I'm avoiding the entire holiday shopping insanity this year. - sm
Posted By: San Francisco on 2007-11-20
In Reply to: Exactly why I never go to the crazy sales. - Mel
My family and I have all reached the point where it's nearly impossible to find anything that the other person would really like or can really use. The last years have been just the stupidity of us all trying to buy gifts on a limited income, which after all the shopping-mall challenges, wrapping challenges, and Post Office lines (as everyone is scattered all over the country), just to send each other things that end up being white elephants, we discussed it and said, 'Why are we doing this?' I had come to dread Christmas time like no other time of year. Even tax time was better!
So instead, last year we said enough of this commercialism is enough. We just kicked back and enjoyed the season. Went to the ice rink in the city and looked at all the lights on the buildings. Wrote cards (with actual LETTERS in them, not just printed names & greetings, which in my mind are a waste of postage), donated toys/gifts to kids or families who really could use a Christmas gift, and maybe got a few small things for close friends. I cut my Christmas card list down to just a few close friends who live far away, family in other parts of the country or the world, and skipped all the ones on the list who haven't bothered to return a phone call, note, or email in the past 5 years.
I spent Christmas Day with my best friends, then decided to go climb the hundreds of steps up the steep hill to Coit Tower in the city, and marvel at the view of the bay on a clear winter evening.
It's amazing how stress-reducing it's been to give up the Holiday rat-race. A few years ago I 'went AWOL' from everyone and everything on Christmas Eve. Drove up to one of the smaller & less-crowded Sierra ski resorts, Dodge Ridge, which is kind of out in the middle of nowhere up in the mountains, at the end of a dead-end road well off any main highways. After a nice day of skiing, I timed my 2nd-to-last run so that I was the very last person to get on the chairlift before they closed it down. Once at the summit, with the sun starting to set (and my ears turning numb in the wind & snow), I took my time adjusting boots, poles, etc., so that I'd be the very last one down the mountain. And much to the consternation of the Ski-Patrol making their last day's sweep of the mountain to make sure everyone's gotten down okay, I took my sweet time doing that, as well, and was rewarded with an incredible sunset off in the distance in the West, even though it was still snowing lightly on the mountain. And it was incredible to be able to go swooping down the runs alone, without any other sounds or skiers.
On the drive back home, the clouds cleared and there was a huge full moon - (I believe someone said the last full moon on Christmas Eve for 30 years?) It lit up the snow in the canyons like it was almost daylight, and I pulled off the road a few times just to enjoy the view and the silence. (A TRUE 'Silent Night'!)
:)
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holiday shopping
Did anyone see on the news the WalMart employee trampled to death by the mob storming the place when the doors opened? What a sad commentary that is on society. I will be saying a prayer for this person's family.
Sorry, but my holiday cheer has gone right out the window this year -sm
For the second time in 2 months, after never having had any problems with this in the past, my credit card number has been stolen and used fraudulently. I follow all the guidelines for using a credit card, etc., and check my account online constantly to make sure everything is okay (actually used to work in the fraud dept for a major credit card company) and yet again there are charges on there I have not done. That card is closed again and they are reissuing a new card number. Do I have to stop living in order that the little thieves of the world are able to provide for the people on their holiday list? Sorry, just really angry at this right now. Merry Christmas to me, huh? 
I am not a fan of Lowe's this year. They changed everything to seasonal or holiday sm
trees and decorations. No mention of CHRIST in anything. So sad.
Absolutely love Christmas. Start shopping every year by end of August for kids. sm
Start getting lists from rest of family by end of Sept. into Oct and usually have everything done, bought, and wrapped by Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!! By doing that I can sit back and just enjoy the beauty of the season.
And the insanity goes on...
...and Sanjaya is still on American Idol.   
Holiday Inn w/Bing&Astair and The Holiday w/Diaz&Winslet NM
.
Boobs still sell. Insanity
.
rent shoe shopping or handbag shopping
!
I'm currently avoiding ALL products with peanuts in them,
as the recall just seems to keep getting more and more expansive. At the beginning of it I bought some chocolate-covered cookies with peanut-flavored middles that were going to go on a picnic with me, to share with others. Instead, I bought different cookies to share with my friends. (I have few enough friends, without poisoning them to death!) Still, I couldn't throw away the package, and since they were generic, without a particular brand, I finally took a chance and ate one bite of one myself. They were fine, and needless to say, I ended up polishing off the entire package.
The Holiday does it for me. or Holiday Inn for a priceless oldie.nm
x
Wear a bikini in the sunshine instead of avoiding myself!........nm
nm
I'm specifically AVOIDING splitting hairs, if you'd notice. sm
I'm saying what my opinion is regarding the viability of an embryo (as post-implantation), but perfectly willing to grant that it might be pre-implantation as well.
??!!
have had this my entire life........
I had always gone for yearly mammograms and sometimes with bilateral hand-held ultrasound (my opinion is that the latter is better because w/ultrasound they always show up and not so with every mammogram). I have never needed a breast biopsy either. I am older now, breasts much less *dense*- a word that the MD always used - and I do not go yearly but every other year. BTW, no family hx for me of breast cancer. Try not to worry.......you can Google this too if you'd like......
OMG you just described my entire marriage..
I am waiting for tax returns and I am OUT OF HERE!! We tried counseling, and for US, it just made it worse. We have 3 children..7, 8, and 10. They are sick of him too and have actually BEGGED me to get us out of this house. I know in my area there are a lot of "programs" to help in these situations and I am hunting them down!! Good luck to you and dont sacrifice your life to be unhappy.
Even if you can't pay the entire quarterly tax
owed, I would at least send in something. Are you employed with taxes being withheld? You can also have extra held out for your federal and state for that matter. Even if it is only $20 a check, it would make a big difference.
So glad I did not have them their entire lives
because I had already raised my children and did not need to be raising stepgrandchildren and especially ones that had been left to fend for themselves and did not know how to cut up a piece of meat to eat it, no manners, nothing, took to Walt Disney World and they had never even heard of Snow White and 7 dwarfs but they sure knew about reefers, killings, rapings, etc. This is how they were growing up. I thank my lucky stars I am not in that situation anymore. I know personally of not only the neighbor who gets a check for her son being diagnosed as attention but also my cleaning lady, she also knows how to work the system, so she tells me and from what she has told me, I firmly believe it. Lots of people working the welfare systems yet.
I have watched this entire thing...sm
and yes, it does distress me and I feel so badly for those involved. But I guess I am one that wants to know why...about just about everything, I guess. It is not an *entertainment* thing, but an understanding thing. On the news last evening, they had a psychologist explain the difference between a psychotic person and a psychopathic person. Of course, he fit the latter, and according to this psychologist (a woman), this person was a psychopath by the time he was eight years old. That is truly hard to imagine! All of this is truly hard to imagine, but it is a part of life, as much as any good things that happen. The newscaster was defending their posting of this kids diatribe on the news by saying that if it elevates people to the point of correcting the wrongs that let this thing happen, then they felt it was worth it to air it. However, they did admit that perhaps airing it over and over again was not a good thing. Once would have been sufficient, and they also said that *copy cats* were reported after EVERY newsy story...i.e. there were some suicides recently, and suddenly a lot of copy cats showed up, etc. it is not just with this tragedy, but with all tragedies that are depicted on the news, internet, or other media sources. It just cannot be avoided. We cannot go back into the fifteenth century and not be aware. We HAVE to be aware, so we can learn how to cope in today's society. Hiding our heads in the sand is not going to stop it. There are other ways to prevent these things from happening and it is up to all of us to find those ways. Unfortunately it takes something like this to motivate others into creating change.
Would be nice if you read her entire
post. She was thinking it was now, not a couple of years ago. Gosh this is like passing on a story. The story just keeps getting twisted all the time and variations on the same story.
Have you watched the entire video of
Susan Boyle singing for the judges yet? The look on Simon's face and the other judges is priceless. I have watched it twice now and am just blown away. Her reaction to her own performance back stage was great!
In the early 70s, maybe 1972?, my entire
family got what was believed to be the swine flu. I was young and barely remember it, but my parents said they've never in their lives been that sick. I don't want it...
