What kicks off the season?

[lizcam]

What is the one thing that gets the Christmas season started for you? Is it a song? A movie? A window display?

For me it\'s the day we get the tree. Alex\'s birthday is the 5th of December (yesterday. He\'s now 18 and legal) os we try to get the tree on his birthday. That\'s the day the house smells like Christmas and the cats get that \"I get to ruin more ornaments\" look it thier eyes. Thats the day Mr C gewts his yearly allergies and I\'m covered in sap and have a rash from stringing lights and hanging bulbs and doodads. It\'s also the day we have our first Spiked hot cocoa or eggnog and the Christmas movies are put in (starting with either Die Hard or Long Kiss Goodnight because I live with guys and we have to start with a bang).

What gets you going?

 

[Gilvan Blight]

Normally it\'s a November trip to Frankenmuth Michigan.

Around the holidays Frankenmuth becomes kind of a small Christmas town. This is mostly in part to them having the worlds largest Christmas Store (Bronners).

It\'s not just Bronners that makes it Christmas town though, as the entire downtown gets in the sprit.

We try to go every year with my parents for at least a day trip. The morning starts with breakfast at Tony\'s. This is a grill shop set up to cater to Hunters, meaning lots of meat with their meals. When you order Bacon with your eggs you get a Pound of Bacon, litterally. A clubhouse comes with half a poud of turkey and half a pound of bacon, etc.

After Tony\'s we cross the street and hit the Birch Run outlet malls. This is a huge sprawling outdoor shopping area filled with dicount outlet places. Here I usually finish up whatever Xmas shopping I hadn\'t completed yet.

From Birch Run we head to Bronners. Where we always buy at least one new ornament and I pick up a ton of scenery bits that are meant to be used for Xmas villages and nativities but get used for gaming.

After Bronners we head downtown. Downtown is all german themed with great places like Ye\' Olde Cheeze Hauz, and 4 different shops that make Fudge. Usually some last minute stocking stuffers bought at this time of the day.

The night ends at the Bavairan Inn, with a multi course all you can eat dinner that has the best Schnitzel I have ever had as a main course.

Sadly due to work, we were unable to go this year. Due to that it still doesn\'t feel like \'the season\' We haven\'t even put our tree up or anything yet, I just can\'t seem to get in the mood.

 

[uberdark]

the tree of course.... this year david really got into it...he was four and kept asking which ornaments were his and what not. he gets to go see santa tommorrow and we will get another picture of him with santa yet again so that would make 5 times now that we have a picture of him with santa...... we hope to do it till he\'s 18. but i have a feeling the teenage years might put a stop to it. although there are always bribes..

and snow definitely gets ya going for the holidays to.

but yeah christmas tree and all the santas being put out around the house are the main ones.



man i just got all warm and fuzzy thinking about it.

hehe

 

[Dragonsreach]

Originally posted by lizcam
What kicks off the season?

What is the one thing that gets the Christmas season started for you?

Depression, Annoyance and Carols being played in shops in October!
Couple that with the ubiquitous TV adverts for cr*p overpriced perfume.

Plus there is the most annoying thing of all time The Office Party, where we are supposed to rub shoulders with senior managers who couldn\'t give two sh*ts about us the rest of the year. but when it comes to Christmas time, are our best buddies. .........


As you might have gathered can\'t stand any of it!
I\'m happy to say Ba Humbug!

 

[wiccanpony]

passing Mike a Candy Cane



First of the Month, I drag out my Yule CDs and start playing them, then the great \"Hunt\" for where the heck I put those Xmas cards. We wait and put the tree (fake of course) up 15 days before Xmas. Oh not to forget the Baking!! cakes, cookies, candy etc etc...:beer:

I go overboard on Oct., Nov, and Dec,...why?...... because I can

 

[Beelzebrush]

Overspending in an alcoholic daze....

 

[azcrwr]

Yes! Baking! I love to bake....christmas cookies with royal icing, cupcakes with silver paper cups and flaked coconut on the white icing so they look like snowballs, gingerbread anything (I love the smell!). You know, I think the smell of christmas is what gets me... the baking , pine trees, fires in the fireplace, candles in the window and cold fresh air!

 

[Dragonsreach]

Originally posted by wiccanpony
passing Mike a Candy Cane

Hate to tell you Donna, Don\'t like them either. lol

 

[Beelzebrush]

My son opening his presents on Christmas morning.....

