Was planning on making a bunch of stuff for presents this year. Think I'm remotely done with that yet? Course not. How's your holiday prep coming?
50 thoughts on “December 22, 2016: Prep Work”
I wrapped three presents last night and am glad I won't be wrapping any more until next year. I enjoy giving gifts, but if it were socially acceptable I would staple a brown paper bag closed with the present inside.
Other than that, we've got everybody on our lists – or did, until my little sister closed on her first house last night. I think we can hold off on a housewarming gift, but we probably should start thinking about what to get her & her girls.
My dad and I use newspaper sometimes.
We used to use the Sunday comics section, because colorful.
Dido, although more for birthday presents than Hanukkah presents.
I'm beyond prepped.
I wrapped seven presents last night using four different types of paper,* strategically coordinated with other (unused) varieties of paper so that each individual has unique paper.**
We bought a tree on black Friday and my wife and Kernel decorated it within 3 days. Outdoor wreathes, 3 of 'em - 2 large imitation ones for the eaves of the house,1 real one for the front door, have been up since Dec. 1. Beyond the tree, the interior decorations (including new decorative 'snowflake' throw pillows for the couch) have been a two-plus week work in progress. (see ** below)
Christmas photo-cards were created, hand-addressed and mailed out about three weeks ago. I bought the stamps. (again, see ** below)
We wrapped gifts and shipped 3 different boxes for out-of-state or distant nieces & nephews in the past week (one box won't arrive until next Tuesday, but I saved $13). Still have maybe a dozen more to wrap for local and in-house family members.
I have one gift left to purchase - my younger brother.
*because my wife is a corporate-level director for a retailer and one of her areas of concern is holiday **because my wife is ... particular and absolutely adores Christmas.
Yesterday a.m., EAR realized we had nothing for my two nephews (who live in AK).
Before I left for work, she had a gift chosen from an AK toystore (so it won't have to be shipped from the lower 48), and purchased.
If it was all left to me, I'd probably have to give the kids $100 bills every few years.
Some years I'm on top of things (well, okay... some years I'm Clark Griswold, with big ideas and sloppy execution). This year... I spent 35 minutes on Amazon, am hoping my deliveries arrive on today, and stopped at Wal-Mart one evening when we needed diapers. I'm assuming we have wrapping paper.
I have the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services prepared. I'm trying to get some things done ahead of time so I can be gone for a couple of days after Christmas. On the other hand, the way the weather forecast sounds, we may not have any Christmas Day services and I may not be going anywhere.
I'll be baking a fair amount tomorrow/Saturday and I think I've finally made my mind up about what to make (though naturally I don't have all the ingredients). No Christmas crafting this year, but I need to finish knitting a shawl for an important woman before 12/29.
What kind of "stuff" do you make? Should we be expecting a "The Nation Has Skills" post? Can we purchase your "stuff?"
Good luck anyhow.
I'm crap on prepping. I rely heavily on Zee Frau for present procurement, but she does insist I at least offer ideas and get stuff for my parents.
I keep buying things for her, though, because I'm not sure where to stop when I get good ideas, and I don't want to come up short.
Our distribution list skews female. Last year, I was randomly inspired to fill out the gift bouquet with a homemade coffee sugar scrub. Seemed to be a hit and it was kind of fun (and easy) to make. This year, I whipped up a batch of lavender salt scrub, and am going to attempt bath bombs tonight (and more salt scrub). Don't ask why, sounded fun.
I found out this crap makes great gifts for teachers (the profession, especially early childhood, also skews female). The boy had a hand in making them (admittedly just enough so I can technically say, "he helped make them!"), we bottled it up in cute little jars, and you can crank em out mass production style.
I'm guessing these bath bombs are gonna be a shitshow though.
So hjjr is bringing homemade bombs to school for the teachers. Sounds like a good plan.
holy shitballs, the bath bombs are actually coming together. now, let's see if they stay together...
I hope you had a blast making them! 😉
I found out this crap makes great gifts for teachers
My wife gets all sorts of crap as holiday gifts from her kids and parents. Confidentially, most of it gets trashed or Goodwill'd pretty quickly. She doesn't do stinky soaps or lotions; and we have a LOT of coffee cups. Now, gift cards....
I got word that Runner daughter struck out at the grocery store trying to buy some Crack cereal*, so while at a different grocery store I picked up two boxes and put them under the tree. That's been it for my gift purchases -- I'm liking this "no gift for us" Christmas. I'm sure the school families that benefit from the charitable donations will also like it.
Still need to make Cherry Winks yet, Official Christmas Cookie of Rhubarb_Runner
*Corn Quaker Squares
The Mrs and I gifted each other donations to various charities this year.
buuuut, we are about to make an offer on a house.