She extends her entire body and scratches every
door jam almost like she is marking everything as her very own. She is an older cat, so declawing is not an option. She is not an outside cat, but we have always felt that if we declawed her and she did happen to get outside that she would not be able to defend herself. She is a very good cat other than that like I said. She does claw the furniture a tad, but not as bad as the door jams. I can't even tell where she has clawed the furniture. She actually just leaves more dander on the furniture than actually clawing, so I guess we are lucky in that regard. She just really keeps me company, and I try to say "no" and scare her away from the door jams, but we have allowed one that she can scratch, which is in the entry to the area where her litter box is kept in the basement. We may be confusing her though. Thanks for all of your help. 
no, it was an entire roof (read threads *S*)..sm
power walking......see link here:
http://www.thewalkingsite.com/howtowalk.html
TIPS FOR WALKING FASTER1. Use good posture. Walk tall, look forward, (not at the ground) gazing about 20 feet ahead. Your chin should be level and your head up.
2. Keep your chest raised, and shoulders relaxed (shoulders down, back and relaxed).
3. Bend your arms in slightly less than a 90 degree angle. Cup your hands gently. Swing arms front to back (not side to side - arms should not cross your body.) Do not swing elbows higher than your sternum (breast bone). Swing your arms faster and your feet will follow.
4. Tighten your abs and buttocks.. Flatten your back and tilt your pelvis slightly forward.
5. Pretend you are walking along a straight line. Resist the urge to elongate your steps. To go faster -- take smaller, faster steps.
6. Push off with your toes. Concentrate on landing on your heel, rolling through the step and pushing off with your toes. Use the natural spring of your calf muscles to propel you forward.
7. Breathe naturally. As you walk, take deep, rhythmic breaths, to get the maximum amount of oxygen through your system. Walk fast enough that your breathing is increased yet you are not out of breath.
WALKING DON'TSCommon mistakes made by walkers... 1. Do not over stride
2. Do not use too vigorous arm movements
3. Do not look at the ground
4. Do not hunch your shoulders
5. Do not carry hand weights or place weights on your ankles
What is the difference in power walking, fitness walking, and racewalking?
Fitness walking is called by many different names - power walking, fitness walking, health walking. Power walking is commonly used to represent an exaggerated walking style. This style of overstriding and exaggerated arm movements is often linked with injuries. Because of this I don't generally use the term power walking. A better term for a healthful energetic walking pace is "fitness walking".
Fitness walking is much more than a stroll or nature walk. When fitness walking you incorporate the muscles of the upper body making it a GREAT aerobic activity. It burns approximately the same calories as running, yet it is much easier on the body. Because more muscles are used it burns calories much quicker than less aggressive walking. It also tones muscles in the buttocks, thighs, hips, shoulders, upper back and abs. Most fitness walkers average about 12 to 15 minutes per mile.
Unlike racewalking; there is no official definition. There are no rules. If you walk at a purposeful fitness walking pace using good technique you are a fitness walker. Use tips above to insure good walking form and to increase your pace.
never touched Kook Aid in my entire life....
.
Just spent an entire week in FL with brother sm
and his whole family - wife - 3 kids. To make a long story short, my sister in law does not like me. I'm about 7 years younger than she is. She is very jealous of my close relationship with my bro. Always. This trip she made it very clear how much she does not like me at all. I cried a lot this trip. My feelings have been so badly hurt. I've never done anything to her personally - she just hates me. My brother was very standoffish this trip and I know why. He has a very jealous wife. They would just get up and leave and not tell us where they were going or invite us. They NEVER used to do things like that. The whole time, if ever I had a suggestion for dinner or entertainment she would shoot it down with, "I don't want to do that!" I'm talking everything I came up with. What's even sadder is that they have 2 girls - my nieces - 13 and 15 - who used to love and adore me - their aunt - and this trip they were so ugly to me. I haven't seen them in over a year. We stayed in a 2 BR condo on the beach. Pretty small unit. They got the master BR. While walking to my room one evening the 3 of them (sister in law and 2 girls) were just berating me in gossip - talking about what I wore to the beach, the way I styled my hair, just stup*d things. Just gossiping so bad about me. I wanted to cry.
After I heard that about mid-way through the trip, I completely shut down emotionally. I only spoke when spoken to, didn't suggest anything at all to do, and was cordial, but not overly friendly like I usually am. Today when we left, she walked right by me in the hall and didn't say a word. Got into the car and they drove off. I had already said by to the kids and my bro. I cried when hugging my bro. He had his sunglasses on - he probably wanted to cry to. We lost our dad growing up and our mom pretty much abandoned us. We've stuck together until he moved out of state and started his family. I did too. He gets along GREAT with my husband and my kids.
What compels women to act like this? I don't understand it. Why would you want to live in your own prison of hate and bring everyone around you down? I can't stop crying! My brother lives about 2,000 miles away. I want to be close to him and his wife and kids. She won't allow it.
I know I have to just accept this is life and the way it will be. I am having a pity party. Can I say this eloquently without you taking offense? I am hating women right now. No matter how kind and nice I am, I always get slapped in the face. Always. I am a very kind and nice person. My mom always said I had wishbone but no backbone. I guess I just expect others to be kind, too, and when they aren't, I get hurt and I don't understand it.
Not using the entire bottle of something and just opening full ones! SM
I have quite a collection of shampoo bottles with about 3/4 inch in the bottom!! Makes me mad at myself!
mine's been going through menopause his entire life nm
wal-mart...polaroid dvr...ebay...okay dokay
Howard's Vicodin. If your entire message won't display, then why
do they give you all that space??? STUPID!!!!!!!!!1
I found my entire family tree including
dates of birth and marriages, complete spouses names, etc., for me and my 3 siblings on someone's web site. Kind of scary that my DOB and full birth name, married name, spouse's name and our marriage date was on the 'net! (plus my parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, on and on). This site branched out into 6 different families and was traceable to the 1400s! So much for trying to hide from the stalker it took me 6 years to get away from!
Perhaps an entire cable channel devoted to multiples?
xx
This entire country is scary...surprised people still leave the house.
x
Bigger issue - a 16 year old living withi a 29 year old and liability
Are you still not responsible for him until he is 18, how can he tell you where he will live? Unless he emancipates himself and he does something wrong, can they go against you since you are his mother and legally responsible for him? I worry more about him living with a 29 year old sister rather than returning a house key to me that is a bigger issue.
My 14-year-old is going to be a mother-in-law (so funny) if you google it and 11-year-old daughter
x
Won $2,000 on slot machine on New Year's Eve. What a way to start the year. nm
!
Set my budget a year in advance, save all year and
nm
Holiday coverage.
I have worked on days where the doc would not do surgery on a trauma patient until the ER/trauma examination was typed and in the file, making it a STAT report. Somebody has to be there to type it and send it back to them in a timely manner, not the next day.
Anyone get the holiday blues?
For whatever reason . . . family conflicts, financial stress, lonliness, etc?
holiday giving
What you are doing is a wonderful thing and I understand your hurt feelings. Perhaps next year you could channel your energy into giving where it would DEFINITELY be appreciated. Regardless of whether or not you support the war in Iraq, there are many of our troops there who would love to receive a card or care package for the holidays. There are plenty of needy children here in our country who could use a card or gift for the holidays. Why not give where it is wanted and needed? Your church can give you the name of a needy family for you to help at the holidays. You have many options to chose from. Pick something that will make it feel good on both the recipient and the givers side??
Holiday budgets - do you have one, keep one and ....sm
what works to keep you in budget if you have one? My husband and teenager went WAY over budget last year for Christmas so this year I've told them that it's cash only for their purchases and no internet shopping (that got them in trouble last year buying too much stuff because they didn't bother to track how much they were spending).
We've got $1300 budgeted for this Christmas. That includes $150 each kid for Santa gifts (2 kids), $100 each for my husband and myself to get each other something, each of us gets $100 total to get gifts for each other (i.e. kids get $100 to buy gifts for each other as well as we parents), $50 each allotted for our 3 parents, $25/each alotted for each of our siblings (small gifts always given - agreed amongst siblings years ago) and $50 to get gifts for the kids teachers and bus drivers. It sure adds up, doesn't it?
Holiday traditions - what do you do...sm
The night after Thanksgiving, we order a large pizza for dinner, watch Christmas Vacation and Polar Express, and then drink hot chocolate while the kids decorate the Christmas tree and the cats act like kittens again. What does everyone else do?
TV holiday commercials
Of course, there are zillions of commercials now with Christmas coming up. I just had to tell you my favorite and see if you have one. This would be fun.  This week, there have been tons of diamond commercials on TV, Zales, etc. There is one where the family comes down the stairs and somebody is sneaking a look in a present (it should be one of the kids). All they show is the mom and a close up of her face being caught! Then they say something about diamonds etc. I usually don't pay attention to commercials but I love that! She looks like a real mom, and I felt like that was what I would do, getting caught at sneaking a look. (Of course it would not be diamonds, but I'd still get caught even if it was a blender LOL).
Holiday tins
You can usually find these in a dollar store for about $1 each and you can line them with waxed paper. I use these when I make fudge for my daughter's teachers.
This holiday has gotten way more low-key and quiet for me.
My kids are 20, 18 and 17. The oldest lives at college and has to leave by 11:00 a.m. on Easter morning to make it back to school on Sunday night. We'll go to church on Saturday night to the vigil Mass. We don't buy new outfits, because we don't need them. No egg dyeing, because no one here likes to eat them. But, we will have a big breakfast early on Sunday morning, nibble out of the community candy basket, kiss the oldest one good-bye as he heads back to school, and then I'm going on a hike at the local environmental reserve where I'll sit down on a rock or log somewhere and enjoy the peace, think, and pray for a bit.
Quiet is nice.
What is a holiday? I don't know anymore. NM
xx
Holiday for MTs? - Unheard of.
I have been an MT for a long time and very rarely do I see a holiday. As an employee I had to take the holiday off whether I wanted to or not. Now that I'm on my own I can work when I want. I usually do work holidays as we are a "one-income" family. My weekends usually consist of working morning and partial afternoons on Saturdays and maybe mornings on Sunday - but that is my choice. So, for the weekend and holiday I will be working.
One of my fav holiday weekends, second
Saturday, we have a huge craft show to go to, followed by 3 baseball games of my boys', followed by some serious picnicking Saturday evening.
As for Sunday, fairly relaxing, a little work in the morning and evening, visiting family in the afternoon and picnicking some more.
Monday should be a fairly quiet day - a little work in the morning and evening, a late morning Memorial Day parade and early afternoon picnicking, maybe a movie with the kids!
Love this weekend -- gets me started on a great summer!
seriously disgusting how this holiday
extravaganza. What about the fallen heros??
Tax Free Holiday
I'm posting this here and in the WAHM forums, this link shows which states are having sales tax exempt shopping, when they are having it and what items are exempt. Everyone (Especially MTs) could use to save a few bucks.
http://singleparents.about.com/od/taxfreeholidays/2007_Sales_Tax_Free_Holidays.htm
I know the link says 2007 in it, but its for 2008 (as in my case NC is this weekend).
Let's vote a new holiday in ...
Just ONE day a year that we all are nice, friendly, nonjudgmental, noncritical, etc.
holiday quandry
I too think it would be good for everyone to come to your home, as this is your first Christmas as husband and wife - this is very important to the two of you and family should respect that.
Holiday memories....
My dad saying (when I was age 4 to 6) that there was an elf that would hop on his shoulder every morning when he got in the car to go to work and ask if I had been good the day before. I can remember waiting for him to get home and then excitedly asking him if he talked to the elf...ok, now I'm misty eyed!
Waiting in the longest line to get Cabbage Patch Kids for my daughters when they first came out....lucky enough to get ones with decent enough names and birthdates close to my girls' birthdays.
Making the dreaded yam/sweet potato casserole at Thanksgving and ALWAYS setting the marshmallow bag on the hot oven door, thus melting the plastic, nice touch.
Realizing that I don't care if I have to pay full price, I do not shop the day after Thanksgiving any more!
We don't have a holiday dinner without
mac and cheese. This is mostly due to my niece. The only thing she will eat at these major meals is kraft mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and rolls. She is 14 years old, but SIL and BIL have no problem with it. I am lucky, my kids don't like everything, but are good eaters and most of the time are willing to try new things.
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