual protocol when I got back in my car.

I think I can do it.

Stay safe, everyone.

[AllaN01Bear]

1. mines done , i did it and all i have to do is ship it.

[Rorey]

4. Good for you!

I've never in my life gotten done earlier than Christmas Eve. I've always kind of liked that last minute rush. But this year, it's money to the grandchildren, and that's all. We stopped adult gifts a long time ago. We do the Saran ball game, and everyone seems to really enjoy it. Of course it's not happening this year either.

[brooklynite]

2. What does lockdown have to do with it?

There's this thing called "e-commerce". Might want to look into it.....

[Rorey]

8. e-what???

Just kidding. I think we're all very well acquainted with e-commerce at this point.

[Karadeniz]

3. When the grandkids hit teenhood, we started the check thing. We don't know what they want!

[Rorey]

5. Same here

I've got two who are technically adults, but they're still kids to me.

[csziggy]

21. I send my great niece and nephews pre-paid Visa cards

That are put in charge of their parents since the kids are all under ten. I used to select books for my nieces and nephews but I am out of touch with children's books and no longer feel like trying to figure out what they would want.

The parents like the cards - the older kids are put in charge of their budget and learn how to get the most for their money. The parents can pick for the younger children. And they can be spent just about anywhere - in local shops, larger chains, or online.

One of my credit cards builds up a special credit amount that can only be used for certain things - prepaid cards from them are one of those. This year I have enough credit on that card to buy each child a pre-paid card worth twice as much as last year!

[lkinwi]

6. Mine's finished. I purchased handmade local chocolates from a company that requires masks

in its store and factory. Shipping was a problem with the postal worker and some in line with either no mask or masks under their nose.🙁

[Rorey]

10. Here the postal workers are good

It's the odd customer who has to be a jerk. I was going to mail a package of Christmas-themed masks to my daughter-in-law that I made, but I just don't want to go to the post office.

Oh well, it was therapeutic for me to sew the masks, so all is not lost.

[lkinwi]

25. I left my hometown post office because I didn't want to stand in line with the jerks any longer.

I went to a small town a few miles away and got them mailed.

[lpbk2713]

7. My gift giving doesn't show much imagination.

I give gift cards. I figure the recipient can get whatever they want. And
I can be done with all my gift shopping in just a few minutes at Publix.

[Rorey]

9. Good plan.

Gift cards have been part of my plan for years.

[Bev54]

11. I am done, shopped online and picked up

some at their quick pickup. They are all wrapped and ready to open.

[central scrutinizer]

12. Done, for many years, the same way

We each put $25 and the name of a progressive nonprofit org. in a hat. A name is drawn, money is bundled and mailed. Done. This year via Zoom, sadly.

[helpisontheway]

13. Finished wrapping presents today. Would like to find a few more stocking stuffers. Nt

[Rorey]

14. Stocking stuffers were a challenge, yet so much fun

You reminded me of a story about my mother-in-law. She used to do stockings for everyone, including herself. I was pretty upset when I found out that she was filling her own stocking. She had five adult children and I wondered why they couldn't step up.

Honestly, though, stockings were a new thing to me when I first came to Colorado. When I was growing up we didn't do them. We'd get to open our presents on Christmas Eve after our church Christmas program, and then Christmas Day was just the dinner thing. We didn't have a lot of money, so I'm sure just that was a big challenge for my parents. Our gifts were not extravagant, but we all thought it was pretty special.

[Arkansas Granny]

15. I have the shopping done, now comes the assembly.

We've decided not to have our usual Christmas get together this year, so I'm making "in-a-jar" mixes for soup, brownies, cookies etc to make up baskets for family gifts instead of individual gifts. I have a bunch of little things that I've picked up during the year so there will be surprises for everyone.

I can ship to those who live out of town in flat rate boxes without breaking the bank. It's going to be different, but we want to all be around next year when, hopefully, we can all get together again.

[MizLibby]

17. Love it!!

[Rorey]

18. That sounds lovely

And fun to do too!

[MizLibby]

16. It's just me and MrLibby and our son

Thank God son lives nearby, on our property in our-mother-in-law cottage. Far enough away to feel independent but close enough if he needs us.Times like this I'm thankful he is autistic and will always be close to us. I can't imagine him in a group home or an apartment and not being able to see him. Anyway it's the 3 of us and my brother in CA and my niece near Seattle. That's the family.

We've been locked down since March except to drive son to and from his work 3 times a week. He's an "essential worker" at KFC, bless his heart. He got the job 3 days before the lock-down.

So, I've done all my shopping online and will make a trip to the post office to send off packages to Brother and Niece. Even tho it's just the 3 of us at home I will be baking and decorating and gifting like it's a huge family event come the holidays. Life is what you make of it and I will try my best to make this my hubby's and son's best Christmas ever.

Love and stay safe everyone!

Laura

[Rorey]

19. I'm so happy for your son that he got to keep his job

I'm sure it means a lot.

