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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Gift Giving


by Lynn D

Ho Ho Ho

Well it is that time of year again. You know? Shopping and gift giving seek and search time. I know it is not even Halloween yet but I am already thinking it is time to start this process.

I was talking to my friend today and she was telling me about drawing names in their family and that this year money is especially tight for all of them. We were trying to figure out ways for her family and mine to come up with ideas for very little or no money. Well we have kind of hit a wall. So I thought why not do a blog and see if we can pool our brain resources and see if the nest has any ideas or even fun traditions that we might share and maybe adopt.

I will share one that another friend and her family started about 2 years ago. They came up with a plan of drawing names, only the gift everyone has to shop for is pajamas! Yes PJ’s. They have turned this into an art form. They draw the name and then the hunt is on. They try to find pajamas that reflect the persons personality. Sometimes they are very sweet and sometimes they are poking fun! I know my friend was addicted to crossword puzzles, so the person who drew her name last year got her some crossword puzzle flannel PJ’s.

They open their gifts on xmas eve and then the rule is everyone has to wear them to xmas dinner!

That is one example what kind of ideas or traditions can you share?

Can’t wait to hear from all of the creative owls in this nest!

108 comments:

  1. Oh Lynn D...
    I don't even want to thinki about that yet... but I did buy my first Christmas gift in July... have to start early...
    I am doing more baked goods this year...
    I have all my Grandmas recipes... and people love it...
    My nephew puts on his Christmas list Aunt susan's sugar cookies....
    I am making a lot of my gifts...
    Crochet afghans... scrapbooks...
    hope I get it all done!!!!
    Great Blog...
    I can't wait to hear all the creative ideas I know will come from all our talented owls...

    Have blessed day...

    I fell asleep in the recliner last night and never got on teh computer... just went straight to bed....
    MEK...LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!

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  2. Great blog LYNN D...it was always stressful as I had to always find just the right gift. As you know I have a ton of cousins and we gather for a huge Hanukkah party each year. A few years ago I stopped buying for everyone and bought only a family gift. Last year and this year, there will not be any gifts. Just not in my budget.

    I am TOTALLY late for work...overslept. at least I got on the blog while it is still light out!!

    Oh, and we have enough snow for the plows to be out....YUCK!

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  3. Congrats on first Ibb!

    Lynndeeeeeeeeee...Fun blog! I love the PJ party! SO has a large extended family which is just too big to buy for everyone. Soooo the day after Thanksgiving we have a "leftover" party and everyone draws a NUMBER. Then a theme is assigned and we have to buy a 20.00 gift in keeping with the theme. It must be appropriate for a man or women. Christmas eve we get to get together and the person with the number one picks a gift, then the person with number two picks. The person with number one can "steal" number two's gift and give them their's and it goes down the line, with the last person being able to "steal" number one's gift. Much screaming and laughing is done. Last years theme was "things you could find at the beach" Totally fun to try and find a beach item in December!

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  4. Scirish.. I have heard of that before... in these parts they call it a thieves Christmas... we did it at a work Christmas party before... it was a blast!!!

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  5. Mo--- morning... SNOW....
    not yet... we are supposed to get flurries today...
    So not ready for that!!!!

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  6. Ibb...Thieves Christmas is a totally appropriate name! It is fun though. Last year I ended up with a pink flamingo for the yard. It was so tacky, it was cool. I put it out by the pool this summer and got quite a few chuckles...

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  7. good morning~

    ibb~ congrats on 1st~

    LynnD~ great blog~ xmas gifts.....dear Lord...haven't even thought about it yet this year....and usually I'm at least half way done~ yikes~

    Good Morning Scirish and Mo~

    off to work~

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  8. Ibb...We are supposed to get snow showers here too and the *choke* leaves are not even all off the trees yet. It's quite windy, maybe they will all blow away???

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  9. It was very windy here yesterday!!!
    gusts up to 40mph...

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  10. Morning Glories!

    Ibb got first!

