It's Christmas time!!!

[ih8music]

I also need the smell of a real tree to make it seem like Christmas. My parents switched to artificial trees a few years ago, and while they certainly look nice, they're not the same.

 

Btw, I couldn't imagine putting stuff up this early. Just talking about it seems strange... why do you people hate Thanksgiving soo much?

[caliber66]

Our Christmas tree (and all the neighbors' I can get my hands on) go through the wood chipper and make their way into compost bins or get used as mulch.

[embiggen]

Our Christmas tree (and all the neighbors' I can get my hands on) go through the wood chipper and make their way into compost bins or get used as mulch.

 

 

 

now that's what I like to see!

[Lammycat]

The city picks up trees at curbside out here and they turn into wood chips/compost, too.

[embiggen]

The city picks up trees at curbside out here and they turn into wood chips/compost, too.

 

 

well in that case, maybe I could talk your girl into the real tree.

[Beltmann]

I also need the smell of a real tree to make it seem like Christmas.

I know this sounds weird, but for me, it's the smell of fake plastic trees that makes it seem like Christmas. We always had artificial trees when I was growing up, so for me the fakiness is all part of the overall (very welcome) tackiness of the holiday.

[theashtraysays]

[Sunken mountain]

When´s Thanksgiving Day this year? I think the day changes every year,but I´m not sure

[bleedorange]

November 25th

[Guest Jules]

I hate Christmas. I long for January.

[Guest Speed Racer]

Lately, it's been the only week out of the year I see my parents, so for that it's a nice holiday. It's the only time of year all four of us (and since last year, my lady, and as of this year, my sister's dude-bro) are all together. And I get and give gifts. But the rest of the holiday crap I could do without.

 

The lady dragged me to the Mall of America last year, one Saturday before Christmas. I wanted to jump off the ledge of the parking ramp.

[Edie]

We are post Thanksgiving x-mas decorators, real-tree putter-uppers and I would not have it any other way. Also, white lights are where it's at.

[Beltmann]

The lady dragged me to the Mall of America last year, one Saturday before Christmas.

I don't think I would survive that. Although I enjoy gift-giving, I have always dreaded holiday shopping; recent years have been much more fun, thanks to Jeff Bezos.

[Lammycat]

We are post Thanksgiving x-mas decorators, real-tree putter-uppers and I would not have it any other way. Also, white lights are where it's at.

Ditto on all counts, though I have added some colored lights to the outside, too. I really like the single, electric candles that go on the windowsill in the middle of windows, too. Reminds me of New England and growing up.

[calvino]

It took me about 12 years to convince my wife to start introducing some colored lights to the tree. I always thought all white lights were boring. This year will be the first year having a toddler around the house with a tree. The over/under of it being knocked down is two and four for ornaments being broken.

[lamradio]

This year will be the first year having a toddler around the house with a tree.

 

You just reminded me.. Same for us.. Guess we have to go back to the half naked tree method again (used when my boys were toddlers). Ornaments/lights on the top half of the tree only.

[ih8music]

About 2 or 3 yrs ago we found some fairly nice-looking globe-style ornaments that have a plastic (or maybe even styrofoam) core and are wrapped with a silk-like thread. Really brightly colored, festive... and completely indestructible. You won't win any Martha Stewart awards with them, but they've made having a Christmas tree with our small (and sometimes wild) kids a much more enjoyable experience.

[bleedorange]

We had the combo of a toddler and a big chocolate lab with a destructive tail, but all we did was put all of our unbreakable ornaments on the bottom. The ones made out of wood or plastic or metal.

[lamradio]

We had the combo of a toddler and a big chocolate lab with a destructive tail, but all we did was put all of our unbreakable ornaments on the bottom. The ones made out of wood or plastic or metal.

 

Yeah it's not the breaking of the ornaments that is the issue, it's the pulling them off and scattering them all around the house. A small electric fence just might have to do the trick.

[Moss]

I can't abide Christmas music or anything else christmas until after thanksgiving.

 

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I'm starting a new tradition this year with my daughter. I taught her to play Alice's restaurant on guitar so we are going to sit and play along with the entire song when it comes on at noon on the radio. Of course she doesn't actually know this yet.

[calvino]

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I'm starting a new tradition this year with my daughter. I taught her to play Alice's restaurant on guitar so we are going to sit and play along with the entire song when it comes on at noon on the radio. Of course she doesn't actually know this yet.

 

That's sounds like fun.

[bigshoulders]

For some reason, I get depressed when I start seeing Christmas decorations this early. Surely, I'm not the only one?

[stooka]

For some reason, I get depressed when I start seeing Christmas decorations this early. Surely, I'm not the only one?

 

not at all - The holiday has pretty much become unbearable for me. I'm down with the peace on earth and goodwill, but the hype that begins well before Thanksgiving Is relentless.

[Guest Speed Racer]

I do like buying gifts for people!

 

I bought one of my girlfriend's gifts in July, and I'm hoping to nab another today - both courtesy of eBay because the lady has expensive/out-of-print tastes. Unfortunatley, one is unwieldy and the other is liquid, so she will get photographic reproductions of the gifts on Chrsitmas morning in Florida.

 

My mother is terrible to shop for, all my sister wants is clothing, and my dad likes golf stuff. But it's still fun to shop for people!

 

And I want to take a "family" Christmas card photo with the lady and the cats this year because I think that would be hilarious. I ran my favorite greeting past my girlfriend ("Merry Christmas, from your token gay cat ladies!") but she didn't like it for some reason.

[bleedorange]

I look forward to Christmas every year. The season never starts soon enough and always ends too quickly.