I think people really should try to stick to traditions as well as they can, even if it's just for one person (like me). I put up my tree weeks ago and I love it. I did some decorating, and brought out my Christmas bedding and Christmas mugs.

I don't think I'm going to do much baking just because I have no self-control. I really would like to make fudge, but probably won't.

"Life is what you make of it..." YES!!!

[samnsara]

20. this year i ordered from Amazon and had wrapped items sent directly to the recipient

[marlakay]

22. I did to except I sent to daughter

For grandkids and she is wrapping with Christmas paper for me.

I don't normally buy gifts for the adults but I got older daughter a candle that smells like a latte and younger one a desk calendar of pics by a painter she works at home now.

[Rorey]

33. Christmas is for kids, mostly

We made the decision in the family years ago that we wouldn't do any gift exchange among the adults. Now it's just the Saran ball thing, which is so much fun, with no pressure on anyone. It's not happening this year, of course.

[AwakeAtLast]

23. We are donating money in our families' names

We decided that we have all been very fortunate through this pandemic, and others have not been. The only person getting gifts is our daughter.

[Rorey]

24. I love that

That's a good idea for everyone who is able to do that. There are a whole lot of people in rough shape this year.

[panader0]

26. I have a small gift list--Jeannie and the kids.

Jeannie got a new thick cotton bathrobe. The kids get books.
I want nothing, but I would accept a few bags of concrete. ( I'm building a greenhouse)
Ho ho ho!

[Rorey]

27. I'd love to have a greenhouse

I'd love to have a huge one right in the middle of my back yard. But then I remember how lazy I am and realize that I probably wouldn't be very good at keeping my plants alive.

I've been working at making my yard as easy to keep up as I possibly can. I actually enjoy mowing and raking, but I'm not a fan of getting down on my hands and knees to weed a garden or flower bed during the hot summer months, so I don't have a garden or flower beds. I do well to keep my rose bushes kept up. They're sort of the perfect thing for me because they're practically impossible to kill.

[panader0]

28. As a retired bricklayer I have lots of 8x8x16s (block) to work with,

and nothing but time. I also have 15 acres. And several large pieces of glass, like sliding doors.
My greenhouse will be for food and I will continue to use the old chicken coop for weed.
It will be 16x18 feet and I will have a cot in one corner for getaway naps.
I've always wanted one because the varmints around here have destroyed my outdoor gardens
every time. It gives me something to do in my dotage, puttering around......

[Rorey]

30. I like the nap idea

I always thought it would be nice to be able to go out to the greenhouse (that I'm never going to have) in the dead of winter and get a little sun. Actually I wanted to convert the covered part of my patio in back, which is about 12 x 20, into a nice sunroom. It was a plan that my then-husband planted in my brain. Just another dream that didn't come to fruition. I have two adult sons who could/would easily do the work for me if I asked, but they're both so busy with their own lives that I'm not going to ask them.

I told my daughter that I needed to find a carpenter boyfriend, just for a little while. But then he'd probably want to stick around, and I think I'm better suited to remain single for the rest of my life. I'm just kidding about the temporary boyfriend thing. I'd never use somebody like that.

It's sweet that you're giving your Jeannie something personal for Christmas. My husband used to get me things like kitchen appliances so I could use them to do something for him*. And every year he'd wait until December 24th and then suddenly act all frantic that he didn't know what to get me. I dropped that big cotton robe hint a couple of times, and finally just bought one for myself. I also flat out told him that I always love a nice coffee mug, but I suppose he thought that the dozens that I already had were enough. I do love my coffee mugs. It's the one thing that I collect, sort of. I do a purge several times a year and donate some to Goodwill.

(*One year he got me a cappuccino and espresso maker. I like coffee. Just coffee. He liked cappuccino. I used it exactly once.)

[malaise]

29. The only present I'm giving this Christmas was given

on Thursday. I finished paying the semester fees for a young lady I've known from before she was born. I knew she was way above average before she was three. I promised her mother that we'd help with her university fees once she made it to University. The plan was to split the fees in three - her mom, dad and a group of us. Even in the best of times her parents don't have the means to finance her college education.
She excelled right through high school and won most of the prizes in her final year. Indeed she was class valedictorian.
She completed her first year at university with As and B+s. Now everyone is short of money (both of her parents have even less income since Covid19 and the same is true for most of the group) so since there will be no Christmas dinner with guests and the place will not be painted (don't want strangers in here) that money was used for this worthwhile cause.

Watching her excel and achieve her dreams is my present.

[Rorey]

31. Sounds perfect

I've got some projects I'd like to get done around my house, but they're all on hold. I can't justify spending money on something like that, especially considering that I don't know if I'll receive my rental income in any given month. It's been a rough year.

[malaise]

32. Yep - it has been a rough year for all of us

but we're still way better off than many others

[Rorey]

34. I look at it that way too

I've still got a roof over my head and food in the pantry, and so far my health is good. I couldn't ask for more.