    Yikes I just re-read my blog and I really was struggling that day to clear my mind and write and it shows! LOL

    Carol thanks for the pick and the title! LMAO

    I am so looking forward to reading everyones ideas and traditions. IBB I think it is great that you make gifts! I would love baked goods for the holidays!

    scrishy I love you families fun gift giving! It sounds like a hoot!

    Well I will check the rest later as I have to get ready to head to the food bank!

    Hi Mo and Tina!!! Mo so glad you could get a comment in before you left. And holy hell snow??? Yuck!

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  11. OFF TOPIC
    I am starting off on the wrong foot today. I awoke to the sound of an alarm but my alarms weren't going off. Then I discovered it was my car horn. I had the Car Club device on and the horn stopped when I removed it. It didn't,however, appear to be touching the horn. Does anyone have an explanation for this? Has this happened before to any other owl? I don' know whether to stop using the Car Club device.

    Sorry - Back to Topic.

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  12. Morning tinka...
    what a rude awakening... I have never used one of those things... sorry i can't help...
    Hope your day gets better...

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  13. Good Morning Ibebold. Congrats on First and Second Again. You are getting good at this.

    Good Morning -Maureen, Scirish, and Tina.

    Lynn - I love that gift picture. It is getting me in the mood.

    The only suggestion I have is to spread out the buying of gifts. If I see something in July that I know someone might like, I buy it. The lesson I learned was to keep a list of what you bought or else by Christmas you can't remember. After my sister was gone, we found dozens of presents that she had bought and put away. They became forgotten. It's handy for my brother-in-law however. It's been two years and he is still using presents bought by his wife. He hasn't had to buy anything yet.

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  14. Ibebold - Thanks for commenting. This is a "Jonah" day as Anne of Green Gables would say. First the horn, then my MacBook wouldn't work and I had to come downstairs where it isn't warm yet. Then I fell off the chair getting up. Perhaps I should go back to bed and start again.

    Off to feed my babies and me. Have a great day everyone.

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  15. Happy WEdnesday!!

    Needless to say, i am now two nights of sleepless in AZ.. I just could not close my eyes.!!!

    IBB - congrats on first -

    Lynn D - great blog - back in the day, i always had my Christmas shopping done early - I refuse to go to a mall after Thanksgiving. But - several years ago, the postage cost me a fortune and I thought - wow - that money could have been put to gifts.. SO, I know purchase gift cards for everyone from their favorite stores.

    Scirish - I have played that game before and it can get nasty at times...

    and - you guys, IBB is a GREAT baker........ I have tried to make the things that my nana used to make and they just don't taste the same - but IBB - WOW!!!
    :-)

    waving howdy to IBB, MO, Scirish, Tina, lynn D, Tinka and all who land..

    and for those that have snow - we are going to hit 90 degrees today!! i would LOVE to have snow!!

    i see a long nap in my future today!!

    I hope everyone has an excellent day!!
    :-)

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  16. Christmas is my favorite Holiday. Great blog LynnD.
    When I was married and had 20 nieces and nephews I would buy Christmas stockings from the Dollar Store and put each child's name on it and fill with candy and little toys. That way I could buy each child something without breaking the bank.
    My friend Joyce spends 2-3 days making tons of chocolate chip cookies. She makes mine with pecan chips. I look forward each year to getting them in the mail.She puts popcorn around the cookies so that they don't break inside the tin can.

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  17. Congrats on first, IBB! I have made small scrapbooks for Christmas gifts, too, and they are always loved. But the time it takes, yikes! No time this year.

    Lynn, great blog! I have been thinking about gift buying and it depresses me!! I so wish Christmas was just about being together and sharing in the joy and holiday spirit. Unfortunately, it's not.

    Scirish, we play that thieves game at Bunko for our Christmas Bunko. It's so fun. We each bring an ornament and steal them from each other.

    OH NO MO, SNOW!!

    Tinka, I hope your car isn't catching what my new car had! Remember when the horn kept beeping for no reason?? They never did figure out what was wrong and it stopped on it's own, thank goodness. Talk about embarrassing! But, I did pick a name for my car with the help of an owl--Herbie! I hope your car doesn't do that again!

