ApronMama Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 please chime in here and make me feel better that mine isn't done! I always want to have it done by December 1, but it just isn't going to happen and never has happened. I thought not hosting Thanksgiving would help, but it didn't. I'm not even talking about the tree--we don't do that until 2 weeks before Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We do not decorate until after DD the Elder's birthday, so the tree and decorations go up about two weeks before Christmas and are taken down January 2 or 3. Nobody in our household feels deprived. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Guilty as charged. :blush: I'd like to get the tree up over the weekend, but I'm not sure it's going to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganCupcake Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We don't start until December 1, and then we go pretty slowly. We don't put up a tree until the week before Christmas, either. We are all just fine with it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Wait, we're supposed to decorate? I hate seasonal decorating. Dh wants a tree. If he buys one we'll decorate, if he doesn't I will be happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I refuse to decorate until after my birthday. That's passed, so we'll decorate Monday. I can't reach the tree without help and I'm without help until then (unless you count DD, who's a little too short to reach the top shelf of the front closet behind the bags where the tree is hiding!). You are absolved. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujsky Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Chiming in! We haven't started at all. The kids keep bugging me about it, but we are flat-out busy all this weekend...and well....pretty much every weekend between now & New Years. I really don't know when we're going to get it done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApronMama Posted November 30, 2012 Author Share Posted November 30, 2012 You guys are making me feel better! For now, I'm just decorating with Christmas music! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
---- Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I wait until the beginning of Advent, which is this weekend. And I take it down a few days after Christmas, certainly by New Year’s. And our decorating pretty much equals tree so if you are doing more than that, good for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We usually decorate Thanksgiving weekend, but it felt too soon this year. This coming weekend would be perfect, but we are booked solid all day Sat and Sun. If we wait until the 8th it will be the latest in a very long time. But oh well!! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenangelcat Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I used to decorate early in November and I've gradually moved the start date to December 1st. I find when you start the season too early it really dilutes the excitement. When you've been listening to carols, seeing stores full of Christmas stuff and have all your decorations up super early, then you have way too long to wait for the actual holiday and by the time it arrives it's an anticlimax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Haven't done squat yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggie96 Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Our goal is to decorate, including a tree, this weekend. But, because the decor includes the lawn, we will be mowing, edging, trimming, pruning, and blowing all day Saturday. :glare: The lawn should have groomed weeks ago. :crying: At least we will have good weather. :hurray: I.am.so.not.in.the.mood! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Wait, we're supposed to decorate? I hate seasonal decorating. Dh wants a tree. If he buys one we'll decorate, if he doesn't I will be happy. What she said! I've never been fond of decorating for holidays, and being in the midst of a simplicity phase has exacerbated that. I admire others' Christmas trees, but the thought of bringing a tree and fiddly little ornaments and lights and all the other stuff into my relatively spare living room makes me feel all twitchy. And as I said in the other decorating thread, we live in the woods. We have all the evergreen trees we could possibly want. If we have to bring a plant into our house, how about something more exotic? Maybe a cactus? Lemon tree? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I'm changing what and how i want to celebrate and why, of course. We do not celebrate Christmas, but we do something a little special for the first day of winter. I plan on getting a sad tree this year (7ft ceilings, no space) and the kids will decorate it. I've done nothing yet. I'm thinking of getting a few things this weekend and maybe putting up the tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Can't get into it this year...just can't. Went to the Christkindlmarket in Chicago last weekend and that usually gets us in the mood. The kids bought ornaments and they sit in the box. We're all off today and is anyone interested in decorating? No. We're going to see the Lincoln movie instead. What can I do to get into the holiday spirit? We've done family tradition things, watched our favorite holiday movie, made our favorite holiday time treat, and yet no shopping or decorating has been done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrookValley. Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We haven't done anything, either. Well, I did put up a tree--we decided we needed to get an artificial tree this year because of our cat (I'm totally depressed about this because I've never had anything other than a real tree). He would likely eat the needles off a real tree, and he already has severe gastric issues. So, we bought a tree right after thanksgiving, and we have put it up. But there's nothing on it. It's just been sitting naked in the living room. I need to get it anchored to the ceiling before we attempt to decorate (again, because of the cat), and no one has had time to do that yet. So unless having one naked Christmas tree in the living room counts as decorating, no, we haven't decorated. We usually don't start for another week or so, anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We go very slowly ahead of time, getting the tree up a week or so before Christmas and keeping it up through the 12 days of Christmas. We tend to wait until Nativity and after for our big celebration, which nicely does away with that anticlimactic thing. You're not alone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemongoose Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I havent started yet, but that is the norm for me. Dec 1st we put out the nativity and start the advent calendars. We read some verses and talk about the meaning of the Christmas holidays. Then about 2 weeks later we put up our tree and decorate. Normally we take down the tree right after Christmas because I have 2 kids with Christmas time birthdays and 2 more that are right after Christmas. I switch over to birthdays at that point. However, this year I am hosting a later "Christmas" extended family dinner on the 30th, so I have to keep up the decor longer. Hopefully the tree makes it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paintedlady Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I never decorate before December. And usually not even in the first week. I think it's a little silly how early most people decorate these days so I wouldn't feel bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Well, my Christmas decorations are up, but the rest of my house is kind of a disaster, and I haven't done laundry in ages. Does that make you feel better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRG Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We probably won't put anything up (tree included) for another couple of weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Inna* Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 *raises hand* :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We don't decorate until after my oldest ds birthday on the 12th. As it is, my in laws always forget his birthday and lump it in with the holidays. I have tried to make sure that in our home he gets his own day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I'm not decorating until Dec. 11th, two weeks before Christmas. Last year we decorated at the beginning of the month and the tree became background decor that wasn't even exciting anymore by Christmas day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Dup. Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 The kids are bugging for it, so we'll probably do it this weekend. Bah humbug. It's just all so exhausting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 please chime in here and make me feel better that mine isn't done! I always want to have it done by December 1, but it just isn't going to happen and never has happened. I thought not hosting Thanksgiving would help, but it didn't. I'm not even talking about the tree--we don't do that until 2 weeks before Christmas. I haven't started. I also don't plan to start till dh starts to complain / comment. And if he doesn't comment and the decorations never go up. Well even better. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 It would never occur to me to start this early. I generally don't start until about a week before Christmas. I take it down New Year's Day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinmomma Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 All of my kiddos have been sick so our tree is 1/2 decorated. My neighbor gave us a tree because she had 2 and we didn't have one. The kids then insisted on decorating it, but that's as far as we have gotten. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinmomma Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Oh, and the plan for tonight is to finish decorating and drink hot chocolate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 please chime in here and make me feel better that mine isn't done! I always want to have it done by December 1, but it just isn't going to happen and never has happened. I thought not hosting Thanksgiving would help, but it didn't. I'm not even talking about the tree--we don't do that until 2 weeks before Christmas. I decorate slowly and we never get our tree up until 2 weeks (or so) before Christmas. It's a live tree so I don't like it to stay long. I remember, as a child, that some families didn't get their tree up until Christmas eve. I think it was part of the tradition that you dont' celebrate Christmas before the Feast day. To them it was nice. They woke up in the morning and the whole house was transformed - garlands, tree, presents, etc. Of course, it was probably not quite so "fun" for their parents. :wacko: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I never start before the first weekend in December. I might put a few outdoor lights up and a small tree in the basement family room today. I'm never in a hurry to put the main tree up and I don't do a lot of other decorations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I never start before the first weekend in December. I might put a few outdoor lights up and a small tree in the basement family room today. I'm never in a hurry to put the main tree up and I don't do a lot of other decorations. I put the lights up last weekend when it was 60*. I always try to take advantage of the few last nice days for the outside stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We haven't yet either. I'm not really in the mood to deal with putting lights on the tree. I might just surprise myself with a prelit tree from somewhere...or something. If it wasn't for those blasted lights... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Every year I decorate the night of November 30th so that on December 1st my kids wake up to Christmas. Although last year I didn't end up decorating until a week before Christmas because I was depressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We would have started this weekend, but ds is spending it at his cousin's house, so we'll hold off. He likes to help, especially with the outdoor lights. We'll either get it done sometime this week, or next weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Not only have I not started yet, I don't consider myself behind. Dec 1 or the first Sunday of Advent is the soonest one can start putting up decorations, and even then the advent wreath and calendar are the only requirements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I haven't. I've been sick all week and am just now feeling better, but we had co-op this morning and I teach a class and am now exhausted, so I'm drinking coffee and surfing the Net and yelling at the kids. No decorating till this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraciWA Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Nope. We were gone all weekend and busy all week so not a thing has been done yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Made our Advent calendar, and tomorrow will hang a calendar (felt tree thing--you put up an ornament each day in Dec til 25th). That's it--that's all we do, except the tree. We don't get that til about 2.5 weeks before the big day. We live it up til Epiphany. This year, we may do more--mantle, nature table near the front door (really a dresser), and maybe even the pillars outside!!! Maybe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We haven't yet either. I'm not really in the mood to deal with putting lights on the tree. I might just surprise myself with a prelit tree from somewhere...or something. If it wasn't for those blasted lights... Ok, that made me laugh embarrassingly loudly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 You guys are making me feel better! For now, I'm just decorating with Christmas music! I love this, decorating with music! :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I still have only harvest stuff out. This weekend the Advent stuff will be put up. The Christmas tree is brought in the weekend before Christmas, and decorated as part of our Christmas Eve family celebration, and stays up through 12th Night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We never start until Advent. Then the calendars and nativity sets come out. We wait 2 or 3 weeks for the tree. If we wait too long you can't get a tree near here. :D But, this year things changed. Dd was home for college and having a party for her friends as they came back here to college and she was leaving. Well, she showed us how fast decorating can be done. So if you are tired and need the family to help have a party for their friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russiantwins Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We are not decorating at all this year, since we are going to Grandma and Grandpa's house this year for Christmas. It feels very strange with nothing out at all. We are doing our advent reading though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninok Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Since we are in the process of packing and moving, and actually had to toss our tree last year, I am only doing a small tabletop tree and a few Candles. I feel like a Grinch but it just isn't gonna be the normal decorating this year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 We don't put ours up until December 15. And it's always that date. The reason is that is one of my kids birthdays and she likes having her birthday presents under the Christmas tree. I'm a procrastinator so I never get it done sooner than that (I'm still trying to wrap her birthday presents right before supper that day - and she opens them immediately after supper). So putting up the tree has become part of our traditions for her birthday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oak Knoll Mom Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 We don't decorate until well into December. Some years we get the tree up around the middle of the month, but don't get everything else out until Christmas Eve. We leave it up until after Jan 6th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 I still have only harvest stuff out. This weekend the Advent stuff will be put up. The Christmas tree is brought in the weekend before Christmas, and decorated as part of our Christmas Eve family celebration, and stays up through 12th Night. Hmmm, I like this. I think. Conflicted! We have always put the tree up Thanksgiving weekend, and even though it's a live tree, it lasts through Christmas and we take it down sometime between Christmas and New Years (mostly New Year's Day, I think, while I'm watching the Rose Parade). We also put up a lot of green garland and decorations throughout the house, lots of lights outside, and play Christmas music throughout December. We love having a decorated and festive house, especially my dh. But...this year, we are doing Advent for the first time. We've always gone to non-demon churches (or none), but we've been attending an Anglican church this year. I love it, and although it's weird for my dh to attend a liturgical service, it brings me back to my happy days as a Catholic. I'd like to decorate for Advent, but what does that mean? A wreathe and nativity scene won't cut it...we always do that, and it's a small portion of our decorating. And, I always feel like the Christmas tree and decorations are very sad after Christmas. It feels lame and hollow somehow, and I can't wait to take the tree down. I do like leaving the other decorations up for longer, because they are festive and once the presents are gone from the tree it looks bereft. I don't know if I can keep the tree up until Epiphany, but I do want to celebrate that day this year, somehow (I have no idea how). Help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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