‌‌🎄‌🎁 2022 Holiday Countdown Thread🎁 🎄‌

[cianni]

Hi all! The holidays are my favourite time of year (my family teases me that i may actually be part elf...), so i spend the whole season cooking, baking, decorating, buying, wrapping and giving gifts!

I know we have a few threads going with (amazing) gift recommendations, but i thought it might be fun to create a thread where everyone can share some of their holiday decor, favourite recipes they like to make, or some of their traditions, regardless of what you're celebrating this year! I think it's so interesting to see how other people celebrate, and maybe even get some inspiration on new traditions or things to try!

 i usually wait until december 1 before putting up our tree, so i'll be doing that this weekend, but here is last years tree, with a little cameo from my (big) puppy❤️

 

ETA to add some prompts!

Dec 1-3: be honest - where are you in your holiday shopping? are you a last minute gifter, or a Black Friday shopper?

Dec 4-10: show us your tree and/or decor!

Dec 11-17: what holiday traditions are you most looking forward to doing this year? will you be incorporating anything new?

Dec 18-24: share your plate! what's your favourite holiday food? and yes, this includes desserts and drinks! recipes are always welcome

Dec 25-31: do you have a new years resolution? if you do, share it! lets keep each other motivated and accountable 😊 also, what are your thoughts on Boxing Day? Worth it, or kind of a bust?

BONUS: Jan 1-7: what were your favourite parts of 2022, and what are you looking forward to in 2023?

some traditions/things we do each year include

• wrapping paper themes (i change this up every year, and spend WAY too much time thinking about it)
• everyone gets an ornament each year that has something to do with something that happened in the previous year (something they really were into, or a life milestone), so the tree ends up being a trip down memory lane!
• family secret santa
• absolutely mandatory that we get a Terry's Chocolate Orange (although my mom and i are really the only ones who like them)
• playing Family Feud on Christmas Eve (older gen vs newer gen is usually how we create the teams!)

Cant wait to see what everyone has to share!!

[CookieGirl1]

I've gotten most of my shopping done and just need one or two more small things; there aren't that many people that I needed to buy gifts for this year which makes it easier.

[cianni]

@CookieGirl1 im finding our gift list has streamlined too over the years! but i suspect itll bounce back up in the next few years. seems like all my friends and family are having kids, and i cant resist shopping for all the tiny clothes and toys 🙈

[CookieGirl1]

@cianni it's such a nice feeling to shop for people that are genuinely meaningful in your life rather than just trying to figure out "polite" little gifts and that's the mentality that I've adopted over the last couple of years, especially.  I'd rather get a few people more thoughtful gifts rather than just picking up random things for random people in my life out of some odd feeling of obligation.

[cianni]

@CookieGirl1 Exactly!! i find a lot of the "obligation" gifts are usually very generic because you don't necessarily know them well enough to pick up something thoughtful. it would more meaningful to just make a donation to a charity you support or something! 

[greeneyedgirl107]

Dec 1-3: be honest - where are you in your holiday shopping? are you a last minute gifter, or a Black Friday shopper?  I guess I'm somewhere in between.

[cianni]

@greeneyedgirl107 variety is good! sometimes the best ideas dont pop to mind till the 11th hour anyways!

[faeriegirl]

Dec 1-3: be honest - where are you in your holiday shopping? are you a last minute gifter, or a Black Friday shopper? 
I am done with my shopping. I always start early!

[CookieGirl1]

Shoot, @faeriegirl, you're good!

[SportyGirly125]

Dec 1-3: be honest - where are you in your holiday shopping? are you a last minute gifter, or a Black Friday shopper? Early shopper and Black Friday deals shopper.  I’m done shopping. 

[Kim888]

Dec 1-3: be honest - where are you in your holiday shopping? are you a last minute gifter, or a Black Friday shopper?

Black Friday shopper - I’m just waiting for everything to come now ! 

[cianni]

@Kim888 the hardest part!! my front door looks like a shipping and receiving dock some days 😂

[quspork]

Dec 1-3: be honest - where are you in your holiday shopping? are you a last minute gifter, or a Black Friday shopper?

Bit of both! I love a good deal, so I picked up quite a few things this past week and have maybe 70% of my shopping done? But there are a few more items I need to get, and then I always procrastinate on picking up the gift cards I need for people until about the week before Christmas. 

[cianni]

@quspork that's a pretty good chunk of the shopping done!! and sometimes i wish i did more of an even split because as nice as it feels to be organized, i always end up buying waaay more because i have more time to look. i am the same with gift cards though - tend to wait until theres a cashback offer for them (if you don't use rakuten - you can get cashback on GCs!!)

[Loretta55]

My answer is similar to @Titian06 answer @cianni. My husband and I are empty nesters so we really don’t exchange gifts. I ordered a personalized wallet from Etsy and the plan is to fill up the wallet for my son because he always has the latest gadgets. Unfortunately I will be working on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

[cianni]

@Loretta55 i love etsy for personalized gifts! i went on there and got a custom gift for my dad - someone was able to create a digital drawing of his first car (based off of a reference photo). i'm going to have it made into a poster for him! he's very nostalgic with his cars haha

[Titian06]

Dec 1-3: be honest - where are you in your holiday shopping? are you a last minute gifter, or a Black Friday shopper?  Since it's my cat and me, I don't "holiday" shop.  Back in the day, I bought throughout the year, but mostly I made gifts (crochet, quilt, or a combination of both).

[cianni]

@Titian06 handmade gifts are the best! like a lot of people mentioned, i also have a lot of the homemade blankets, embroidered tea towels and other similar things received from family members and friends over the years. it's also pretty special to think about all the people who have pieces of you with them this time of year 🙂

[Loretta55]

I still have the crocheted items that my husband’s grandmother made for us years ago. I especially loved the blue blanket that she crocheted for my son when he was born @Titian06. I always looked forward to seeing what she made for us each year. 

[Titian06]

@Loretta55 - I've made a boatload of baby blankets for work colleagues over the years, as well as scarves, hats, and mittens.  I also donate to charities.  I too have many crocheted and quilted blankets and crocheted doilies from my grandmother.  Before my aunt passed away, she gave me a ton of yarn and cotton thread along with a bunch of crochet magazines that belonged to her and my grandmother.  They go back to the 1920s! 😳  They mean a lot to me.

[greeneyedgirl107]

@Titian06 wow!!!