*gulp*
*not retiring ever*
You do know that empty nesters are supposed to downsize into a cheaper house, right?
Or add a condo in FL
Smaller, yes. Cheaper, no.
Working on sending out a Christmas letter... we shall see if it actually happens.
We've got a big pile of xmas cards. Sitting untouched in a pile...
Thankfully I got most of ours out at the beginning of the month an am well into the "We'll see if so-and-so sends us one..." or "So-and-so moved and we don't have their new address..." stage.
That's what I said in 2012, 2013 and 2014. In 2015 Wife was giving me crap, because, you know, moving to the new house that nobody seems to have an address for, do we still even exist?, etc...so I actually wrote a letter last year but we never sent it out (just re-read, pretty solid material). We decided to take a step back this year and try to at least get out some photo cards. That seems to have worked. We'll try to build from there.
If we do get a snow storm over Christmas, I'm hoping to use it to get a Christmas letter (well, actually, it'll be a New Year's letter by then) written.
EAR sent all ours out yesterday.
She's a homeschool mom that cuts back classes and focuses on holiday prep the week preceding Christmas.
We always use the post-Thanksgiving long weekend to get a first newsletter draft done and try get the first cards out the door by Dec. 1, particularly those going to Sweden, Germany, and Canada. It's a little less "important" now with social media, but since we live nowhere near relatives, it's pretty essential to check in with a card.
We have a 3-ring binder with our Christmas newsletters (and one Great Flood summer letter) going back to 1989, which actually makes for a nice time capsule.
I enjoy writing the Christmas letters, but usually find myself behind on the task. Great idea to keep a copy of them.
I generally try to do more than just give an update, particularly so with social media. The last couple years, including this one, have been "thoughtful reflection." I've done fiction stories and humor in past years. I always like when people do a bit more with their letters.
Google Docs. Google is forever.
We have never done a letter. It is all we (read: the Mrs) can do to get a picture of the kids to adorn the annual card.
I used to love making and sending out cards, but it has felt too much like a chore the last few years, so I've skipped it. Maybe someday I'll get back to it?
EAR got all the shopping for our kids done, and all the wrapping (Santa doesn't wrap, just tags).
To prevent immense gift glut, we get our kids 3 gifts each (if it's good enough for Jesus...). Santa makes 4.
I got gifts for EAR (was one smaller one, but then I got a Kindle at the work party, and I showed her and she said I should give it to her) they're not yet wrapped.
I still need to shop for my folks and my secret Santa among the in-laws (which isn't until New Year's weekend this year).
I'm not much for wrapping either. I did enjoy it more a few years ago when we had a giant roll of store-wrapping paper bought from the liquidation sale at the Ben Franklin in EAR's hometown when it went out of business. It was a problem on large items because the sheet was only about about 80% as wide as standard paper. But it was real paper, not this glorified tissue you buy as consumer-market wrapping paper. It folded nice and held the folds and didn't tear from a mean glare like all we have now.
Like emesis bags, that roll of paper was an unusual consumer good that really made life much easier. I need to learn how to purchase another such roll.
I'm so sick I can barely move, except when I'm being wracked by coughing spasms and sneezing fits, and with each passing hour I understand I'm not going to get anything else done before Christmas. No Chex mix, no fudge, no cool stocking stuffers. Mrs. Twayn's family is having their party tomorrow evening and I don't think I'll be going, short a miraculous recovery. Right now, all I want for Christmas is to be healthy and feel human again.
I finally broke down and am getting antibiotics tonight. Hope it helps. My whole family has been sick the entire month with something. Just an effing miserable December.
This hit me on Saturday, after Mrs. Twayn had already had it for two weeks. Hope you feel better soon, Beau.
I started a course of antibiotics yesterday. My staff made me go home at noon today.
Funny, my boss leaves early and comes in late without prompting from his staff.
Any one of us here would be more than happy to handle your Festivus post tomorrow so you can stay in bed and convalesce (get better, dude!)
Wait, I have a Festivus post to do? All I know is it won't take much to pin me to the floor this year.
No, I meant posting an LTE to the Festivus Co'C for you, not creating the Co'C post itself.
62° and strong chance of rain Christmas Day?? D@mn you, Heat Miser!
Pft. It's going to be near 80Ëš here on christmas (if the weather guy is right...).
There's a chance our house will be getting snow on Christmas morning, but we will be traveling from VA to MN that day so we won't be there to see it.
A little Christmas musical interlude from the Summit Singers at St. Thomas University. Younger Daughter was a PA on the project.
Indians to sign Edwin Encarnacion, which means he'll get to torture Twins pitching 18 times per year (barring injury).
9 games at Target Field. I'm taking the over on whatever his HR is supposed to be.
I'll also take the over.