    MEK, so, so sorry for you. ((((big hugs))))

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  18. Good morning: ibebold, maureen, scirish, tina, lynn d, tink, & mek, and all who fly in later

    I will write about the blog in a while. Thank you lynn, as a flood of memories went through my head already.

    I hope each day brings more healing for you mek. My heart is with you.

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  19. Happy Wednesday Owls.

    LynnD, Great blog. I usually have most of my Christmas gifts bought or made by this time, but I am way behind this year. I am still working on my middle son's scrapbook and hope to have it done soon.

    Our family has no gift tradition, but I love Scirish's. The PJ idea is cute, but most of the men in my family wouldn't wear PJs to Christmas dinner. Too many party poopers.

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  20. IBB, congrats on #1. I love getting baked stuff as a gift. I am not a good baker so it's really a treat.

    MEK, I hope today is a better day for you.

    Waving a wing at all the other Owls. I am rushing out the door and will try to check in later. Sharon and I are going to a guitar concert tonight so I have a really tight schedule today.

    Have a good day everyone.

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  21. IBB Congrats on first! I sure wish I could sample your wares. :)

    MEK (((HUGS))) to you. I hope you are able to rest today.

    LynnD Great blog and very timely! My family enjoys the Christmas stockings the most so for this year, we will just buy 2-3 gifts for each stocking. We always end up with the stockings overflowing, anyway. We will still do big presents for the children. Everyone seems to be on board with this idea except, perhaps, my daughter. She loves to shop for people and she's having a hard time accepting this new agreement. She may end up doing it the way she wants. I was just hoping to make it easier on everyone with the current financial climate, plus it has gotten more and more difficult to buy for each other. It is becoming harder to be original with the gifts. It feels like we've already done it all. I have already found a number of stocking stuffers...cute, funny, or useful.

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  22. Hi everyone, I am on my way out the door. I was gone all day yesterday and had to at least make a quick fly-by today.
    Most of my family is out of state, so I usually send stuff from their fav. websites, like "Wine Country".
    My Grandchildren take the fun out of shopping by only asking for money or gift cards :-(. They are teenagers now so I understand.
    I love the pj idea!

    MEK~Take a nap young lady!

    Tinka! Quit your horning around lol!

    I better head out before I get in trouble lol!!

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  23. Congrats on 1st Ibb!

    Good afternoon Ibb, Maureen, Scirish, Tina, Lynn D, Tinka, Mek, Dreama, Sandie, Lani, Sacbarb, Just Lin and Mary.

    Interesting blog Lynn D. I like the PJ idea, but what happens if someone doesn't wear PJ's and sleeps in the nude, do they come to christmas dinner naked?! Lol!

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  24. My family isn't much on tradition. My younger sister has been trying for the last few years to get everyone to draw names but I am always against it. For me it just doesn't seem right to only buy for one sibling. I understand it is to save on money, but I want to buy for each of them or no one.

    I once spent a weekend making 36 batches of peanut brittle and gave that away as gifts.

    Sometimes it's the unwrapping of the gift that is the best part. I like to take a small inexpensive gift and wrap it up into several boxes. I raid my recycle bag for pasta or cereal boxes and sometimes I add rocks to make the gift appear heavier. It's fun to watch them unwrap each layer.

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  25. Hello Hooters!

    congrats on 1st ibb!

    Great blog Lynn.

    Shirley- Mr. Goldie is a big fan of your kind of wrapping. He also has made me do a treasure hunt.
    My diamond earrings were in a teddy bears ears that was wearing a tiny little x-rated outfit that matched the one from Victoria's Secret he got me. I was miffed that he thought I would think that was a good gift- until i noticed the earrings!

    No traditions, no individual adult gift giving, but we do buy for the kids. I have a smallish family, so not too hard. However now there are great-nieces and grandbabies so it is expanding a bit.
    We usually give a gift bag to each family that has something for everyone,like homemade baked goods, hot chocolate and picture in a frame or ornament.

