!Happy Christmas Everyone

Stealth453

Are you trying to give NVR a run for his money when it comes to bizzar topics?

No NVR, that wasn't a challenge.....ok, maybe it was.

Actually, it isn't as early as it might seem. If you start your Christmas shopping now, you are more likely to run into specials and that "just perfect" present. And less likely to get "Five Months of Bills" later. In fact, I recommend people to start their Christmas shopping as soon as you are done with last Christmas.

How? First, this might give you the opportunity to observe needs and serious wants. A serious want is one that persists throughout the year, and is not something that is quickly thrown together by the ads on TV about toys that always show up shortly after school starts. Getting this right is a process that can take most of the year, and the longer you spend, the better the chances of finding the perfect gift instead of something that will be fun for five minutes and then end up in the closet.

Besides, if you have most of your Christmas shopping done before Halloween, there will be very little panic. There will still be the last minute addition, and that one thing you forgot. But, it's easier to take care of one or two items at the last minute than it is to get all your Christmas shopping done while everyone else is also trying to do the same. Yes, you should still plan a fun day of Christmas shopping for the children, since that is part of the fun.

Getting the decorations is another headache if you wait until the last minute. Yes, a cut Christmas tree has to wait until nearly the last minute for safety. But an artificial tree, and any ornaments and decorations, can be picked up now. The best time to make sure everything is working is when you put it all away: fix those blown lights and replace busted bulbs and ruined light fixtures then, so you won't have them waiting for you when you go to put them up. And now is a good time to find all those shortfalls you had last year and fix them.

Finally, it is never too early to set them up (aside cut trees, which should be set up no sooner than the middle of December so it will last through the season, or growing plants which should not be decorated while they are actively growing). And this goes particularly true for exJWs that are newly ex. If you are a newbie at setting up a tree, you will have to experiment. You might get a few poorly set up trees, but if you do it well in advance, you only lose the time it takes to take it all down and set it back up. And that will give you the chance to pick up ornaments you are short on, well before the season. Besides, some exJWs missed out on the fun so much, that they might want to set up the tree in April! I suggest using LED lights if you are going to have them up more than about 6 weeks, since regular bulbs blow out too much and cost too much to run.

nicolaou

I just wanted to be first!

Or maybe you're just very, very late on Xmas 2006?

ex-nj-jw

You are early, I always say "I'm going to start early this year (shopping), it never happens! I always wait until the week of, maybe because I don't have to buy very many presents. One benefit to having a mostly JW family is you don't have to buy them presents!!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you too! don't open it until Christmas

nj

Sassy

well I have bought a couple xmas presents already... (it doesn't hurt so much if you span the buying through the year...

but.. I think I'll wait on the xmas greetings.. or putting up decorations

BFD

Well, Happy Christmas to you too, sir!

santa

BFD xmas

TheSilence

cut trees, which should be set up no sooner than the middle of December so it will last through the season

I always get a live tree on the day after Thanksgiving and take it down sometime in the week after New Year. As long as you keep it watered it stays nice through the season, or it always has for me. Maybe it's just karma making up for all the lost Christmases ;)

Jackie

lawrence

Thanks for the heads up! Started decorating my office. Wonder why my office mates are whispering... Could it be the the psychedelic bell bottoms and purple alligator shoes?

!Happy Christmas Everyone

mtsgrad

sweet pea