Christmas

It's just around the corner, have you started your shopping?

Too early!!! I still can't wrap my head around school starting for the kiddos next week!

You're about three and a half months too early for me. It doesn't take long to buy gift cards.

I would think that someone would have at least a dozen birthdays prior to that day.

Oh good grief no....headed camping this weekend hanging on to the last bit of summer I can!!!

Already 3/4 done with my Quilt present and the other present has been ordered since spring. I am ready.

IF by Christmas shopping you mean:

-Did I pay for my hubby and I to fly across the country to our nephew's wedding? Check
-Did I then pay for both us to fly to my class reunion out of state? Check
-Did I then pay college tuition for two kids? Check

Why yes, I believe I just may be done!

Thank's for the heads up! Mother will start asking soon what I want for Christmas. Her shopping is completed and wrapped before Thanksgiving..

Ahh, the paddleball by grandmother used to get all of us for Christmas. For those who don't remember, it was a small wooden paddle with a long rubber band stapled to the paddle and a ball on the other end. It always went something like this:

BOK BOK BOK BOK SNAP... BOING!

Hey, watch it!

Sorry...

Almost done with my shopping

Family switched to a White Elephant exchange last year. Everyone bought one As Seen on TV gift and then did the regular 'pick one or steal someone else's' and it was hilarious. Repeating this year with each person able to spend up to $25 at the Dollar Store and the item(s) must fit in a large xmas gift bag. So much easier than trying to find the perfect gift for each person!

That is an excellent idea, TR!

And fun too! We were literally rolling on the floor laughing.
If you google White Elephant gift exchange there are tons of ideas.
My nephew is really pushing for an ugly sweater one. :shudder:

I so want to do the white elephant with my family. I want to get the Bumper Dumper. That would be hilarious.

I had to 'Google' that. Ewwwwww!

yet practical

Lol. So hilarious!

We are doing the holiday sock exchange at the office this year. Buy your secret santa person a pair of garishly ugly socks (holiday theme not required) and fill the socks with little treats etc .... Nothing to big but fun. At the end everyone will put on their socks and we will do a group photo

That's a really cute idea!

Put on the socks, with the treats still in them?!?!

LOL Bacon ..... maybe with some of them

Amazon scores again. Had a last minute panic when a spices vendor determined that I was a racist for my voting choice, but I quickly found a new spice supplier. The wife is one heck of a cook, so she needs premo stuff.

Everything has arrived, is wrapped, and locked in the home office.

Everything has arrived, is wrapped, and locked in the home office.

I would unwrap the wife and let her out of the office as she may have access to telephone and then racist may not be you biggest concern

That is a GREAT idea! I may have to steal this one...

What's the new spice company? My current one thinks I'm a racist for the way I voted too!

I went with Spices Inc. - I liked the order quantities and packaging. The company was started by a husband and wife and seems to be absent of any political opinions.

Another option I've discovered recently is The Spice House. Let me know which one you go with and what you think. This will be our first venture away from the offending spice proprietor.

I might need to get out more but how on earth would your spice company know how you voted? Check your FB page before they fill your order?! Background check before the precious ginger is shipped out?

I had used Spice Jungle in the past - like their website too. www.spicejungle.com will look at Spices and spice house

Apparently I'm doing this wrong. I buy my spices at the grocery store.

A very opinionated online spice proprietor decided to blast his customers (via newsletter) with his political opinions that anyone who voted Republican had committed the largest act of racism ever and they should be punished. A very dumb move considering the outcome of the election and the votes it took to make it happen.

Googling spices + election

should get you the full story.

Just as dumb as Grubhub (google as well)

Ohhh. From your post, I thought they tossed you out the front door of their shop.

Cheek!

Ginger was OK but Mary Ann was hot in a "girl next-door" kind of way.

Interesting read; it is amazing just how intolerant these people, who think they are very tolerant, really are. Maybe they should hold up the mirror.

The best part is that his sister (I think) owns a competing company and is reaping the benefits of his big mouth.

Hope they used those "Guide to Civility" placements for Thanksgiving.

Thanks for the info. I went out and found what you were talking about and also ordered some spices from the sister's company. Some are for gifts and some for me. I am excited to try the Bavarian Spice Mix and I know my niece will too.

I have all mine done too. I won't go anywhere near a mall, Walmart, Target or any other type of retail store after Thanksgiving..........

I haven't bought anything for my wife yet, but I have bought several things for her to give to me.

Watch it, though....don't do it "chinese style" if there are a lot of participants. Everyone knows chinese gift exchange...right? Draw numbers.....number 1 opens, number 2 can open or steal from 1, number 3 can open or steal from 1 or 2, who can then open or steal . After the 3rd steal, the gift is locked. Well....we did this last year....about 40 employees...with filled socks. So if an employee chose an unopened sock, rather than steal, the employee had to empty the sock and show the entire room what was in the sock. Sooooooo time consuming. I thought the dang event was never going to be over. And it seemed the younger crowd stole socks containing the mini-bottles of alcohol, like those were pure gold. Sheesh....you can buy 'em for a buck or two anywhere. I was about to fall asleep when it was finally over. If they do that this year, I will attend the party and not participate in the sock exchange. ba humbug.

40 people? Goodness, break it up into 3-4 smaller groups.

Really screw people up and shake the groups up after either each round or the second round.

Swiggles, we call that gift exchange game "Dirty Santa" and (thankfully) don't use filled socks!

I like "dirty Santa".....probably more "politically correct" than "chinese." I think the term "chinese" originated because cheap stuff is from China???

Or from perceiving the Chinese to do things in an incomprehensible way. Like "Chinese firedrill"

Or from perceiving the Chinese to do things in an incomprehensible way. Like "Chinese firedrill"

LOL