Monday's Question Of The Day - November 6, 2017

[MoochNNoodles]

I just got home from grocery shopping since I didn't get a chance to yesterday. I was nodding off in the car on the way home from church so after lunch I laid down. I think I took a 3 hour nap and still had trouble waking back up when DH tried to wake me. It was worth it. I still slept last night too! But now my day is off track and I have no idea what to ask or whats been asked recently.

Have you started Christmas/Holiday shopping yet?


I started a few months ago when I saw toy clearances going on. It's always helpful to put things away for my kids or my nieces and nephews. I was able to get several Lego sets on sale. Those can get expensive easily so I was really pleased! I have picked up some other little toys or stocking stuffers here and there too.

I got excited because one of the "hot" toys of the year is already sold out everywhere; but I found 2 in the store. They were left in a different section from where they belonged and they were face down at the back of the shelf. On Amazon they are going for more than twice the regular price and people are reporting receiving lots of counterfeits! This is the first time my kids wanted something that was popular but I had no intention of going crazy to try to get it. If something is crazy expensive or hard to get; they just don't get it. But this year they will.

I started other shopping last weekend. My Mom and I went to the annual craft fair and I picked up a neat crystal nail file set for my MIL. She's always filing her nails when we visit and they claim to never wear out. So I think she'll like them.

 

[amysuen]

Nope! We usually don't start until after Thanksgiving, although some years we've waited until mid-December.

 

[Mother Dragon]

We only bought gifts for our granddaughter. Because she was the only grandchild, we usually went a bit overboard. She would have been the impossible-to-please age of 16 at the end of last March. So now we don't have the hassles of Christmas shopping to do at all. We'll just sit back and watch everyone else go crazy.

 

[miagi's_mommy]

For my best friend, yes. For family and the pets not yet.

 

[muffy]

I only give gifts to my grand nieces and nephews. Every Christmas I send my two nephews a check to buy gifts from me for their 7 kids. They know what their kids want more than I do and I'm not able to get out there in the crowds to shop.

Ellen

 

[Kat0121]

DD gave me her Amazon wish list so I'll go with that.

The dog will get a big ole rawhide. She doesn't play with toys anymore. I just got her a big, thick, soft memory foam pillow for her crate and she loves it.

I just got the kids a new cat tree but might get another one. They have two of these hammocks (link below). One has seen much better days so I will get rid of that one and replace it with the new tree. The second one will go by the window in the living room if I get one. We still have the big tree in the living room and a medium sized one in the cat room. I have one on my Amazon wish list that will go in DD's room when she moves out. Does that mean that I will have a cat tree forest at that point?

www.amazon.com/TRIXIE-Pet-Products-Baza-Tree/dp/B0027IVL6K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1510018969&sr=8-2&keywords=trixie+baza+cat+hammock&dpID=41wwaLKuSrL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

New tree (they really like it) www.amazon.com/Majestic-Pet-Products-Furniture-Scratcher/dp/B008R6OFBY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1510019492&sr=8-2&keywords=majestic%2Bpet%2Bpaw%2Btree&th=1

I got the tree at Kohl's for a better price using a discount code and Kohl's cash.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I only give gifts to my grand nieces and nephews. Every Christmas I send my two nephews a check to buy gifts from me for their 7 kids. They know what their kids want more than I do and I'm not able to get out there in the crowds to shop.

Ellen

My FIL does that for our kids. We don't live in the same area; so he doesn't have to ship anything. I try to get them something that he would have enjoyed picking out too. Last year I let the kids chose what they wanted and then they got to call Grandpa and tell him how they used their money. My Dad used to do the same; but since he remarried his wife is excellent and picking out things so they send or bring gifts if they come for a visit.

Does that mean that I will have a cat tree forest at that point?

Maybe a grove?

I like the tree! It's not too big but it has room for lounging too.

 

[Kat0121]

My FIL does that for our kids. We don't live in the same area; so he doesn't have to ship anything. I try to get them something that he would have enjoyed picking out too. Last year I let the kids chose what they wanted and then they got to call Grandpa and tell him how they used their money. My Dad used to do the same; but since he remarried his wife is excellent and picking out things so they send or bring gifts if they come for a visit.

Maybe a grove?

I like the tree! It's not too big but it has room for lounging too.

The tree was a big hit. They love that top platform for napping. Sophie likes climbing up it through the hole in the middle. They supervised me putting it together and started exploring it right away.

Yeah grove does sound better... especially in Florida

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

started and completed my Christmas shopping already! i like to start around june or july each year, and buy 1 or 2 or 3 gifts each month until i've got Christmas gifts all set. i can't stand the crowds at the stores during the holiday shopping season, it's many times quite hard to find either what you're looking for or something that will work for gifts, and then there's the craziness of shipping during the holiday season. maybe i'm getting old and a bit grumpy, but i prefer to avoid all that.

i do have some baking to do, baked items i gift to certain folks each year.

