Anyone Else Craving The Holiday Season?

[Trinique_Fire]

I'm definitely craving Fall/Winter season. Don't get me wrong...I love summer, and I crave summer like mad around February/March when winter just gets to be too much and it's still too cold to be spring.

Buuuuut....around this time every summer, I start to get really excited about Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas/Hanukkah/insert holiday of choice here. Anyone else on the holiday train with me? When do you start thinking about/preparing for the holiday season? How early do you decorate? What are you looking forward to most this holiday season? Favorite treats, events, songs, etc?

All holiday themed thread. Pics, comments, rants, celebrations, etc.

 

[sr71plt]

No. I like this season better. I'm a lot busier in the other season--doing things I enjoy, but a heavy burden of it. And having lived in the tropics much of my life, I prefer the warmer weather.

 

[litfan10]

Every July my family and I celebrate Christmas in July where we spend a day, usually on the weekend, drinking cider and eggnog, eating Christmasy snacks, playing Christmas games and watching Christmas movies and cartoons and having a bigger themed meal. Always a blast.

 

[Trinique_Fire]

Every July my family and I celebrate Christmas in July where we spend a day, usually on the weekend, drinking cider and eggnog, eating Christmasy snacks, playing Christmas games and watching Christmas movies and cartoons and having a bigger themed meal. Always a blast.

That sounds awesome. I've heard of Christmas in July, but never actually heard of anyone celebrating. How long does your family take to prepare for Xmas in July?

 

[litfan10]

That sounds awesome. I've heard of Christmas in July, but never actually heard of anyone celebrating. How long does your family take to prepare for Xmas in July?

Hey TF. Well this year it was July 25th because that seemed to work best and we threw it together during the week. As my kids have gotten older and grown up it is turning into more of a quiet, low-key thing but still a nice break from the norm. Back in the day we could work on it for weeks really getting into it. But we never exchange gifts as that we leave for the real thing! It was cards with real nice positive, uplifting personal messages that were the gifts.

Even when I was a bachelor in college and post college I would always have one day in July where I just watched Christmas movies/cartoons all day and drank cider, alone or with the current girlfriend (who always got a huge kick out of it!) So you can make what you want out of the day and have a ton of fun.

 

[Trinique_Fire]

Hey TF. Well this year it was July 25th because that seemed to work best and we threw it together during the week. As my kids have gotten older and grown up it is turning into more of a quiet, low-key thing but still a nice break from the norm. Back in the day we could work on it for weeks really getting into it. But we never exchange gifts as that we leave for the real thing! It was cards with real nice positive, uplifting personal messages that were the gifts.

Even when I was a bachelor in college and post college I would always have one day in July where I just watched Christmas movies/cartoons all day and drank cider, alone or with the current girlfriend (who always got a huge kick out of it!) So you can make what you want out of the day and have a ton of fun.

That sounds like great fun. Might have to be a tradition I start with my daughter. Thanks for the good ideas!

 

[djserani]

I start thinking longlingly of autumn about now. Not quite forward to Christmas except of the gifts that I'll be making for it. I try to get started early on those (and never quite succeed. I'm usually crocheting my fingers off in December, lol).

I'll start planning the food, gifts and baking in September. I don't decorate for Halloween, but I like to put alot of fall-themed stuff out. We do a jack-o-lantern for Halloween, and spend more of our energy on costumes. Since I sew, I end up doing at LOT of that in October.

Early November, I start pulling out the Christmas decs (including the tree) and inventory for missing/broken stuff, making sure the tree has everything, that sort of thing. If we're home for Turkey day, we'll put the tree itself up then (can't afford a live one, we have a nice fake one) and decorate it the next day. First couple of batches of cookies and the rest of the decorations go up that weekend. December is for baking, shopping and wrapping.

 

[Trinique_Fire]

I start thinking longlingly of autumn about now. Not quite forward to Christmas except of the gifts that I'll be making for it. I try to get started early on those (and never quite succeed. I'm usually crocheting my fingers off in December, lol).

I'll start planning the food, gifts and baking in September. I don't decorate for Halloween, but I like to put alot of fall-themed stuff out. We do a jack-o-lantern for Halloween, and spend more of our energy on costumes. Since I sew, I end up doing at LOT of that in October.

Early November, I start pulling out the Christmas decs (including the tree) and inventory for missing/broken stuff, making sure the tree has everything, that sort of thing. If we're home for Turkey day, we'll put the tree itself up then (can't afford a live one, we have a nice fake one) and decorate it the next day. First couple of batches of cookies and the rest of the decorations go up that weekend. December is for baking, shopping and wrapping.

You just made me crave the holidays even more. Nothing wrong with a fake tree...I had one for about two years. No mess, no fuss. I'm going to be doing a lot of no sew blankets this year, themed for each person.

I love the order in which you do the holiday stuff. You seem to have down to a science!

Favorite holiday cookie? Favorite holiday song?

 

[Miss_Pixie]

I'm always ready for it to be Halloween lol

 

[Trinique_Fire]

I'm always ready for it to be Halloween lol

I love Halloween...though not so much when it decides to rain. But Halloween to me is the ultimate beginning of the holiday season.

 

[djserani]

You just made me crave the holidays even more. Nothing wrong with a fake tree...I had one for about two years. No mess, no fuss. I'm going to be doing a lot of no sew blankets this year, themed for each person.

I love the order in which you do the holiday stuff. You seem to have down to a science!

Favorite holiday cookie? Favorite holiday song?

I'm sort of following tradition with a lot of it. My mom loved the holidays and it's a good way to remember her. Though we have added a couple of traditions...like putting a Santa hat on her urn! She'd get a real kick out of that.

Favorite cookie is easy. We do what we call "sand tarts" which are a roll-out sugar cookie. The recipe is so simple, it's scary:

1c. margarine (or butter)
2c sugar
3 eggs
4 c flour (though this last is less scientific)

Combine them all, refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 2 hours. Roll it out (thinner is crunchy, thicker is chewey, but don't go thicker than about 1/4 inch!). We brush a tiny bit of scrambled egg on the top and sprinkle with colored sugar or other kinds of sugar sprinkles and that's that.

It does take a bit till it's all rolled out, but we love it so much. I keep threatening to get one of those dough rollers for at least part of it. LOL. I make upwards of 10 dozen of these every year and we still want more.

For the song, hmm. I have a few. "Christmas Song" done by Nat is really close to the top, but Sheryl Crow did a version of Blue Christmas which is awesome. For the melody, though, I love "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" - aka 'Greensleeves'.

LOL, more than you wanted, probably, right?

 

[Miss_Pixie]

I love Halloween...though not so much when it decides to rain. But Halloween to me is the ultimate beginning of the holiday season.

Every year, I throw a MASSIVE party, upwards of 50 people. For all of us it's the last hurrah's before it gets too cold so there's all kinds of food and a fire. And this is after Trick or Treating lol. We literally party until the sun comes up, is costume.

 

[Trinique_Fire]

I'm sort of following tradition with a lot of it. My mom loved the holidays and it's a good way to remember her. Though we have added a couple of traditions...like putting a Santa hat on her urn! She'd get a real kick out of that.

Favorite cookie is easy. We do what we call "sand tarts" which are a roll-out sugar cookie. The recipe is so simple, it's scary:

1c. margarine (or butter)
2c sugar
3 eggs
4 c flour (though this last is less scientific)

Combine them all, refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 2 hours. Roll it out (thinner is crunchy, thicker is chewey, but don't go thicker than about 1/4 inch!). We brush a tiny bit of scrambled egg on the top and sprinkle with colored sugar or other kinds of sugar sprinkles and that's that.

It does take a bit till it's all rolled out, but we love it so much. I keep threatening to get one of those dough rollers for at least part of it. LOL. I make upwards of 10 dozen of these every year and we still want more.

For the song, hmm. I have a few. "Christmas Song" done by Nat is really close to the top, but Sheryl Crow did a version of Blue Christmas which is awesome. For the melody, though, I love "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" - aka 'Greensleeves'.

LOL, more than you wanted, probably, right?

Oh my god, NO this is awesome! I'm going to try and find the Sheryl Crow song right now. "Christmas Song" is a must have. Check out Sarah McLachlan and The Barenaked Ladies rendition of God Rest Ye. It's got a folksy/Peter, Paul, and Mary flavor to it. Very upbeat.

Can I steal your cookie recipe? I love sugar cookie dough because it's so versatile and you can throw in add-in ingredients to make different cookies.

 

[Miss_Pixie]

I'm sort of following tradition with a lot of it. My mom loved the holidays and it's a good way to remember her. Though we have added a couple of traditions...like putting a Santa hat on her urn! She'd get a real kick out of that.

