Holiday Hoopla...the good, the bad and the ugly...share stories, ideas, recipes etc

[MapleLeafBaby 1]

I figured we could start a thread for this festive season, from thanksgiving to Christmas....anything to do with gifts, family, meals, you name it!

This is my first US Thanksgiving, and we have opted out of the family affair...my MIL is unbelievable and we are really avoiding the drama...

She is still bitter about 'not being invited to my eldest son's wedding' even though we told everyone we wanted to be alone on the beach, just the two of us...she is also causing a stink because she has yet to meet my son...I should say that this woman has issues, and my husband is the first to tell ya....they are not close....his parents divorced when he was 10...after she got caught running around with other men....she is greedy and tried taking his dad to the cleaners during the divorce LOOOOONG story). Anyways, she is nosey and has said some pretty horrible things about me...so my husband has been avoiding her for a while...she is so nosey, she wants to know how much my ex pays me for my son so 'her son doesn't get stuck with the bill' can you imagine?

Anyways, my SIL and her husband are going to Ocean City to be with her for Thanksgiving and we decided to stay home and forgo the drama...they even have issues with her, but feel bad....so we will likely lay low.... my back has been pretty bad...and my hubby doesn't want me going all out, so he said we should just order a meal from Boston Markets. I've never had their food...is it good? They do this Turkey special thing...

My hubby also wants to go at midnight and stand in line at Best Buy for a flat screen TV...HAHA! Don't ask...he is a techy junky lol...

I know eventually we will have to deal with my MIL for Christmas, as she will likely be down here...and we will have t have her over. My mom will be here too, and staying with us for two weeks with her boyfriend, in the nanny suite...I can see it now, the MIL will be pissed that my mom gets preferential treatment...whatever....she is also all about 'what did you buy me for X-Mas?) we have already vowed that this year, no adults are exchanging gifts, only for the kids.... it gets too expensive...she never listens and expects big gifts... me and my husband have decided that we will get her something small....$20 bucks...and be done with it....

I've already started decorating, I love Christmas... we do this thing on X-Mas eve, where the kids go up to put on their PJ's and that's when Santa happens to visit downstairs....hubby will come in making noise and leaving gifts (it's something my dad used to do and i'm keeping the tradition)...last year my son heard him and pee'd his pants from the excitement lol...

I'm also planning on baking....we love giner cookies, so I want to find a good recipe... if anyone has one, please share...

Anyways, i'm sure I will have many updates about the step monster from now till then, and it will make for a great read lol....

I love getting ideas and stuff for the holidays, so please share

[Peachey 10]

I feel your pain with the In-Laws pop rocks... I really do.

We're doing xmas at my mom's on the 20th, then on the 25th we're going to my aunts for brunch for the extended family xmas, then to my dad's for dinner.

We're doing xmas with Varba's family middle of January in NC, to avoid my mom (well they're avoiding her, I'm not).

The xmas-eve thing sounds so much fun I can't wait till I have kids (well I can) and start quirky traditions like that.

I have a wonderful recipe for my grandma's fluffy shortbread cookies at home. I'll post it later

[MapleLeafBaby 1]

ps. I'm also looking for x-mas craft ideas for my son...if anyone has suggestions

My hubby said there is this great show here just outside of Philly, they do every year and that it is amazing...it starts after Thanksgiving...girls from the area....have you heard of it?

Also, sorry if I offend anyone by writing 'X-mas' instead of Christmas...I know some people celebrate it for all of it's Religious meaning...to me it kinda signifies both...but more so, the magical childhood history it holds for my family.

My son still believes in santa, and i'm trying to preserve that innocence for as long as I can My neice and nephew are 7 and 8...they just found out at school this year that he is 'fake'...and we were over a few weeks ago...my cousin warned them not to say anything...but you know kids at that age...you tell them not to say something and it's like a free pass to blab! They almost did...and I warned them that I would kick their tiny butts if they ruined for my son lol...

[Sprailenes 47]

Holiday planning has been miserable this year... as I have mentioned in another thread.

I used to love Christmas but this year I don't even want to deal with it.

If this is the way holiday planning is going to be in the future then I am going to stop freaking celebrating.

Bah humbug.

ps. I'm also looking for x-mas craft ideas for my son...if anyone has suggestions

My hubby said there is this great show here just outside of Philly, they do every year and that it is amazing...it starts after Thanksgiving...girls from the area....have you heard of it?

Also, sorry if I offend anyone by writing 'X-mas' instead of Christmas...I know some people celebrate it for all of it's Religious meaning...to me it kinda signifies both...but more so, the magical childhood history it holds for my family.

