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Uh oh. I did it again. Anyone else?


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Every year, we resolve to have a more restrained Christmas celebration. Then every year, it's not. In reality, we don't get that many things that are really excessive because we tend to buy things that we need already.

 

Did a set of sheets rip? The replacements will be under the tree. Are your socks full of holes? Look under the tree. Is the toilet seat permanently gunky and stained and can't be cleaned? Yep, DH will be getting a new toilet seat under the tree--all wrapped up and with a big bow on it.

 

DS only gets two or maybe three toys from us, but I'm a sucker for books, and there are a bunch of them under the tree.

 

Each individual item seems eminently reasonable, but somehow the end result looks insane. I suppose it I didn't feel the need to wrap up the new weatherstripping for the back door, it wouldn't look quite as over the top.

 

Does anyone else reach this poing in time and feel like they overdid it? It's like all my good intentions have thrown up boxes all over, and there just seems like too much!

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Every year, we resolve to have a more restrained Christmas celebration. Then every year, it's not. In reality, we don't get that many things that are really excessive because we tend to buy things that we need already.

 

Did a set of sheets rip? The replacements will be under the tree. Are your socks full of holes? Look under the tree. Is the toilet seat permanently gunky and stained and can't be cleaned? Yep, DH will be getting a new toilet seat under the tree--all wrapped up and with a big bow on it.

 

DS only gets two or maybe three toys from us, but I'm a sucker for books, and there are a bunch of them under the tree.

 

Each individual item seems eminently reasonable, but somehow the end result looks insane. I suppose it I didn't feel the need to wrap up the new weatherstripping for the back door, it wouldn't look quite as over the top.

 

Does anyone else reach this poing in time and feel like they overdid it? It's like all my good intentions have thrown up boxes all over, and there just seems like too much!

 

I don't see that as over the top. You gave them a few gifts, and then you just wrapped stuff you'd normally buy anyway - and that you need or want - and put it under the tree so that everyone would have stuff to open. I think that's just having fun with it.

 

I bought a special cereal at Costco last week that I never buy the kids. So, I could put it in the kitchen, but guess where it's going to be? That's right. Wrapped, under the tree, just for fun.

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This year we've gone from DD getting gifts from us, two aunts, a grandmother, a great-grandmother, and an uncle to just getting gifts from us. Somehow there doesn't seem to be less under the tree. In fact I just ordered her one of those reading in bed pillows to give to her also. What is wrong with me?!?! When I look through my list of items bought it doesn't seem like that much but it sure looks crowded under the tree.

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Every year! But like you, much of it is necessary - new socks, clothes, etc. This year is worse than most - dh got a car (which won't fit under the tree, LOL, even though he says it's "his present" - his died a few weeks ago and was beyond repair), and we'd been saving up money for a house that we are no longer going to buy, so I have a little extra to spend than usual. I feel guilty that we are stuck here, and so I think I'm buying much of what's on their lists in the name of making our time here more pleasant. Luckily they are not all asking for a ton of expensive toys/techy stuff. :) All of this goes against my very minimalistic leanings the rest of the year.

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I go overboard a bit every year. I think a big part of it is because, although we wanted a bigger family, we only have one ds. We moved across the country from our family and best friends a number of years ago, so Christmas is just the three of us. So I try to make sure ds has lots of gifts to open. I know presents don't make people happy, etc., etc. There are no "big ticket" items, but he will have a bunch of gifts to unwrap.

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For me, it's Amazon's fault! I had a large wish list I was going to save for all year long (birthdays & Christmas). But, then The Magic School Bus complete series went down to $25...how could I not get it now? And the the Harry Potter complete movie set dropped in price to $34. How could I not?? Granted, I've saved 75% on everything I bought (that we already wanted), but yeah, now it's insane.

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I wrote out everything I got the kids. The older 2 just want money s I bought them axe for each one is getting a sweater he saw that he wanted the other is getting nice head phones and the money.

 

The younger 2, I just can't stop there are things I want them to have and that's that. Overboard, absolutely and dh and I going out Friday who knows what else we will find for the kids,

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So far I haven't overdone it, but I'm on the brink. My standard is to keep things very modest until about three days before Christmas. Then I take stock of what I have for everyone and decide it isn't enough. Then I make myself crazy running from place to place and overspending on items that could have been purchased on sale three weeks ago. I can sense I'm about to hit that point.