Favorite cookie is easy. We do what we call "sand tarts" which are a roll-out sugar cookie. The recipe is so simple, it's scary:

1c. margarine (or butter)
2c sugar
3 eggs
4 c flour (though this last is less scientific)

Combine them all, refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 2 hours. Roll it out (thinner is crunchy, thicker is chewey, but don't go thicker than about 1/4 inch!). We brush a tiny bit of scrambled egg on the top and sprinkle with colored sugar or other kinds of sugar sprinkles and that's that.

It does take a bit till it's all rolled out, but we love it so much. I keep threatening to get one of those dough rollers for at least part of it. LOL. I make upwards of 10 dozen of these every year and we still want more.

For the song, hmm. I have a few. "Christmas Song" done by Nat is really close to the top, but Sheryl Crow did a version of Blue Christmas which is awesome. For the melody, though, I love "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" - aka 'Greensleeves'.

LOL, more than you wanted, probably, right?

DJ, my I steal your recipe?

 

[Trinique_Fire]

Every year, I throw a MASSIVE party, upwards of 50 people. For all of us it's the last hurrah's before it gets too cold so there's all kinds of food and a fire. And this is after Trick or Treating lol. We literally party until the sun comes up, is costume.

I trick or treated until just a few years ago (I'm in my mid twenties) and enjoyed every minute of it. Now I have fun dressing my daughter up and taking her trick or treating. I don't think I've ever been to a Halloween party, believe it or not!

 

[Miss_Pixie]

I trick or treated until just a few years ago (I'm in my mid twenties) and enjoyed every minute of it. Now I have fun dressing my daughter up and taking her trick or treating. I don't think I've ever been to a Halloween party, believe it or not!

You should come to mine lol, It's ALWAYS the biggest party on the block with the most dangerous looking fire...

 

[Trinique_Fire]

You should come to mine lol, It's ALWAYS the biggest party on the block with the most dangerous looking fire...

If I drove from Maryland, about how many hours would it take me?

 

[3113]

I'm afraid that Southern California has gotten a bit odd in its seasons (yes, we have seasons!) and that oddness had made it hard for me to look forward to Halloween as I once did. Why? Well, because all that heat the rest of the country is suffering is going to hit us in September-October. And we shall have Fire Season (note, of course, that certain spots of CA are already have a bit of that).

It's happened so regularly over the last years it's pretty much a season now. And no one looks forward to it.

 

[Miss_Pixie]

If I drove from Maryland, about how many hours would it take me?

20 maybe? from here to Dallas it's about 16.

 

[Trinique_Fire]

I'm afraid that Southern California has gotten a bit odd in its seasons (yes, we have seasons!) and that oddness had made it hard for me to look forward to Halloween as I once did. Why? Well, because all that heat the rest of the country is suffering is going to hit us in September-October. And we shall have Fire Season (note, of course, that certain spots of CA are already have a bit of that).

It's happened so regularly over the last years it's pretty much a season now. And no one looks forward to it.

3113, as long as you stay safe, then that's really all that counts. I worry about the fire seasons in Cali...

 

[Trinique_Fire]

20 maybe? from here to Dallas it's about 16.

Damn. We'll see, but that might have to wait until next Halloween. Is that an open invite?

 

[Miss_Pixie]

Damn. We'll see, but that might have to wait until next Halloween. Is that an open invite?

Of Course! The more the Merrier!

 

[djserani]

You're more than welcome to the recipe!! If anyone asks, just tell 'em it's a family recipe from this lunatic you met on the porn boards...okay, maybe not...

ANYway, I have a friend who has a big harvest party every year right around Halloween. As they're in Maryland, I don't get to go often, but when they start planning is when it really smacks me in the face that it's time to get moving on it all...

 

[Miss_Pixie]

You're more than welcome to the recipe!! If anyone asks, just tell 'em it's a family recipe from this lunatic you met on the porn boards...okay, maybe not...

ANYway, I have a friend who has a big harvest party every year right around Halloween. As they're in Maryland, I don't get to go often, but when they start planning is when it really smacks me in the face that it's time to get moving on it all...

I'd tell my family that... or at least my mom lol. She'd ask which board!

 

[glynndah]

We had a full Thanksgiving celebration for twenty friends and family in July a few years ago. I was in charge of the table settings. Do you have any idea how tough it is to find turkey decorations in the middle of summer? I ended up with little styrofoam basketballs Sharpied into pumpkins with little American flags stuck into them with a red, white and blue star-spangled Fourth of July tower and a paper turkey perched on top as the centerpiece.