Is it just me ....

[Shelley]

Yesterday (August 26) I walked into a nice department store looking for a certain article

of clothing for my son.

What greeted me near the front entrance? CHRISTMAS TREES!!! Yep they had all

their Christmas trees and Christmas decorations out on display already! (this was not

a Hallmark, it was a nicer end department store).

This is a real turn-off for me. Heck, the kids aren't even back in school yet! I'm not quite

mood to put up a Christmas tree just yet. :no:

Does this irritate anybody else or is it just me??

Shelley

 

[Charlene]

it seems to get earlier and earlier every year and as cliche' as it sounds, the true meaning of Christmas continues to get lost in the shuffle. for the past couple of years, i have simply given cards as gifts. in the cards is a note to the recipient saying that i have given a donation to the animal shelter, in their name. i get way too stressed out trying to come up new and unusual gifts so this will be my plan again this year.

 

[mininik]

I don't know, I don't think Christmas is being pushed any earlier than before. Think about "Christmas in July" and the Christmas stores that are open all year round. Christmas is what you make it. If you put pressure on yourself or you play into your family's pressure to have a big stress event stuffed full of commercialism, that's what you're going to get. I know there are those who can't get together without making holidays or birthdays a sickening display of who spent more, who got what, why mine is better, etc., but I simply won't play along. I love Charlene's idea of giving a donation to a good cause for someone and think I'll give that a try this year.

 

[Marty]

Well..........I'm your Christmas holiday girl and I love Christmas and think about it 365 days a year and I do believe in Santa Claus. The real Santa Claus comes down on Thanksgiving morning and arrives in the Macys's Day Parade. That's the real one. The others you see around are his helpers.

and if you haven't been to my website, all my horses have Christmas names for that reason. I just love Christmas and I do have a Christmas page on my website too.

My entire house is done in very basic colors in every room so that all holiday decorations will look good with it from Valentines' Day, St Patricks's Day, 4th of July.......and so on. I decorate for everything. And that is why my barn is white with green trim and also our outside of the house is going to be done in white too. Right now, It's puke yellow like a bad urine infection and nothing matches it :new_shocked:

Right now I am planning to plant some plants and shrubs and they have to be "light worthy" for Christmas lights. Hus is trying to chop down the big pine tree in the back that has taken over the driveway and I have hidden his chain saw so he can't.

But yes I would find it irratating to see a Christmas tree up now. Good heaven's. That just takes the fun and anticipation out of it. No I don't like that.

I do shop year round actually for the boys, when I see something they would want I do try to get it and hide it. I already have a couple of things in my closet now I am hiding. I understand a lot of Christmas items get put out early and in a way that is a good thing for many of us that live on a budget to be able to do lay away and things like that but otherwise, I really like to wait a while. I try to get everything done, cards and all shopping by the end of October so I can just sit back and enjoy the whole thing without too much hustle and bustle but I still don't want to see a Christmas tree up in a department store in August. Boo on that.

 

[Shelley]

Yup I love Christmas just as much as the next guy...and I do already have a couple of gifts stashed

away...but I'm not yet ready to put my tree up.

:

I guess getting it all out so early in the stores takes away some of the "specialness" of it all, after

looking at it for 4 months.

That being said, one of the biggest Christmas stores in the world, Bronners of Frankenmuth is about 30 minutes from here. They are open 363 days per year. We only go there once every few years. I have

honestly found some of the same high priced decorations they have at the dollar store! People flock

there though at Christmastime, and through all the shops in Frankenmuth. It really is very pretty at that time of year.

Shelley

 

[Charley]

Yes, I too have noticed.

Went to Walmart the other day and they had Halloween candy already. Hey, this is still summer. Bet their candy will be good and STALE by Halloween. Guess I won't be buying theirs!

I love summer and don't want to hurry it along. So I will avoid anything that reminds me that it will soon be coming to an end. We are going to St. Croix on Thursday....just hope that storms don't form. I am looking so much to horseback riding through the rain forest! Got to keep it horsey!!

 

[Sterling]

I agree....Christmas is so commercialized these days, it's unbelievable. You can already find parkas and coats in the stores when many people might still be wanting to shop for that extra bathing suit to go to the shore with on Labor day.

: I enjoy Christmas, but I'm not ready for it until after Thanks Giving. That's like putting the cart before the horse IMO. Lets get thru one holiday before hopping to the next please. And don't even mention Christmas shopping!!! :cold: I hate it with a passion! Luckily my family members enjoy crafty things so we have decided to put all of that hustle and bustle aside and craft things up...get back to the basics of Christmas and enjoy the holiday for what it really is. The calm and peace and the spirit of Christmas, spent with family and friends, cooking and baking ........and "making presents" to give to one another.