Talk About ~ 3 December '11

Really! December is here already....were did the year go. Well a few years ago we decided that we would each bring a dish. Everyone comes to my house this year on the 23rd, as the kids have to go to their inlaws this year. We make out a menu and then we divide up what we need and then we are incharge of a dish. This makes it easier on everybody. We even use paper plates so it leaves more time for visiting and playing games. My kids all love to try new games each year.

Chutz, I hope you and your family have a great holiday season.

Bless you, Amy

Chronic pain(nerve), fibro, mild depression and a few others

Its ironic. I pop on to see how things are going on the forum right when my sons and hubby are putting up the "faux" Christmas tree and read this post. I get to supervise, and help with the ornaments. They do the grunt work.

Keeping things simple is a challenge for me. We as a family go to Christmas Eve service at church usually, or to another church related Christmas event to keep the reason for the holiday clear to the boys. There is also something magical about the cold air, music, lights, and spirit of fellowship. Maybe a live Nativity this year, we aren't sure yet. We do slice and bake cookies, and are going to a Chinese huge buffet for Christmas dinner now. We don't have a group to do a pot luck. It helps.

I buy gifts online, shop only when we must. The cold doesn't agree with me, so we have hot apple cider, hot teas, lots of ways to warm the house. My boys are over Santa days and surprises are getting harder and harder to pull off. We still decorate together and watch some Christmas movies or specials to.

I am interested to hear how others enjoy the season. For me, the depression can easily become overwhelming when I see others enjoy what I can no longer participate in.

Thanks Chutz, and I pray your family has a blessed Christmas.

Hmm so years I don't even want to deal with the holidays. Too much to do and the week or two afterwards I'd rather curl up and hide. However I don't really have a choice, our kids are all still little.

I already have all my gifts bought and wrapped. I start shopping the day after Christmas for the following Christmas. I have several totes I store stuff in. And I try to get them wrapped and labeled as soon as I buy them. I keep a list of everything thing I've bought and for whom so I can keep track.

I still do my baking and some candy making but nothing like I used too. I start in October mixing up my cookie doughs and I freeze them. Take them out the week before Christmas and thaw and bake them up. We don't have any family near us so I bake for our friends and neighbors and give them platters sometimes a week before Christmas.

As far as Christmas dinner my 14 and 13 year old and sometimes hubby if he's not working helps get all the veggies peeled and cut up on Christmas Eve. I put everything into pots, cover them and leave on the stove for the next day.

We've had our tree up since Thanksgiving day. Hubby puts our tree up and I sit drink my coffee and watch the kids decorate it.

I don't have the holiday parties anymore. Some things are just not worth the extra pain. But I still have to do the basics because of the kids. My youngest is a firm believer in Santa and I want to keep it going as long as possible.

I love the holidays even when I am battling hard depression. I tend to become more depressed during the holidays and there are alot of people that do this. But, depression or not I am going to enjoy the holidays and I would not for one moment try to bring anyone else down just because I may be off a little. One thing I cannot stand or would ever consider is using my health issues to bring others down during the holidays. I know people do this all the time, its unfair to the others and all they are doing is trying to draw attention to themselves.

My daughter-in-law and her mom & I get together and have our bake off days, lol. We make candy one day, cookies another and breads on another. By helping each other out it makes the job easier plus the clean up and we get to visit while having fun. cookie baking day is awesome, we make so many, we ice & decorate some sugar cookies and use colored sugar on others. We always have help from the 6 yr old grandson too.

We make a menu out and each brings dishes. We do smoked brisket & a spiral ham for Christmas dinner, all easy to make. Our side dishes are easy as well so no one is standing in the kitchen for hours cooking. We want to enjoy the day playing games and watching old Christmas movies and playing with the 6 yr old.

I still decorate the house some and put up a tree. I do not decorate inside anything like I use to and thats ok, its still pretty and much easier to deal with. Outside I put net lights up in the bushes and outline the flower bed in lights. I have some wreaths I hang in the windows that light up and I call it done. No more outlining the house and the yard & druve in lights, lol.

Shopping for the adults is kept simple-I remind them no stress allowed shopping and trying to buy tons of stuff for the others. Its too expensive, I always ask for a current family picture of each of my kids and I am very happy with that as a gift.

There are many ways to enjoy the holidays without killing ourselves, its a matter of whether the person really wants to participate or not. Just being with family and friends is always great. I hope everyone has a great holiday.

Aww Susie - you sound a bit like me and my Mum. We always have our traditional Christmas baking too. In our house though it's Scottish shortbread and mince pies. All our shortbread are baked out of Scotch thistle moulds that belonged to my grandma, and the mince pies use a tweaked version of my great-grandmother's sweet short pastry recipe.

Christmas is often warm here, so we don't have the traditional Christmas that you guys think of. We usually have a BBQ, and everyone brings a plate of something.

I don't cope well with shopping centres or crowds, so I'm another who does a lot of shopping online. I like making presents myself, so a lot of my shopping is raw materials - this year I'm making soap, lotion and bath salts for a number of friends and family. It works out much cheaper too.

to 9yrschronicpain/Loretta
I'm so very sorry on the loss of your babies...many Prayers for you...