My son still believes in santa, and i'm trying to preserve that innocence for as long as I can My neice and nephew are 7 and 8...they just found out at school this year that he is 'fake'...and we were over a few weeks ago...my cousin warned them not to say anything...but you know kids at that age...you tell them not to say something and it's like a free pass to blab! They almost did...and I warned them that I would kick their tiny butts if they ruined for my son lol...

The Madrigals?

[MapleLeafBaby 1]

I feel your pain with the In-Laws pop rocks... I really do.

We're doing xmas at my mom's on the 20th, then on the 25th we're going to my aunts for brunch for the extended family xmas, then to my dad's for dinner.

We're doing xmas with Varba's family middle of January in NC, to avoid my mom (well they're avoiding her, I'm not).

The xmas-eve thing sounds so much fun I can't wait till I have kids (well I can) and start quirky traditions like that.

I have a wonderful recipe for my grandma's fluffy shortbread cookies at home. I'll post it later

Cool, sounds yummy!

We plan on doing Xmas eve here, and maybe Xmas day at my SIL's...

Me and my hubby are gringing at the thought of our mothers finally meeting... my mom is a sensitive person, but will lose it on someone if provoked lol....she had a hair salon for years with my dad..and my MIL has had a hair salon for many years...my hubby jokes that she will get all competitive and try to one up my mom with everything lol...he provokes his mom cause he thinks it's funny...

My dad used to work at the Four Seasons in Toronto in the 60's and 70's as an in house hair stylist...he did people like Natalie Wood, Eva Gabor and others...he also has autographed photos... (he's passed away now)...my hubby thinks it's hilarious to mention it during dinner to get his mother going lol....he's evil

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Hey Pop! Its nice reading the update! You're virtually disappeared leaving a large void in my VJ heart

Your MIL sounds like a treat, wow. I would do everything I could to avoid that situation. She reminds me of my biological dads mother, she did the same thing to my poor mom. Talked down to her, stuck her nose in places she had no business being, and remained ridiculously protective of her son. There is no reasoning with people like that, they live in their own realm of reality.

I wouldn't be cooking turkey if my back hurt either. Thankfully its a family tradition to have my MIL cook (who, thankfully, its a nice and pleasant woman! ) and everyone just comes over here and eats. So I won't have to be cooking any turkey for the foreseeable future! Which is good for everyone... I've never had Boston Markets, but I went to Claim Jumper for Turkey on Canadian thanksgiving and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality. I assumed it would be dry and yuck.

Have a great thanksgiving and Christmas! Make some extra cookies and send them my way

[Malrothien 6]

This time of year is my favorite time. I've been excited since the beginning of October, but one part that really ruins it is that I have to spend it with my in-laws. My MIL is nuts, period. She's a self-absorbed psychopath. It's been just the four of us since 2006 and that sucks. Next year we'll be with my family and it'll feel really like Christmas for the first time in a long time!

I'm going to start baking next week - lots of cookies to be made! Maybe a pumpkin loaf or two, too.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Moms-Ginger-Snaps/Detail.aspx

I made those last year and they were sooooo good.

[MapleLeafBaby 1]

Holiday planning has been miserable this year... as I have mentioned in another thread.

I used to love Christmas but this year I don't even want to deal with it.

If this is the way holiday planning is going to be in the future then I am going to stop freaking celebrating.

Bah humbug.

ps. I'm also looking for x-mas craft ideas for my son...if anyone has suggestions

My hubby said there is this great show here just outside of Philly, they do every year and that it is amazing...it starts after Thanksgiving...girls from the area....have you heard of it?

Also, sorry if I offend anyone by writing 'X-mas' instead of Christmas...I know some people celebrate it for all of it's Religious meaning...to me it kinda signifies both...but more so, the magical childhood history it holds for my family.

My son still believes in santa, and i'm trying to preserve that innocence for as long as I can My neice and nephew are 7 and 8...they just found out at school this year that he is 'fake'...and we were over a few weeks ago...my cousin warned them not to say anything...but you know kids at that age...you tell them not to say something and it's like a free pass to blab! They almost did...and I warned them that I would kick their tiny butts if they ruined for my son lol...

The Madrigals?

HAHA! Welcome Scrooge! We need some of that too! I love it!

Feel free to bring Egg Nog to this thread and hang a mistle toe (did I spell that right? lol)

And on Thanksgiving, we can post Turkey, and everyone who comes on here can post a side and all the fixings lol

[MapleLeafBaby 1]

Hey Pop! Its nice reading the update! You're virtually disappeared leaving a large void in my VJ heart

Your MIL sounds like a treat, wow. I would do everything I could to avoid that situation. She reminds me of my biological dads mother, she did the same thing to my poor mom. Talked down to her, stuck her nose in places she had no business being, and remained ridiculously protective of her son. There is no reasoning with people like that, they live in their own realm of reality.

I wouldn't be cooking turkey if my back hurt either. Thankfully its a family tradition to have my MIL cook (who, thankfully, its a nice and pleasant woman! ) and everyone just comes over here and eats. So I won't have to be cooking any turkey for the foreseeable future! Which is good for everyone... I've never had Boston Markets, but I went to Claim Jumper for Turkey on Canadian thanksgiving and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality. I assumed it would be dry and yuck.

Have a great thanksgiving and Christmas! Make some extra cookies and send them my way

Awww, I miss ya too! I'm making an effort to be around more....I get depressed and down cause of my back and then digress into this slump If you haven't noticed I haven't updated my blog in ages!

It's hard to keep it together...there are some days that I don't even make it out of my PJ's Thankfully they're cute and the hubby doesn't mind them lol... it also helps, him being a Chiro, that he really understands my pain...between the down days, the cane...meds...my surgery this year...it's a lot for a new husband to take on...he has been amazing...

We don't eat a lot of meat...i'm trying to get ideas for Xmas dinner....we've had lasagna previous years...maybe Chicken...but we eat that most of the time when we do eat meat...feel free to post ideas

[Peachey 10]

You could go Italian and have a fish stew. Sounds yumm actually...

[trailmix 77]

We got food from Boston Market quite a few times in Florida - it was really good

[Sprailenes 47]

Holiday planning has been miserable this year... as I have mentioned in another thread.

I used to love Christmas but this year I don't even want to deal with it.

If this is the way holiday planning is going to be in the future then I am going to stop freaking celebrating.

Bah humbug.

ps. I'm also looking for x-mas craft ideas for my son...if anyone has suggestions

My hubby said there is this great show here just outside of Philly, they do every year and that it is amazing...it starts after Thanksgiving...girls from the area....have you heard of it?

Also, sorry if I offend anyone by writing 'X-mas' instead of Christmas...I know some people celebrate it for all of it's Religious meaning...to me it kinda signifies both...but more so, the magical childhood history it holds for my family.

My son still believes in santa, and i'm trying to preserve that innocence for as long as I can My neice and nephew are 7 and 8...they just found out at school this year that he is 'fake'...and we were over a few weeks ago...my cousin warned them not to say anything...but you know kids at that age...you tell them not to say something and it's like a free pass to blab! They almost did...and I warned them that I would kick their tiny butts if they ruined for my son lol...

The Madrigals?

HAHA! Welcome Scrooge! We need some of that too! I love it!

Feel free to bring Egg Nog to this thread and hang a mistle toe (did I spell that right? lol)

And on Thanksgiving, we can post Turkey, and everyone who comes on here can post a side and all the fixings lol

My son still believes in Santa too. He's one of the last of his kind in his age group. haha.

When he was about 3 years old my mom got my uncle to ring some bells at the bottom of the stairs and go: "HO HO HO" on Christmas morning. So he holds on to that memory pretty hard and has apparently got into some pretty heated debates with his friends who are non-believers.

This year it's just a battle of where we're going to spend it. I know I am going home, but my husband has been a pain in the butt about it. I am all my mother has, she has no other kids, and she will never spend Christmas alone. Next year she'll come down here though, she has already promised. But I don't think she'll go to the in-laws for Christmas day dinner... my MIL was very stand offish with my mom at our wedding and my mom doesn't really like her much either... finds her cold and snobby.

Edited November 23, 2009 by Sprailenes

[Marilyn. 340]

I got lucky with my in-laws... the only one I can't stand is my SIL's husband.. he is a jack-A$$ but only towards his wife and kids.... everyone else he treats ok but I hate how he treats his family..

so going to their house can be kind of stressful for me.. but I grin and bear it because I know our nieces and nephews love having us there...

[Marilyn. 340]

so last year i gave the people I work for a tin of homemade cookies and they really liked them so this year she asked if I could make her a bunch of tins so that she can give them away..

this is one of the recipes I am thinking of making... I was thinking of doing it with carrot cake though and dipping them in white chocolate...

http://www.bakerella.com/red-velvet-cake-balls/

I was also thinking of doing these.. but without the sticks and I would probably sprinkle them with coarse sugar..

http://www.bakerella.com/easy-as-pie/

also on the list

Mexican wedding cookies, Snickerdoodles, Oreo Truffles, Teddy Smore Bark, White chip orange cookies, Cranberry Hermits, pffernus, one bowl brownie cookies, graham cracker cookies and lemon drops..

Edited November 23, 2009 by Marilyn.

[Sprailenes 47]

I thought it would be a great idea to make gifts this year. But my husband said his family wouldn't appreciate it that.

They take the joy out of Christmas.