November 6, 2007
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Retail holidays?
Featured_Grownups has a new topic up and once again I thought I’d play along:
OUR TOPIC…
Write a topic on the commercialism of our Fall Holidays using one of the following beginnings:
When I saw the stores putting Christmas decorations out with Halloween decorations I thought…
OR
I hear Christmas music on the radio and I haven’t even bought my Thanks Giving Turkey, so in protest I intend to...
OR
To protest the commercialism of the Holiday Season, I am going to…
When I saw the stores putting Christmas decorations out with Halloween decorations I thought…
Jeez — what next? Halloween decorations out with the 4th of July stuff. And why oh why does each holiday have to be a major retail blow out in the first place? I mean come on. The holidays should be about celebrating – whatever — whether it be celebrating our Independence, the proud labor force we have, the arrival of fall and our bountiful lives or the birth of our savior. It is about being with people you love, remember special occasions and laughing and living.
It shouldn’t be about buying.
Now, that being said, I am just like thousands of retail shoppers who eagerly scoop up the latest and greatest decorations or themed goodies. Why? Because I love having people stop their kids on Halloween in front of my house to snap a picture of them with my giant ghost. I love having my neighbors say how nice it is that someone makes the effort to decorate for the holidays. I like coming home to see my house reflecting the beauty of the season, what ever that season may be.
I know that the years we didn’t decorate because we were traveling or busy or <insert lame excuse here> that I found it difficult to get into the spirit of the holiday. Coming home and seeing spooks and goblins in every corner of the yard definitely brings the Halloween spirit a little closer, as having angels, evergreens twinkling with lights and poinsettias with their cheery displays remind me of the miracle of the Christmas season.
What I’m waiting for is a decoration you can set up and leave all year – how ‘bout a ghost wearing an Uncle Sam hat and Santa suit while waving a turkey leg? I mean if were going to make this retail season year round, let’s really do it right!
Who’s with me?
Question of the day:
Shop early or wait til the last minute?
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Comments (23)
Oh, I have learned to start shopping early. I have been gathering gifts for months now. It makes it easier on the wallet and less stressful for me. I will have to do some last minute stuff I am sure. We ask for wish lists from the kids and they tend to be later and later in getting them to us. And the youngest is 14 so they aren’t kids, so if they don’t get a wish list out in time, they will just get money. Which is fine, but not in the Christmas spirit to me. I like gift cards and cash, but I also want some packages to open and a stocking. I have been collecting stocking stuffers for weeks. The little stuff can be very hard to find!
Love that you have folks stopping for pictures at your house! Very cool!
It annoys me to no end that retailers push Christmas on us before Halloween. To stretch it out so much takes the specialness and the joy out of it for me.
I dread seeing the sign up at walmart that tells how many more days til christmas. UUGHH. I am a last minute shopper because I never have any money til the last minute! Hope we can all get in the Christmas spirit this year! Halloween and Christmas definitely do not go together!
if you managed to get a decoration like that i want a picture
i think you should shop when you get the money.
The only answer to that question is – yes! : ) I do some shopping early – I have my daughter’s shopping done! But other people are more difficult and may get pretty close to the wire before inspiraton (or desperation) strikes!
Yay! Nicely done! I love your point of view!
I love it….Great post….Gald you liked my costume I worked hard on it..
.It would be awesome if we could decorate and leave it up all year round……
:celebrate: LOL you made me laugh
great post…and as for me…oh no I cannot find any more rug yarn…I use it to make heavy duty gifts…I have 12 more to crochet…I used to knit but now I crochet…and I feel a homemade gift is from the heart and some times, but not the past couple of years…I make it easy…like one year at the dollar store there were white deep trays with handles which I put in a can of soup, popcorn, a vidio and a book…or the year I got all on the list co2/smoke detectors…they all love the theme gifts too…when I can shop where I can spend as little as possible I do…I have another neice expecting her first…they all love my first time gifts for baby showers…a large cloth bag with full sized products for baby, along with bib, towel, washrag, cloth diapers, rubber pants, pins, and diaper liners…so when all those travel sized ones run out you have full sized ones to get ya going…and the diapers they are for the middle of the nite “oops I forgot to buy disposal yesterday” and sholder protectors…I’m running again…sorry…smile
Having worked retail for umpteen million years, I am a last minute shopper, except for those things that I know I won’t be able to get later. I know that merchandise is marked down to the rock bottom prices right before Christmas, so I wait for the bargains. Also, if I know I won’t see a family member until after the holidays, I may very well wait until the after Christmas sales to buy for that one.
ryc: This is the job that I really thought I would enjoy, the one at the Adult and Aging Division.
I am not extremely busy but trying to get caught up and testing for the party. I am just a mother…….Every once in a while I also take time to enjoy life.
We shop in ONE day… ALL of it! On our wedding anniversary, Dec. 3rd. This started out as our way to multi-task while having a sister for the first time we left our (now 18yr old) baby girl with a sister. I couldn’t stand the thought of doing it a bunch of times so we had dinner, shopped, had drinks, shopped, had coffee or something and shopped until it ws all done. Anniversary, dates made up from previous months and Christmas shopping all wrapped into one evening. When the kid’s got old enough it was a quick stop, get them, take the to do their shopping and we were literally “DUNN”!
ryc: not my house, my next door neighbor
They don’t have any kids of their own but they love making halloween fun for all the neighborhood kids.
Oh, and shop early!
“What I’m waiting for is a decoration you can set up and leave all year – how ‘bout a ghost wearing an Uncle Sam hat and Santa suit while waving a turkey leg? I mean if were going to make this retail season year round, let’s really do it right!”
OMG I laughed out loud!!!!
I’m a shop early kind of girl. Not as early as some but I tend to panic with last minute stuff.
RYC: Thank you thank you!!! I had fun writing it, especially since you guys read it and liked it! Yeah, you were all onto me because you know how I feel about Ron. I tried to take it easy on him though. hahahaha
Have a good day!!
I do some early shopping, but most of it ends up waiting until the last minute
When I used to shop, I did most of it early, because I don’t like the crowds. Besides, things aren”t picked over.
Great Post!
I wish I could say I did early shopping. Every year I say I’m going to…and then I don’t…I buy a couple little things and then forget about it until November comes around again and I start to panic. I’ve begun to think that I secretly enjoy the stress.
You can get those lawn geese for your front porch that you can dress up in various holiday outfits. You can give that a try…..
Well done!
:dancingcow: Interesting
LOL Great post! hahaha
When I had the money I started way early, by Black Friday I had all my shopping done because…I HATE SHOPPING!!!
But this year, I’m baking for everyone, it’s cheaper and everyone gets something…
:dancingcow: :dancingcow:I had someone stop me outside my apartment last month and tell me they look forward to the holiday seasons to see what decorations I put up, they said it always makes them feel happy.
I do love your idea of a multi seasonal decoration to put up all year long though lol, probably not for the same reason you suggested it, but I think it would be cool