..... And me having to spend the rest of Christmas building bloody Lego Star Wars stuff :]

 

[lizcam]

Originally posted by azcrwr
Yes! Baking! I love to bake....christmas cookies with royal icing, cupcakes with silver paper cups and flaked coconut on the white icing so they look like snowballs, gingerbread anything (I love the smell!). You know, I think the smell of christmas is what gets me... the baking , pine trees, fires in the fireplace, candles in the window and cold fresh air!

You all should see her house! It\'s almost as bad as mine. Hint if you ever want to get Wen a present: Anything Santa!

 

[Ebonbuddha]

I am with DR. Not a Christmas fan.

But I do have some good memories. Back in Summerland we would go to the Christmas tree farm and bring it back to decorate at my wife\'s family\'s house. Her brother drove up from Vancouver and we decorate the friggin\' thing together.

Originally posted by Dragonsreach

As you might have gathered can\'t stand any of it!
I\'m happy to say Ba Humbug!

 

[lizcam]

Originally posted by Ebonbuddha
I am with DR. Not a Christmas fan.

But I do have some good memories. Back in Summerland we would go to the Christmas tree farm and bring it back to decorate at my wife\'s family\'s house. Her brother drove up from Vancouver and decorate the friggin\' thing together.

Originally posted by Dragonsreach

As you might have gathered can\'t stand any of it!
I\'m happy to say Ba Humbug!

It\'s pk, you and DR can be humbugs if you want. You tend to make up for it the rest of the year anyway. But forgive me if I\'m a little :flip: :bouncy: :flip: around this time of year. It\'s who I am. If I could have any job I wanted I\'d be Santa.

 

[fieldarchy]

Putting up the tree on Turkey day is what does it for me. And watching the Christmas specials! I love that they are on so much this year . . . writers can go on strike every year around this time if they want to.

Shrek the halls was pretty good. Wish it had been longer though.

 

[Ebonbuddha]

Now that you mention baking...

I miss my grandmother\'s (mom\'s mother) fruit cake drenched in sherry. I never knew it was ‘cool’ to hate fruit cake until I was older.

At my old job in the US there was a woman who would bake tons of stuff. She made rum balls. I never had one until she made them. They were the best ever.

Originally posted by wiccanpony
Oh not to forget the Baking!! cakes, cookies, candy etc etc...:beer:

 

[mud duck]

<singing> Your a mean one, Mr. Grinch. Your heart as cold as ice. </singing>

Come on guys! Christmas isn\'t all that bad! Yes they do start waaayyyy too soon, but cookies, snow, and Good Will to Man! What\'s not to love?

 

[wiccanpony]

Originally posted by azcrwr
Yes! Baking! I love to bake....christmas cookies with royal icing, cupcakes with silver paper cups and flaked coconut on the white icing so they look like snowballs, gingerbread anything (I love the smell!). You know, I think the smell of christmas is what gets me... the baking , pine trees, fires in the fireplace, candles in the window and cold fresh air!

ahhhhhhhhh.....those wonderful smells of the holidays......now if I can keep my hands off of said treats to just a taste, my thighs will thank me in Jan.

@ Mike, ok scratch Candy Canes.....how are you on \"Rum Balls\" :drunk: you know the good ones where three will have careening off the walls :drunk:

 

[Ebonbuddha]

I forgot to add :

Christmas morning with my wife’s folks is ok. My wife’s family has mimosas and muffins as they open their gifts. I sit in the corner and sip my straight champagne and pretend I am having fun.

Then I go outside and kick the crap out of some carolers. The girl scouts get eth day off on Christmas.:twisted:

 

[Ebonbuddha]

Me! Me! I want rum balls.

Mike said I can have his.

Originally posted by wiccanpony

@ Mike, ok scratch Candy Canes.....how are you on \"Rum Balls\" :drunk: you know the good ones where three will have careening off the walls :drunk:

 

[lizcam]

Originally posted by Ebonbuddha
Me! Me! I want rum balls.

Mike said I can have his.

Originally posted by wiccanpony

@ Mike, ok scratch Candy Canes.....how are you on \"Rum Balls\" :drunk: you know the good ones where three will have careening off the walls :drunk:

I have rum slush over at the Mancave! And Peppermint patties! And spiked nogg. I knew there had to be something you liked about Christmas!

 

[wiccanpony]

:twisted: yikes! I’m getting a mental picture here that Santa would slap me to the top of his Naughty List.........


Ebonbddha maybe Mike doesn’t want you touching his “Balls’ lol lol :twisted: