I don't like to follow them, but I do make them. They are usually for me. One of these days, I will write about my everyday rules, but here are some of my Christmas rules. I guess I should call them "guidelines" instead of rules, but rules sounds more fun.
*I like to have the Christmas decorations up the weekend before Thanksgiving. For the past 10 years, at least one of the kids has been away at college. I like to have all the decorations up before Thanksgiving so that when they come home, it is special.
*The Christmas decorations come down on December 26th. I have even been known to start taking it down Christmas night. After all of the presents are unwrapped and the tree is empty, the holiday is over for me. From that point on, I keep thinking about the chore of putting it all away, and I am ready to do it and get it done. The past several years we have taken a trip between Christmas and New Years and I especially wanted it to be relaxing and not have to think about the work when I came home.
*Everyone has to have the same number of presents to open up. We takes turns opening up one at a time, and I want everything to be equal. That means someone might get a box that has 5 shirts in it and another person might get a pair of socks, but they will have the same number of presents under the tree.
*I have to spend within $5 of each person. I will wrap up $$$ in a box to even up the amount I spend on each person. I spend the same amount on everyone, including my kids, son-in-law and granddaughters. I don't ever want anyone to think that I wasn't fair.
*Anything can be returned without any hard feelings. I keep all of my receipts and hand them out as freely as I do the presents. I want everyone to love what they get.
*I wrap the presents as I buy them. I don't allow myself to go shopping until what I bought the previous day has been wrapped. The UPS man usually comes around 5:00 and I wait for him with tape and scissors in hand.
I think the wrapping rule is one of my best. I will never forget a Christmas about 25 years ago where I waited until Christmas Eve night to start wrapping. That will never happen again.
I am about half way through with my shopping and I am counting down the days until Christmas.
4 comments:
Wow.....some of your "rules" are like mine, and then some I may borrow! I will never again wait until Christmas Eve to wrap presents. Been there and done that too many times.....I don't even like staying up on Chistmas Eve to do the stockings. When do you fill the Stockings?
Merry Christmas Lolly!
I usually do my stockings on Christmas Eve just before I go to bed. I am usually so exhausted and it is a last minute thought and I just throw it together. Maybe that can be my new rule this year. I would like to do it early. Great idea.
This cracks me up. I'm the same way with taking the tree down. I am so done with it by Christmas night.
I love it! I didn't realize that we have SO MUCH in common. I like the decorations up by Thanksgiving and down the minute that the celebrating is over on the 25th! I wrap as I go and always have the same # for both kids. We take turns opening one at a time, too. I love it...it drags it out and makes it lsat longer! I will never forget my first Christmas with Tom's family when everyone started tearing open their gifts at the SAME time...it was mass chaos! No one even knew what they had much less what enyone else had gotten.
Too funny! I love the "rules" and didn't realize that I had any until I read yours!
Hope Jury Duty is over!! Have a wonderful Christmas if I don't see you before.
Stacy P.
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