Our winter storm this weekend now has a name: Dante. Seems like an odd choice for a name of a Christmas Eve storm. It is a Category 4 with the possibility of moving to a Category 5.
I wrapped three presents last night and am glad I won't be wrapping any more until next year. I enjoy giving gifts, but if it were socially acceptable I would staple a brown paper bag closed with the present inside.
Other than that, we've got everybody on our lists – or did, until my little sister closed on her first house last night. I think we can hold off on a housewarming gift, but we probably should start thinking about what to get her & her girls.
My dad and I use newspaper sometimes.
We used to use the Sunday comics section, because colorful.
Dido, although more for birthday presents than Hanukkah presents.
I'm beyond prepped.
I wrapped seven presents last night using four different types of paper,* strategically coordinated with other (unused) varieties of paper so that each individual has unique paper.**
We bought a tree on black Friday and my wife and Kernel decorated it within 3 days. Outdoor wreathes, 3 of 'em - 2 large imitation ones for the eaves of the house,1 real one for the front door, have been up since Dec. 1. Beyond the tree, the interior decorations (including new decorative 'snowflake' throw pillows for the couch) have been a two-plus week work in progress. (see ** below)
Christmas photo-cards were created, hand-addressed and mailed out about three weeks ago. I bought the stamps. (again, see ** below)
We wrapped gifts and shipped 3 different boxes for out-of-state or distant nieces & nephews in the past week (one box won't arrive until next Tuesday, but I saved $13). Still have maybe a dozen more to wrap for local and in-house family members.
I have one gift left to purchase - my younger brother.
*because my wife is a corporate-level director for a retailer and one of her areas of concern is holiday
**because my wife is ... particular and absolutely adores Christmas.
Yesterday a.m., EAR realized we had nothing for my two nephews (who live in AK).
Before I left for work, she had a gift chosen from an AK toystore (so it won't have to be shipped from the lower 48), and purchased.
If it was all left to me, I'd probably have to give the kids $100 bills every few years.
Some years I'm on top of things (well, okay... some years I'm Clark Griswold, with big ideas and sloppy execution). This year... I spent 35 minutes on Amazon, am hoping my deliveries arrive on today, and stopped at Wal-Mart one evening when we needed diapers. I'm assuming we have wrapping paper.
I have the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services prepared. I'm trying to get some things done ahead of time so I can be gone for a couple of days after Christmas. On the other hand, the way the weather forecast sounds, we may not have any Christmas Day services and I may not be going anywhere.
I'll be baking a fair amount tomorrow/Saturday and I think I've finally made my mind up about what to make (though naturally I don't have all the ingredients). No Christmas crafting this year, but I need to finish knitting a shawl for an important woman before 12/29.
What kind of "stuff" do you make? Should we be expecting a "The Nation Has Skills" post? Can we purchase your "stuff?"
Good luck anyhow.
I'm crap on prepping. I rely heavily on Zee Frau for present procurement, but she does insist I at least offer ideas and get stuff for my parents.
I keep buying things for her, though, because I'm not sure where to stop when I get good ideas, and I don't want to come up short.
Our distribution list skews female. Last year, I was randomly inspired to fill out the gift bouquet with a homemade coffee sugar scrub. Seemed to be a hit and it was kind of fun (and easy) to make. This year, I whipped up a batch of lavender salt scrub, and am going to attempt bath bombs tonight (and more salt scrub). Don't ask why, sounded fun.
I found out this crap makes great gifts for teachers (the profession, especially early childhood, also skews female). The boy had a hand in making them (admittedly just enough so I can technically say, "he helped make them!"), we bottled it up in cute little jars, and you can crank em out mass production style.
I'm guessing these bath bombs are gonna be a shitshow though.
So hjjr is bringing homemade bombs to school for the teachers. Sounds like a good plan.
holy shitballs, the bath bombs are actually coming together. now, let's see if they stay together...
I hope you had a blast making them! 😉
My wife gets all sorts of crap as holiday gifts from her kids and parents. Confidentially, most of it gets trashed or Goodwill'd pretty quickly. She doesn't do stinky soaps or lotions; and we have a LOT of coffee cups. Now, gift cards....
I got word that Runner daughter struck out at the grocery store trying to buy some Crack cereal*, so while at a different grocery store I picked up two boxes and put them under the tree. That's been it for my gift purchases -- I'm liking this "no gift for us" Christmas. I'm sure the school families that benefit from the charitable donations will also like it.
Still need to make Cherry Winks yet, Official Christmas Cookie of Rhubarb_Runner
*Corn Quaker Squares
The Mrs and I gifted each other donations to various charities this year.
buuuut, we are about to make an offer on a house.
*gulp*
*not retiring ever*
You do know that empty nesters are supposed to downsize into a cheaper house, right?
Or add a condo in FL
Smaller, yes. Cheaper, no.
