[kebsfroggy]

It's become a fashionable to "pay it forward" at places like Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks.....

How about we play pay it forward with the holidays. I mean after all I won't have everything done until at least Feb, Mar, Apr. So just move the holidays forward.

It happens every year. I'm sitting basking in the sun and enjoying the tropical breezes. It's the middle of July and the holidays are the last thing on my mind. Then, B A M Thanksgiving shows up.

It's good the menu is decided (Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potato casserole.) otherwise we would go without. Or even worse show up at our local McDonalds.

After Thanksgiving you have one month to get everything done that would take a normal person an entire year to accomplish.

1. Put up all the holiday lights and outside decorations. Finding out along the way that several critical strings of lights no longer work and you rush to buy the replacements.

2. Spend at least one evening trying to please the entire family in selecting this year's tree. (Trust me, its better not to make this a family outing) Or perhaps this is the year you go artificial.

3. Shopping trips from Saks and Walmart trying to find the perfect gift for auntie Roberta and cousin Larry. You've been to 20 different stores and 3 days and still come up with nothing. That's when you head straight for the gift card isle.

4. You are up until 2 & 3 in the morning trying to get all those "holiday presents" completed so they can be mailed to arrive on time.

5. The dreaded trip to the post office to stand in line 45 minutes and find out your missing something or the package weighs too much.... (you know they should serve donuts and coffee to all those standing in line.)

6. Write greeting cards to people we haven't seen in 15 years but the are still on our holiday card list.

It is amazing how it comes every year whether we want it or not. And every year we say to ourselves we will get a head start next year. And next year we will again be among those sitting in the Walmart parking lot waiting for it to open at 4:00 am on black Friday.

I think if would be much less stressful if we just paid it forward every year. Feb, Mar, Apr But then I'm the frog of little brain.

[cantstopcrying]

You are the smartest frog of little brain I know! That makes perfect sense to me!!!

[SeptemberMorn]

I'm with cantstopcrying! You are smarter, even, than the average bear!

1. Put up all the holiday lights and outside decorations. Finding out along the way that several critical strings of lights no longer work and you rush to buy the replacements.

it takes me three weeks to convince DH to even get them out of storage then it takes another three weeks for him to perform his "engineering feat" of stringing up two sets on the same hooks as last year then it takes me another three weeks to get him to get them connected to they can be turned on. I start this in mid-june, three weeks after he finally takes them down from the Christmas before.

2. Spend at least one evening trying to please the entire family in selecting this year's tree. (Trust me, its better not to make this a family outing) Or perhaps this is the year you go artificial.)

We've gone artificial

3. Shopping trips from Saks and Walmart trying to find the perfect gift for auntie Roberta and cousin Larry. You've been to 20 different stores and 3 days and still come up with nothing. That's when you head straight for the gift card isle.

I shop online

4. You are up until 2 & 3 in the morning trying to get all those "holiday presents" completed so they can be mailed to arrive on time.

Probably!

5. The dreaded trip to the post office to stand in line 45 minutes and find out your missing something or the package weighs too much.... (you know they should serve donuts and coffee to all those standing in line.)

I have UPS stop and pick them up

6. Write greeting cards to people we haven't seen in 15 years but the are still on our holiday card list.

I lost my greeting card list when DH and I split up 12 yrs ago. Haven't found it yet after 8 yrs of being back together. Don't intend to, either.

[Perna]

I'm doing okay this year; got all but one or two of my gifts bought yesterday; I did start buying in September! I wanted to spread out the cost over the four months but they're September and now. I had horrible bills in September, October and November, a reunion, anniversary, DH's birthday, etc. all of which were hundreds to thousands of dollars. I bought NFL football tickets too for DH, myself, his brother and sister-in-law for next Sunday, the 21st and they were scalped so expensive. But since then I've been laying low so my bills should recover about March or April! So how about charge it forward? LOL

[ECHOES]

I think they need to move Thanksgiving to Feb.

[multipixie9]

Echoes, I'm with you. I just wish holidays were spaced more evenly through the year and we would appreciate them so much more if they did not all go in such a close space. However, i doubt any other plan will work now.