 

[dahli6]

I know it will seem anti-American but we don't observe Christmas within our home. We give gifts all year round instead of focusing on any particular day. If my husband's mother organizes an event we will go on a treasure hunt and find a little something for each person.
It isn't for religious reasons. There were a few years that we could not afford Christmas or birthdays. It was hard on the kids and it was hard on us to see them disheartened so we worked harder to make sure that when Christmas and birthdays came around all they really needed was acknowledgement.

 

[AbbysMom]

I got excited because one of the "hot" toys of the year is already sold out everywhere; but I found 2 in the store.

It must be those Fingerlings.

I've bought a few small things so far. That's it.

 

[Kat0121]

I know it will seem anti-American but we don't observe Christmas within our home. We give gifts all year round instead of focusing on any particular day. If my husband's mother organizes an event we will go on a treasure hunt and find a little something for each person.
It isn't for religious reasons. There were a few years that we could not afford Christmas or birthdays. It was hard on the kids and it was hard on us to see them disheartened so we worked harder to make sure that when Christmas and birthdays came around all they really needed was acknowledgement.

I don't think it's anti anything. This world would be quite boring if everyone did everything exactly the same way.

 

[Winchester]

No. I've asked our DIL for a list for the grands and we'll probably start our shopping on Black Friday....after we hit PetSmart. PetSmart is always the first store on our BF list.

 

[Kat0121]

No. I've asked our DIL for a list for the grands and we'll probably start our shopping on Black Friday....after we hit PetSmart. PetSmart is always the first store on our BF list.

I'm not a black Friday person but I am excited to see what kind of deal they will be offering on the pails of Tidy Cats. How priorities have changed!

 

[Winchester]

I'm not a black Friday person but I am excited to see what kind of deal they will be offering on the pails of Tidy Cats. How priorities have changed!

I know! For the past few years, we have stood in a long line of cat people outside of PetSmart, waiting for the store to open so we can get our Tidy Cat pails for the kids. A vast majority in that line were cat people and most of them had more than one cat; it was amazing. And we all wanted those pails! And when we finally got back to the back of the store where the pails were, then it was like a fire brigade. People start starting hauling pails out to carts, didn't matter who had the carts, we were back there and started hauling pails back and forth. I think I hauled out 30+ pails to people after we had filled our own carts. Cat people....gotta love 'em!

 

[muffy]

I know! For the past few years, we have stood in a long line of cat people outside of PetSmart, waiting for the store to open so we can get our Tidy Cat pails for the kids. A vast majority in that line were cat people and most of them had more than one cat; it was amazing. And we all wanted those pails! And when we finally got back to the back of the store where the pails were, then it was like a fire brigade. People start starting hauling pails out to carts, didn't matter who had the carts, we were back there and started hauling pails back and forth. I think I hauled out 30+ pails to people after we had filled our own carts. Cat people....gotta love 'em!

Why do people want Tidy Cat pails? When I had cats I used to use them for buckets.

Muffy

 

[cassiopea]

No, we prefer to focus on Remembrance Day first out of respect.

 

[Kat0121]

Why do people want Tidy Cat pails? When I had cats I used to use them for buckets.

Muffy

Petsmart has good deals on the 35 pound Tidy Cat pails of litter on black Friday. I think it was like $7.99 or so last year. People can stock up. I also use the empty pails as buckets once we've used the litter. I give them to others to use as buckets as well.

 

[Columbine]

I started Christmas shopping a while ago, but haven't gotten very far. My dad's birthday falls in December too, making both Christmas and birthday extra hard for gift buying (he's not easy to buy for at the best of times...).

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I know it will seem anti-American but we don't observe Christmas within our home. We give gifts all year round instead of focusing on any particular day. If my husband's mother organizes an event we will go on a treasure hunt and find a little something for each person.
It isn't for religious reasons. There were a few years that we could not afford Christmas or birthdays. It was hard on the kids and it was hard on us to see them disheartened so we worked harder to make sure that when Christmas and birthdays came around all they really needed was acknowledgement.

I know quite a few families that purposely do very small Christmases. They like the whole 4 gift rule; a want, a need, something to read and something to wear type guide. Some do it that way out of necessity; some just want the priority off gifts. I think in our house we go for a middle ground. I definitely have a few friends who to to excessive amounts too; IMHO I guess. Growing up Mom didn't have much extra; but she always managed a bit of savings for Christmas. So for me it feels unnatural to just buy my kids toy type things whenever. I might do a small reward here or there ($2 type things.) but toy purchases are saved for birthdays and Christmas. And I feel like spreading it out and searching the clearances ahead of time saves our wallet a bit. DD's birthday is very close to Christmas; so it's a bit of a double whammy too.

The last couple of years my SIL and I agreed not to exchange gifts between our kids. The kids send each other hand-made cards instead. I hope it'll be a tradition they remember fondly when they are grown.

It must be those Fingerlings.

Yes. For some reason I keep calling them "Flinger-lings."