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For me, it's Amazon's fault! I had a large wish list I was going to save for all year long (birthdays & Christmas). But, then The Magic School Bus complete series went down to $25...how could I not get it now? And the the Harry Potter complete movie set dropped in price to $34. How could I not?? Granted, I've saved 75% on everything I bought (that we already wanted), but yeah, now it's insane.

 

 

I think I may have overdone. (esp because we DO get gifts from extended relatives. They are the only grandchildren on one side of the family -- and the only great-grandchildren. And all the great aunts and uncles like to shower them with gifts on that side. (And there were 4 siblings and one ex- who is part of the family anyway)

 

I figure as I'm wrapping things up I may set things aside for Easter.

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This year we've gone from DD getting gifts from us, two aunts, a grandmother, a great-grandmother, and an uncle to just getting gifts from us. Somehow there doesn't seem to be less under the tree. In fact I just ordered her one of those reading in bed pillows to give to her also. What is wrong with me?!?! When I look through my list of items bought it doesn't seem like that much but it sure looks crowded under the tree.

 

I plead the fifth on the going overboard question. But would you please tell me about this pillow? Where did you find it? Sounds like something our family could really use.

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So this is why I'm not sure Amazon Prime is a good thing. Essentially I was done shopping for the kids 3 weeks ago, and yet the packages just keep rolling in. Those lightning deals!!!! Those crazy price drops!!! And one-click shopping?!?! So dangerous. On the plus side, a lot of the items are fun things we can use for school. Oh, but we just won't talk about the last minute order I placed at Lakeshore Learning.

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So this is why I'm not sure Amazon Prime is a good thing. Essentially I was done shopping for the kids 3 weeks ago, and yet the packages just keep rolling in. Those lightning deals!!!! Those crazy price drops!!! And one-click shopping?!?! So dangerous. On the plus side, a lot of the items are fun things we can use for school. Oh, but we just won't talk about the last minute order I placed at Lakeshore Learning.

 

This. Amazon made it too easy this year!

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We were going to do a family vacation instead of gifts. We would have stockings and ONE gift per child, plus whatever the grandparents sent.

 

Buy then we went to LegoLand right before Thanksgiving...and dh went out on Black Friday unsupervised....

 

So I have a two-foot tall stack of presents that completely covers our Christmas tree skirt. Sigh. Next year maybe we can avoid the lure of more "stuff".

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I plead the fifth on the going overboard question. But would you please tell me about this pillow? Where did you find it? Sounds like something our family could really use.

 

I remember these from the 80's and thought DD would love it.

 

51v8qzzutpL._SX450_.jpg

 

http://www.amazon.com/Brentwood-1186-Poodle-Bedrest-Turquoise/dp/B002NGN9P2/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2DCL32SVZ8C2&coliid=I2JDAANGFXM5BR

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So this is why I'm not sure Amazon Prime is a good thing. Essentially I was done shopping for the kids 3 weeks ago, and yet the packages just keep rolling in. Those lightning deals!!!! Those crazy price drops!!! And one-click shopping?!?! So dangerous. On the plus side, a lot of the items are fun things we can use for school. Oh, but we just won't talk about the last minute order I placed at Lakeshore Learning.

 

Yes Prime is dangerous...but I love it! I "finished" buying for the kids two weeks ago, but tomorrow will be the night that I drag everything out and make sure thatbthe amounts are fairly even. then I will likely need to get a few more things to even it off. i buy here and there starting in September, so I really need to look at it all spread out. if the girls have more than my son, they each have birthdays in January and February, so I may hold some back.

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Every year, every year. We were going to do a family trip and one big present and some smaller ones for the girls. We can't plan the trip right now. I changed my mind on their big presents, but now we're up to about 8 presents for each girl. That's way less than last year, but these weren't exactly cheap presents either. I've never added up the total dollar amount before, but this year was a bit of a heart attack.

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Useless piece of trivia for the day: this is called a husband. Not kidding.

 

Okay, how am I going to explain to DH that I bought DD a husband for Christmas?

 

I have over done it! Again! But with amazon prime, this forum, and not buying a lot during the year, I just couldn't help myself! Do I sound like one of the dc or not??

 

In my defense, though, we had no Lego and no Playmobil! Well, now they will have some! Then, of course, I had to buy each of them a little table for those toys! I did resist play silks, though, and bought big felt pieces for grass, water, etc.

