@Koah: The only extra work with a real tree, really, is making sure it has water. And sweeping up the needles that inevitably drop, but it can be soooo worth it, imo. The last few years we've opted for a real tree and it has been lovely to have a big 8'-10' tree up (our ceilings are typical Florida style of something along the lines of 16 or 18'). This year we have a tiny little 5' tree. I'm wondering if we should put it on the half-wall XD If your sister's insistence on a real tree is giving you stress though, can you tell her to skip it? Will she listen?

Oh, have fun finding stocking stuffers! Let me know if you find any good little things?! Here, stocking stuffers are usually the cheap, fun, and silly little items, and maybe a gift card... but my boys are beyond a lot of that stuff these days. I'm honestly not sure what it going to end up under the tree this year. Probably not much, tbh. They don't need much right now and I'm just kind of "over" buying things just to have things under the tree - especially when I'm guessing what they want or need. And there's only so many winter shirts, slippers, etc. that my guys need. We get like a week of real cold weather and they have plenty of clothes that still fit them to get them through our "winter" XD

@Koah: lol...yeah, I contemplated that type of thing, but it would just be more stuff I would have to store somewhere since neither one of them has their own place yet. The younger one is threatening to officially move out in January/February but I'm not sure what exactly that means at the moment. They're both getting socks. They're both getting a lightweight fishing/sunscreen type shirt and a tshirt. We'll probably get them a gift card to something or someplace interesting. They have gotten underwear in the past. This year I bought each of them a small cast iron pan with a brownie mix included as a semi-useful (pan) semi-fun (brownies) thing. I usually get new PJs for everyone and a small toy or stuffed animal that they get on Christmas Eve, but I'm skipping that this year because they have enough of these things and only wear them a couple of times... and they're 18 and 20 :/ I have been known to stuff their stockings with food too... /shrug/ I don't know. I may change my mind. December snuck up on me and I'm not really in a holiday mindset, I guess. I'm more interested in getting this garden planted and then getting things the guys might actually need, but don't know what that is - they're both too particular concerning that stuff for me to guess.

Oh, I'm glad you're going with a real tree! I hope it works out for you :3
You have nice friends! XD

...ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ @Wildfire: Yeah I'm definetly feeling better, which is nice. so how goes your week? I get paid Friday. so I'm excited. <:3( )~~

@Purpsy: good morning. Getting some sleep is a good thing, isn't it?




@Koah: I'm glad you found some good friends! They can be hard to come by :3 And I'm really glad you're doing better today! <3

My boys are pretty low-key, fortunately. And they're old enough to "get it" and to not expect to be spoiled for Christmas. They're also old enough, with their own money to get their own stuff if they need or want it.

LOL... it's my youngest, not the eldest, who wants to move out. No, I'm not upset - it's time and he's probably going to be living at a friend's farm anyway. He has a plan and he has the motivation to start the business he wants, and they're in a better location for that than where we are. I'm just a little concerned that he pushes himself too much - doesn't eat well enough, doesn't stay hydrated, doesn't get enough sleep. I'm more concerned about the possible side-effects of those things...

@Wildfire: I mixed them up. Sounds like you raised an ambitious kid. :D Buy him a water bottle for xmas to hint he needs to stay hydrated! lol.
It took me a good ...7 years from 18, to realize I needed to be healthier. e.e' I was also an ambitious young person. lol. I really didn't 'slow down' until a couple of years ago when I realized it affected my kids.
For quite a while, and sometimes still, I'll see someone with my old energy levels with no kids and I get a tinge of jealousy.

My kids have significantly fewer gifts than the teenagers. I'm already low-key explaining to my kids that these teens haven't had Christmas in years because their lives are so different than ours. So they'll be pretty spoiled by Santa and family.
My sister hated Christmas and so she took the holiday away from my niece. Now that my niece is 15, she realizes how important having family and material items are for her kid. So my sis is going totally overboard, which is actually fun to watch and be apart of.

My roofers are continuing their work today. =O man, I hope my roof gets actually finished and my stress will lessen. I just have to wait and see.

@Purpsy: Have you been on a shopping spree??

I have been a bit foggy-headed all day -slightly congested and slightly headachey- so I've been a little "off" so far today, but it has been a fairly productive day anyway. I made a green chili with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving that came out really good. I bought some mulch and potting soil and right now I'm torturing myself over trellis/arbor options. And I'm thinking about decorating outside for Christmas... but I want to make a decision on this trellis stuff first...

@Purpsy: oh, that's always nice :3

Yeah - I'm not sure how we still had leftovers from Thanksgiving, but we apparently did, and it was time to use them! (actually, my younger son hasn't been home in a couple of days - that's how come we still had leftovers!)

I just put lights on our little tree, but I can't find the tree skirt or some of the ornaments I'm looking for. They're probably still in the attic.