    Ok, down for my nap....

    ((hugs))) to you MEK!

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  26. Shirley~ I love wrapping up things and faking out my kids. When we gave the boys their xbox, i got a Wii box from a friend, put my smut books, car keys, batteries, other assorted things in the box. My daughter was exited when she thought we got them a Wii.....my younger son was a little excited...my older son was bummed~ I told them to open the box. My youngest was so confused when he saw the contents. Then I asked them what the keys were for....all three kids ran outside to a different car...they finally figured it out and found the xbox in the trunk~ It was so fun and I even got it on film~ :D Thanks for reminding me~

    MEK~ I hope today is better~

    Zona~ Answer your phone~

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  27. Again Lynn, your blog brought back so many memories. Sometimes it is the silly little gifts that mean so much. When I was in my twenties my mother used to give me a 12 month towel calendar each year. I remember the 1st year I didn't get one how dissapointed I was. We didn't have any traditions regarding gift giving when I was growing up. The biggest part was going to my grandmother's for dinner. She was a wonderful cook. We would stuff ourselves, then go to the living room with the fireplace going and before you knew it the men were snoring and drooling. My brother and sister and I played a lot of board games.
    At home we never had soft drinks, so as soon as our feet hit the floor at my gtandnother's we darted to the refrigerator for cokes. Oh, and she always had a candy dish with little hard candies.
    This year my daughter is pregnant, so I have a feeling there will be a lot of baby gifts and some maternity clothes. Of course there must be treats for all of the pets.

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  28. Hey everyone! I am finally home. It has been a long day as we are short volunteers and one of my favorites is out maybe forever.

    She has lost sight in one eye and evidently it is because of blood pressure. I have to find out the name of what she was diagnosed with but evidently she had let her blood pressure go and it was going up and down alot. When this happens it cuts off oxygen to the optical nerves. They have her on many medications now trying to save the sight in her other eye. I feel so bad about it. I just love this lady.

    So if any of you like me, have blood pressure issues stay on top of your meds!

    I have enjoyed your stories and traditions. They have helped cheer me up. Love to hear more!

    MEK been thinking about you all day today! (((Hugs)))

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  29. LYNN I am sorry about your friend. I hope they can get it under control. I too have high blood pressure. I need to go in for a recheck. You are very kind to do the work you do.

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  30. Ibb:
    Congrats on First!

    Lynnd:
    Thanks so very much for todays blog. I have been thinking about Christmas since I got my Christmas club check and have already bought two gifts!

    The only tradition we have in our family is after our fish dinner on Christmas Eve, well actually after dessert, we open our gifts. One person (usually me or Vincent) will be the gift caller (read the tags) we open each gift as its called and then on to the next one, it can take about 2hrs, but we have been doing it for years. My nephews still look forward to it..

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  31. LynnD:
    Sorry about your friend...

    Mek:
    Thinking of you and Mr Mek

    Shirley:
    I love the idea of peanut brittle!!

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  32. Sandie - I hope it was the wheel club and not the horn that started the noise. I just don't know how the club could move by itself. If it had been a couple of hours earlier I would have called the police because I wouldn't have wanted to go out at 4 in the morning. We live in a very dark neighbourhood, very few street lights.
    Did they find the cause or did you buy a new car?

    Mary - LOL @ horning around.

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  33. Mo:
    Cloris is finally gone from DWTS, so you should celebrate and eat some Bacon..Oh wait then that would mean
    you are eating yourself???

    Ok, way to early for this conversation ;O)

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  34. Birdee:
    Where the heck have you been, I know your wings were clipped, however I would think they would have grown back by now...

    Lois Lane:
    I read your blog, so Funny!!! And thanks for link on Jeanette's blog, I did not know she had one...

    Ronnie:
    What have you done with Birdee????

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  35. Hi... Tinka...♥♥♥

    Did you figure out what happen with your alarm????

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  36. Tina:
    Great idea, with wrapping up the kids gifts.. I would have thought the keys would have been for a car, You really threw them off... Kudos..

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  37. Goldie:
    Hope you are feeling better...

    Mary:
    Horning around...LOL

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  38. I want to thank everyone who sent me blogs this past week, they were all terrific, and it was a big help.
    I also want to mention, that because I had so many, I had to shuffle some around and each person I asked to move their blogs, graciously agreed..

    So.. A very big Thank You to all

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  39. We are having a three day Halloween Party on the nest, starting tomorrow, Halloween will begin for us, So get ready..

    I know Shirley is all ready. We can surely use some laughter and fun. So lets all be 7 again and live it up...

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  40. Iteach:
    I hope things have calmed down for you a bit.. Miss ya!

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  41. Scirish:
    That sounds like so much fun.. Great idea!!!

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  42. Carol tomorrow? OMG!!!! I need to sharpen the knives and axes. I need to test the guillotine...any volunteers? Just kidding. Lol! I need to get more blood for...well never mind. The wolves need to be fed. OMG!! There's so much to do...but it's going to be so fun! MUAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

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  43. Shirley:
    Yes, there is more to be done...

    I will send you the blood that is needed by FedEx. I just have to sharpen my vampire teeth, and find Birdee... ;O)

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  44. FLY BIRDEE FLY!!!!! GO AS FAST AS YOUR LITTLE WINGS WILL TAKE YOU!! FLY AWAY...NOW!!!!

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  45. Poor, poor little chickenowl, Birdee! It appears you should stay in hiding for a little while.

    Shirley OMG! I love peanut brittle! That would be a great gift.

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  46. LynnD I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. I am on blood pressure meds, too, and they are controlling it just fine, fortunately. My mother now has to use drops in one of her eyes to keep the pressure down in it. Scary!

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  47. Good evening All! Just in from a busy day of errands and getting my flu shot.

    (VIG)~~Just saw your MS SU. I am SO sorry.

    Enjoyed your blog, Lynn, and all the suggestions. With family all so far away, it's hard to sustain lots of old traditions, so I don't have much to offer. We've always gone fairly light on adult gifts and spoiled the young ones. However, daughter still insists on putting up the same giant quilted stocking she's had since her very first Christmas.

    I'm always on the lookout all year for the special gifts, but try not to even THINK about Christmas until Thanksgiving evening. We do try to find a special dated tree ornament for each person each year that relates to some activity or event that year.

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  48. VIG I'm so sorry about your student. (((HUGS)))

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  49. Bono and JL..thanks for your kind words. I love my job but I don't love the part where my students are in pain and sick and live very short lives. The little six year angel boy died yesterday. His Mom went to get him up for school and he had slipped away in the night. So sad. But I will remember this wee boy who couldn't talk, walk or see and hear well yet had a smile as big as the sun and took such joy in the simple things like music and swimming and story time. A very, very sweet soul.

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  50. Vig:
    A sweet soul, who is now soaring in the sky, with voice and sight, and able to walk so fast that his legs carry him to run, Towards the sky. And they all greet him with open arms, and the sight he now has enables him to see all that he missed, and he knows now that he is a better place. His soul is soaring...

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  51. LMAO at myself. I read Carols comment to tina as "great idea wrapping the KIDS up as gifts".

    Vig- so sorry about your student. (Hugs)

    One more tradition in our family is that the kids all get Advent calendars (with chocolate behind each door). When I was little they always were sent from my Aunt in Germany, and each day had a little toy or a piece of chocolate. Now I can only find them with just the chocolat. FUN!

    Know what I discovered with recouping? You can shop online-lots!!! Lots of christmas stuff bought this week.

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  52. Vig:

    As Carol said, he is soaring around on legs of steel, seeing with the sight of an eagle, and pain free.....and you have another angel to look over you. Next time you hear a bell it is him saying hello......

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  53. I knew you would do it K-girl! Congrats on 69!

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  54. Hi and good evening everyone! I hope everyone had a great Wednesday.