 

You're making me worried. I bought DD playsilks for Christmas but nothing to add to her sets of Playmobil or Lego. I love the big pieces of felt idea though. That's a fantastic idea! I guess I better go check and see if amazon prime can deliver felt by Christmas. :)

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For me, it's Amazon's fault! I had a large wish list I was going to save for all year long (birthdays & Christmas). But, then The Magic School Bus complete series went down to $25...how could I not get it now? And the the Harry Potter complete movie set dropped in price to $34. How could I not?? Granted, I've saved 75% on everything I bought (that we already wanted), but yeah, now it's insane.

 

That's my problem- I find it so hard to pass up a deal. I see it and think how I'll probably want it later and end up spending more on it, so why not get it at a great price now. Also, I really believe in strewing and like having a lot of different things for the kids to interact and play with, so in a way, it's a homeschooling expense too. That's what I tell myself anyway.

 

 

 

 

I figure as I'm wrapping things up I may set things aside for Easter.

 

That's what I did, once I got everything out and saw exactly what there was, I held some small things back for Easter baskets.

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Useless piece of trivia for the day: this is called a husband. Not kidding.

 

I bought one last year for feeding the newborn in the night. I had always called it a husband. They were very hard to find last year. After I got it, I was informed by the nieces and nephews that the pillow has been downgraded to a boyfriend pillow. I guess it's a sign of the times of commitment issues, LOL.

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I think I did pretty well not going nuts but it's hard. We actually have extra this time of time since it's DH's busy season and we struggle so much the rest of the year that I enjoy buying things for the kids and not feeling guilty about it. I don't go crazy but I do buy more than I mean to usually.

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We did not go overboard. Well, DH and I bought several things we needed with the Black Friday sales, but we did not wrap them. last year, we would have wrapped them. I guess with DS being with his BD this Christmas. However, I am very worried about *other* people going overboard in regards to toys for the kids. My mom always overbuys. Last year, DS's BD family overbought too. This year, DS's BD is actually working and he is doing Santa and has made it pretty clear he has gone overboard.

 

Next year I'm just asking for gift cards.

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We did not go overboard. Well, DH and I bought several things we needed with the Black Friday sales, but we did not wrap them. last year, we would have wrapped them. I guess with DS being with his BD this Christmas. However, I am very worried about *other* people going overboard in regards to toys for the kids. My mom always overbuys. Last year, DS's BD family overbought too. This year, DS's BD is actually working and he is doing Santa and has made it pretty clear he has gone overboard.

 

Next year I'm just asking for gift cards.

 

Party pooper. :glare:

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;) ;) ;) ;)

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Every year, we resolve to have a more restrained Christmas celebration. Then every year, it's not. In reality, we don't get that many things that are really excessive because we tend to buy things that we need already.

 

Each individual item seems eminently reasonable, but somehow the end result looks insane. I suppose it I didn't feel the need to wrap up the new weatherstripping for the back door, it wouldn't look quite as over the top.

 

Does anyone else reach this poing in time and feel like they overdid it? It's like all my good intentions have thrown up boxes all over, and there just seems like too much!

 

 

Except for the items you listed, I could have written your post. I am notorious for over-buying, and for wrapping items that I would have bought anyway. I have been known to buy things just to give the kids more to open. I get reprimanded each year by dh! This year, I thought I had really cut back - but the kids are still getting 5 items from us, and 8 or so from 'Santa'. I think I do the over-gifting because the kids enjoy opening and I enjoy watching. I think it's about the experience - but I'm not sure the experience of over-gifting is a good one.

 

Thanks for starting this post.

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How 'bout splitting up the loot--some for Christmas, some for 3 Kings Day in January (sorry, the real name of that holiday has slipped my mind at the moment). Next year you could celebrate Saint Nicholas day early in December as well. Then just have one present per person under the tree at Christmas.

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I was actually really good this year. We do both Hanukkah and Christmas which means the gifts get a bit insane anyways. This year I used a spreadsheet. I didn't actually deviate much from the list for the main presents. Now the stockings, erm I think I have enough for each kid to get 3 stockings, I went to Etsy, and that was a bad choice!

 

Of course my in-laws are also bringing gifts and they go for the quanity over quality option, so the 5 or 6 gifts per kid (plus stockings) I have are likely to have another dozen things added to them.

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