Working on sending out a Christmas letter... we shall see if it actually happens.
We've got a big pile of xmas cards. Sitting untouched in a pile...
Thankfully I got most of ours out at the beginning of the month an am well into the "We'll see if so-and-so sends us one..." or "So-and-so moved and we don't have their new address..." stage.
That's what I said in 2012, 2013 and 2014. In 2015 Wife was giving me crap, because, you know, moving to the new house that nobody seems to have an address for, do we still even exist?, etc...so I actually wrote a letter last year but we never sent it out (just re-read, pretty solid material). We decided to take a step back this year and try to at least get out some photo cards. That seems to have worked. We'll try to build from there.
If we do get a snow storm over Christmas, I'm hoping to use it to get a Christmas letter (well, actually, it'll be a New Year's letter by then) written.
EAR sent all ours out yesterday.
She's a homeschool mom that cuts back classes and focuses on holiday prep the week preceding Christmas.
We always use the post-Thanksgiving long weekend to get a first newsletter draft done and try get the first cards out the door by Dec. 1, particularly those going to Sweden, Germany, and Canada. It's a little less "important" now with social media, but since we live nowhere near relatives, it's pretty essential to check in with a card.
We have a 3-ring binder with our Christmas newsletters (and one Great Flood summer letter) going back to 1989, which actually makes for a nice time capsule.
I enjoy writing the Christmas letters, but usually find myself behind on the task. Great idea to keep a copy of them.
I generally try to do more than just give an update, particularly so with social media. The last couple years, including this one, have been "thoughtful reflection." I've done fiction stories and humor in past years. I always like when people do a bit more with their letters.
Google Docs. Google is forever.
We have never done a letter. It is all we (read: the Mrs) can do to get a picture of the kids to adorn the annual card.
I used to love making and sending out cards, but it has felt too much like a chore the last few years, so I've skipped it. Maybe someday I'll get back to it?
EAR got all the shopping for our kids done, and all the wrapping (Santa doesn't wrap, just tags).
To prevent immense gift glut, we get our kids 3 gifts each (if it's good enough for Jesus...). Santa makes 4.
I got gifts for EAR (was one smaller one, but then I got a Kindle at the work party, and I showed her and she said I should give it to her) they're not yet wrapped.
I still need to shop for my folks and my secret Santa among the in-laws (which isn't until New Year's weekend this year).
I'm not much for wrapping either. I did enjoy it more a few years ago when we had a giant roll of store-wrapping paper bought from the liquidation sale at the Ben Franklin in EAR's hometown when it went out of business. It was a problem on large items because the sheet was only about about 80% as wide as standard paper. But it was real paper, not this glorified tissue you buy as consumer-market wrapping paper. It folded nice and held the folds and didn't tear from a mean glare like all we have now.
Like emesis bags, that roll of paper was an unusual consumer good that really made life much easier. I need to learn how to purchase another such roll.
I'm so sick I can barely move, except when I'm being wracked by coughing spasms and sneezing fits, and with each passing hour I understand I'm not going to get anything else done before Christmas. No Chex mix, no fudge, no cool stocking stuffers. Mrs. Twayn's family is having their party tomorrow evening and I don't think I'll be going, short a miraculous recovery. Right now, all I want for Christmas is to be healthy and feel human again.
I finally broke down and am getting antibiotics tonight. Hope it helps. My whole family has been sick the entire month with something. Just an effing miserable December.
This hit me on Saturday, after Mrs. Twayn had already had it for two weeks. Hope you feel better soon, Beau.
I started a course of antibiotics yesterday. My staff made me go home at noon today.
Funny, my boss leaves early and comes in late without prompting from his staff.
Any one of us here would be more than happy to handle your Festivus post tomorrow so you can stay in bed and convalesce (get better, dude!)
Wait, I have a Festivus post to do? All I know is it won't take much to pin me to the floor this year.
No, I meant posting an LTE to the Festivus Co'C for you, not creating the Co'C post itself.
62° and strong chance of rain Christmas Day?? D@mn you, Heat Miser!
Pft. It's going to be near 80Ëš here on christmas (if the weather guy is right...).
There's a chance our house will be getting snow on Christmas morning, but we will be traveling from VA to MN that day so we won't be there to see it.
A little Christmas musical interlude from the Summit Singers at St. Thomas University. Younger Daughter was a PA on the project.
Indians to sign Edwin Encarnacion, which means he'll get to torture Twins pitching 18 times per year (barring injury).
9 games at Target Field. I'm taking the over on whatever his HR is supposed to be.
I'll also take the over.
Our winter storm this weekend now has a name: Dante. Seems like an odd choice for a name of a Christmas Eve storm. It is a Category 4 with the possibility of moving to a Category 5.
Daunte on Christmas Eve is going to disappoint.