Visions of Sugarplums?

Twisted but amusing. Love the "stockings". :o

(Click the picture to see the artist's site.)

Thursday Thirteen #14: Thirteen Family Christmas Traditions

13 Family Christmas Traditions

1. Oranges in the bottoms of our Christmas stockings. The kids love this tradition. I love it because it keeps that "stocking" shape and they eat it for breakfast!

2. Using the same wrapping paper for each child. This eliminates the need for name tags (hate those things!) on gifts from mom and dad, because each child has his own wrapping paper and knows which gift is his.

3. Setting out the Santa cookies and milk on Christmas Eve. Doesn't everyone do this?

4. Leaving carrots for the reindeer. In the morning, there's always one left with a "reindeer bite" out of it!

5. Santa's boot-prints by the fireplace. More proof that Santa really exists!

6. A letter from Santa. He leaves one every year for the kids, right by the milk and cookies. Nice of him to take the time, considering all he's got to do on Christmas Eve, isn't it?

7. Reading "T'Was The Night Before Christmas" before the kids go to bed on Christmas Eve.

8. Opening one present on Christmas Eve - it's always Christmas pajamas for them to wear to bed so pictures on Christmas morning won't reveal that we normally put them to bed in old t-shirts with moth holes.

9. Going to see Santa - to get the "Santa picture" and to ask Santa for what we want for Christmas.

10. Santa always leaves "Lifesaver Storybooks" in the stockings

11. Stockings have to be opened first, before we start presents

12. Presents are opened one at a time, and we take turns, so we can all appreciate each gift.

13. Finding the "Christmas Pickle" ornament - every year Santa leaves a small gift for the child who finds the Christmas pickle hidden in the tree.

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Green Christmas

I guess I HAVE to start thinking about Christmas, now that it's almost December and we've actually got snow on the ground and everything.

Sigh.

Okay, so here's the plan...

I'm going to pretend that not putting lights up on the house this year is an effort to be more environmentally conscious. That goes for the easy, re-usable gift bags instead of wrapping paper, too. And the baking of pumpkin bread instead of buying gifts for extended family members. I'm also going to pretend that it's that pesky "evil lead in plastic toys from China" thing that's fueling my boycott on plastic &/or noisy toys this year. Oh, and it's all about saving gas money - that's why we're not going to try to make it to both families on the same day this year. And my live tree instead of a plastic one this year? It's all about the environment.

Riiiiiiggggght.

See, I'm not lazy... or cheap... I'm just... green! :D

Christmas Gift Idea #1

The following is not an endorsement...

It's a jar opener!

If you want to get a gift for someone who's got everything - this is it! You should see this thing work. Stick the jar in there, it turns, and voila! Open jar!

I'm telling you... this could make men completely obsolete! :D