How will you shop for the holidays?

[susan silva]

Have you done your holiday shopping?  I have one present for each of my kids and that is it.  We don't have a tree yet but have decorated.  We also helped our neighbor put up her blue and white lights, and a big star for them.  They turned out great, it is a nice contrast.  What do you do for the holidays?

[ecogirl]

I've finished my Christmas shopping except for one this I've still got to get - and it's all wrapped.  No decorations up yet because everything is in the attic and I've not got a ladder!

[rose.winter1980]

I'm in the process of shopping, and still have a lot to do.

We always have a tree - in the hall as it is a big space and the floor is polished wood so no needles getting into carpets (although it's amazing how the pesky little things travel).  The tree goes up on Christmas Eve. The house is decorated, mostly with greenery, ribbons and candles. 

Then there is cooking: cake to make, pudding to make, and don't get me started on the other eatables I have to provide.  I'm tired already! LOL.  Love it though.

[Atlanta Z3]

I was done except for the dh and mostly online.  But I came up with a few exta presents for the parents, that I just have to get.  Ordered one pressie for the dh online today and plan a trip to stores tomorrow.  We are expecting SNOW tomorrow - I am so EXCITED! No accumlations expected, which might mean we will get a foot.  (But I'm dreaming.)  No decorating done at this time.  I plan to put out the greenery tomorrow around the step railings with red bows.  I don't plan to get a tree for another week or so, if we get one at all this year.  We haven't put up a tree in a few years (no kiddies), but I would like to get a small one this year. 
The last tree we did get stayed natural.  The dh and I had a stale mate over who would put on the lights.  We decided to be different and just have a green "natural" tree to look at!

[Jackie G]

Mostly online, more shops than usual this year.  Mostly finished too by dint of picking things up as I see them - only way I can really afford it!

As for a tree - nothing goes up until we hit the teens of December.  I got Christmas cards on the 1st for heaven's sake.

And as for cards - normally I make my own and send them, but as Royal Mail decided to hold everyone over a barrel with weeks to Christmas, even though it's temporarily in abeyance, I'm giving them as little custom as you like over the festive period so am only sending a few cards.  The rest will get e-cards - not as nice, I know, but it's a principle thing.

[Cozwaz]

I am a bit behind this year as my dog has had two bigish operations over the last 5 weeks and my parents have been up to stay so not as organised Christmas wise as I usually am.

However, finished all my present shopping on Saturday, dinning table is covered in Christmas cards waiting to be written and I have all the presents to wrap and some to post off.  Hopefully all will be done during the evenings this week.

Forgot to say only did about 40% of my christmas shopping online.

[officepa]

Only buying presents for son this year but as he likes to choose his own things now, will probably end up giving him money and maybe a few smaller things just for unwrapping.

Never go overboard on decorations but usually have a tree although not really sure if that is going up this year  .

Would prefer to buy online if buying lots I think.  Have just been to the high street and you would think that the shops are shutting today and never opening again    .  Madness.

[gee4]

Have responded to the poll, so just posting for comment....

I have mostly shopped in store this year, but have also shopped online.

Online is definitely convenient but not always reliable eg.  I am trying to trace an item purchased from Amazon which I was told would be delivered at the end of November, but I'm still waiting for it.  Other items arrived but this one did not.  The problem is the items were sent as 3 separate packages, instead of one, which I had no control over.

Hopefully they can either resend the item or refund me.

[Cathy S]

Well I'll go out on a limb on this one ...

... contrary to what the man at the Job Centre thought, the Redundancy Pay I have fought hard to receive, is going to paying bills for as long as possible and not splurging on Christmas.

There is no Christmas shopping for me this year (traditionally I do most of it online) ... the few who receive presents will be getting my time to help them out with a specific task.  I always design and make my own Christmas cards and many of them will be hand delivered. 

Christmas day meals will depend - if I am still dog sitting for the couple next door (because they are at the hospital having their first child) Christmas day will be a long walk with two dogs taking picnic breakfast and lunch with us and probably a roast chicken for dinner after a long hot bath; if I am free of dog sitting, Christmas day will be with my parents and undoubtedly there will be a mountain of food even though they are as usual 'cutting back this year'.

Over the past 13 years, I have built up a lovely range of Christmas decorations and this year there is only the dog to object so I will choose my theme and stick to it.  I do love a real tree but with limited space I have a narrow black fake tree (likely to be decked out in white, silver and a touch of either aqua or mauve (frosty and icy).  The decorations will be put up during the day on Christmas eve and stay up until Twelfth Night.

It is most refreshing ... normally by this point in December I am frazzled with the heaving crowds I have to share the town with on my commute, with the endless rounds of drinks with different colleagues, with the pressure to make yet more cards because the office down the corridor just handed theirs out and to stock up on all the Christmas food in the shops ... living in the country I am escaping all of that and I am really looking forward to a genuinely peaceful Christmas ...

Cathy

[Katie G]

I can't stand the local malls (too much shoving and pushing) and most of what I get for DH is of a speciailized nature so it's online for me!  We've kept the shopping down this year (easy since the family is small and there aren't any young children to buy for) and are getting around to putting up our tree and DH is working on setting up his dad's old Lionel train set (circa 1948).  Like I posted earlier in the other forum -- keeping it simple this year.  I've even slashed the christmas card list to about 15.  Just need to bake my loaves of cranberry bread for the office and family....

[geminigirl]

Most of my present shopping is done now and it's been a mixture of both shops and online purchases.  I have veered from one extreme to the other in ideas of what to give people.  It's a real mixture of stuff I've made (yep, honestly!) to things I wouldn't ordinarily give as gifts (homemade (by other people!!) chutney) for instance, for a couple of people I'm making up small hampers of foodstuffs etc that I would like to receive.

I've tried to individualise gifts, too, rather than just throwing money at things I've seen in the shops.  It'll be an interesting Christmas morning for sure, seeing the reactions when they unwrap 

I've made most of my own cards this year, for the first time ever - my own photos of this year's heavy snow, with a little glitter thrown to for frosty effect!

[peaches2160]

Have shopped 50% online and 50% in stores.  Way behind though.  Hubby just told me he is getting Xmas Eve off and is taking the day before so we can shop together, kind of a tradition with us.  We like to shop together for the kids.  Not buying as much this year, so it won't take too long to finish up.