    Great Blog Lynn D! Our family opens one gift each on Christmas Eve. We get up early and do stockings first. Since everyone is older and no little kids are around, it is a lot different now. We all sit around and eat sausage, cheese and crackers. I love cooking a nice duck and fries. Mr. Bebbi has to have duck and fries. Something about when we went to Mom's when we first met she had Duck and french fries. It's odd, I know.

    We give gifts on my hubby's side of the family to neices and nephews, but usually after Christmas because they live far away and I used to work retail, which meant never having Christmas off. We are used to it just being our immediate family around so our tradition is us and my Mom. She brings her dog and stays over on Christmas Eve.

    Phew, I am so excited! My sister came over today and walked with me. I am so proud of her. It is really hard for her sometimes, she's a single parent. She works hard and gets tired but she did it. I got 12,649 steps and she got 10,500!! Woo hoo! Also, I have lost 36 lbs now..yippee yi yay!

    I am going to read comments now.

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  55. Dreama's comments reminded me. I would always get a ton of dollar store stuff. The kids would laugh at the silly things I would get. Usually one would know what one was because one of the other children already opened theirs. It is funny to remember my dollar store trinkets. Thanks Dreama.

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  56. Carol - No I didn't figure out what happened. Actually it was the horn that was blowing not an alarm. I hope it doesn't happen again tonight.

    VIG - (((((Hugs)))))))

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  57. Shirley: Peanut Brittle reminds me of my grandmother. She used to make the best peanut brittle. Anytime I eat it, I think of her. She was an awesome lady.

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  58. Owls you are a wise and caring group. Thank you Carol, Kgirl, Tink and Goldie for your words and thoughts! I too hope that he is free of his wheelchair and is indeed running and jumping and doing all the things he was not able to do. His spirit is set free!

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  59. Gosh Vig, I am so sad for the little boy, his family and you. it makes me think of Jennifer Hudson's nephew. He was a very sweet boy, you could tell from the videos and pictures. It breaks my heart when young ones are taken too soon. My prayers and thoughts are with the mother and all his family. :(

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  60. Thanks Bebbi! Very much appreciated!

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  61. Waving up at Bebbi! I just got a chance to come back and read the posts.
    One of my retired blogging friends wrote to me and said that she was knitting socks for Christmas. She is making them because of her budget but what a wonderful gift of love. I imagine they would be quite warm also.

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  62. Good Evening Everyone,

    PHEW!!!! What a Day, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY,

    Lynn, what a nice blog, on different Christmas Traditions, I can't believe its almost here.

    IBB, Your so craft!!!! I love homemade afghans, OH & COOKIES, I think them are the best gifts.

    Scrish, Neat Idea, I like it,

    Vig, I'm so so sorry, It makes you treasure your own children even more.

    Mek, I'm so sorry, about your dog, I think I'm gonna have to put my poodle down soon. I'm hoping its after Christmas.My heart goes out to you.

    I'm here late today, I had to take my mother to the pain clinic today, they are gonna give her 4 weeks of traction therapy, We'll see if it works, If that don't work they are going to try the epidural shots, but her spine is so small, the epidural shot might make it worse, so were still at a stand still. Ok, all my kids are sleeping, husband is sleeping, mom is sleeping, ITS QUIET YEAH!!!! I'm gonna go watch the news, then watch Y&R. I also had to go to a Church meeting for First Confession for Victor he makes his Confession next Wed. and his Communion May 2, 2009 at 4:00 pm Mass, Anthony makes his Confirmation March 14, 2009 at 11:00 am Tomorrow is another church meeting from 7-9 a priest is talking I told John ITS YOUR JOB!!!!! I've been doing enough, LOL I cannot believe all the prep plus class these kids have to do today. WOW thats all I can say.

    Have a goodnight everyone, Talk to you tomorrow.

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  63. Waving a hello up to Dreama who flew in for a "fly by"..whew..look out folks. She zoomed in and out!

    Hi Renee, sounds like you are full of religious celebrations and preparations! I remember those days. Enjoy them and take lots of pictures. They are gone too soon.

    Mek: I am sorry to hear about your dog. I was reading, but couldn't find the post where you said what had happened. But, sorry to hear of the loss of your beloved pet. :(

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  64. Good night everybody. Sweet Dreams!

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  65. Goodnight Bebbi...

    I just got my Al Michaels Report...

    The Phillies won the World Series..

    Hooray for them...

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  66. Zona:
    I forgot to wish you Happy Blue Yesterday! Sorry..

    ♥♥

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  67. Good night Bebbi, Mary and everyone else. I'm off to bed too. Carol I love the slide show on the main page. Cool!

    Mek ((HUGS))
    Vig ((HUGS))

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  68. I have been obsessed with the news of Jennifer Hudson and her family, How very tragic... Gosh, to loss your mother, brother, and very young nephew, must be heartbreaking. And all so senseless, Probably over a disagreement, and such a cruel way they had to die...

    I just wonder if the ones left here on earth ever recover....

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  69. Shirley, my little helper...

    That is just the beginning...

    BOO!

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  70. OOOOHHHHHH!!!!! Everyone be afraid...be very afraid.
    MUAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

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  71. Good night Carol. I really am going now.

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  72. How Funny.. I was alone and messed it all up... my See Ya was actually 100... Even alone I find a way to miss the mark...

    :O)

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  73. One last fly by to leave Outatuunes messages that I captured via Twitter....

    outatuune Fixin' to go see Clay in Spamalot on Broadway 6PM



    outatuune In line 4 The Daily Show - Obama 2nite! (via satellite) 3 PM



    outatuune It's freakin' cold in NY

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  74. Tina: Your "smut" books? ROFLMAO!

    Lynn D: I've always been amused by the difference between my nuclear family's Christmas gift tradition compared to my Brother in Law's family!

    We gather around on Christmas morning with the gifts all under the tree. One of us is designated official gift dispenser, and very carefully picks out a present for somebody who hasn't unwrapped one for a while. That person proceeds to open their gift, thanks the person who gave it to them, and maybe goes over and kisses the gifter. Then, and only then, we move on to the next gift.

    My bro in law's family, OTOH, has a free-for-all! Everybody's gifts are in an individual pile, and they all just frantically tear the wrapping off their presents as fast as they can, while everybody else is doing the same thing!

    LOL! Families!

    I can't wait for the Halloween party to start at the Manor! I'll be there, as much as I can. Mr Whabbear and I are driving down to Palm Springs after work tomorrow night and staying through Monday.

    It's Halloween and Gay Pride Weekend down there! Fun? Wow!

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  75. Bear Maybe you'll run into Dr. Frank N. Furter. LOL

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  76. Hi, Linda! LOL... there's probably a good chance, given that Palm Springs will be positively bursting at the seams with gay men this weekend! And Halloween to boot!

    We're going to head to Wang's for their Friday happy hour to start off the night's festivities. It should be interesting with the costumes. Our friends Mark (a caucasian "pocket bear") and Louie (his African American partner) are dressing up as a prison guard and prisoner, respectively.

    That ought to wake up the country club! LOL!

    Are you planning on doing anything Friday night? Aside from bobbing for apples at the manor, I mean?

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  77. Bear No, I'm afraid it will be pretty boring for me. I'll just be answering the door for the trick-or-treaters. Ah, I remember the "old days" fondly, though, when there was much partying to be done. I remember one Halloween party when I got my police lieutenant SO (before we were married) to eat some "special" brownies. He got sick but I really blame that on the Johnny Walker he was also drinking. LOL

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  78. BTW, he knew what was in the brownies. The way I wrote that made it sound like I tricked him or something. LOL

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  79. Clearly a treat, not a trick!

    I wonder if Shirley is stocking up on Goldie's Brownies for the three-day party marathon?

    Oh... wait... Carol said we should revert to childhood, not college!

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  80. Bear I sent you a treat on MS. :)

    When I was a kid, people could give out homemade treats like popcorn balls. Sadly, those days are gone.

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  81. I just wanted to delete the last comment I was going to publish and it looks like I deleted everything I published today.

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