How do you plan to handle the cruise and the holidays?

[Renysmom]

With PCC 2.0 ending just under a week before Christmas I was wondering what folks are planning to do about decorating for Christmas? We will actually arrive home with just 5 days to get done all we need to get done so we are going to go very, very light. Lucky for us we have no children that require the Christmas magic in the house so this will hep some.

I know we can't put our tree up before we leave as the two cats will be home alone and will surely take it down as a form of entertainment. The outside lights we will be able to put up and place on a timer, but I am thinking no yard decorations this year.

I also plan to get all my holiday food shopping done (except for perishables) the weekend before the cruise so that I don't have that to contend with. May start the baking of goodies (which can be frozen) in October.

Any other ideas? I hate to come and lose all the rest and relaxation to the last minute chaos that will happen if I don't plan ahead.

 

[bigmoonmullen]

Hi Kelly,

We also have no children but we will be hosting a Christmas Eve & Christmas Day Celebration for about 25 familiy members. It will be nuts.

Tree and Exterior lights will be going up the week before Thanksgiving. I refuse to turn the outside lights on before Thanksgiving night... and we do use a timer. We do minimal ground effects and still plan on putting them up. I love my Grinch blowup and Santa blowup

Hopefully most of the gifts / gift cards will already be purchased and wrapped. Louise does a great job doing this as well has having all the cards ready to go. Those will be mailed shortly before we leave.

This year I think we will rely more than ever on familiy members to bring over side dishes.

The week we get back will become a cleaning frenzy. Our neighbors daughter takes care of our three birds while we are gone but in 10 days they leave enough dander to put a nice layer on everything.

We will miss sitting at night with the fireplace going and the tree lit.... but I'll give that up in a heartbeat to be at WDW and then on a Cruise and then at WDW with a bunch of fun living fellow diser nuts!!!

Mark

 

[georgemoe]

While not popular, we have gone into a "spirit" vs. "sparkle" mode for Christmas. I have totes and totes and totes of Christmas decorations in the cellar but we've been minimal with decorations the last two years. No tree inside and no outside lights.

I do a small display on the fireplace mantle and a couple of rooms get a small treatment.

DAP played a small part of it last year, but this year it makes even more sense for us since we are leaving for 2.0 on the 9th and not returning until the 21st.

Our main goal is to have all gifts aquired and wrapped by Sunday the 5th.

 

[Cherinva]

I'm planning on doing everything EARLY...

Bake the goodies and freeze them sometime early November

My daughter wants to put up the outside lights in early November also, so that the week of Thanksgiving she can work on the outside ornaments.

I will have someone at home, so I will put up my tree as usual right after Thanksgiving.

As for food, when I shop for Thanksgiving, I usually pre buy for Christmas also (except for perishables) ....one major grocery shopping trip during the holidays is enough for me.

As for gifts, I've bought a few things and have them tucked away..but I've told most everyone, that this years gifts are coming from Florida....I plan on getting some of those USPO if it fits, it ships boxes and ship stuff home....then I'll just have to wrap after the trip. That should leave me with having to buy stocking stuffers....

Also, the day after we get back, is my companies Christmas Party, so I have to get ready for that too.

Busy, busy, busy....but it will be sooooooo worth it !!!!

 

[ADP]

We will have our holiday decorations up before leaving for WDW. We usually travel during the holidays and this year is no exception. Visiting my In-Laws so most of the food is handled by them. I'd prefer to be home for the Holidays, but not in the doghouse.

 

[mdvlprof]

While not popular, we have gone into a "spirit" vs. "sparkle" mode for Christmas. I have totes and totes and totes of Christmas decorations in the cellar but we've been minimal with decorations the last two years. No tree inside and no outside lights.

I do a small display on the fireplace mantle and a couple of rooms get a small treatment.

DAP played a small part of it last year, but this year it makes even more sense for us since we are leaving for 2.0 on the 9th and not returning until the 21st.

Our main goal is to have all gifts aquired and wrapped by Sunday the 5th.

Except for DAP, sounds like us. Don't decorate much. Kids are grown [not out of house, just grown] so little need to go all out decorating.

 

[georgemoe]

We will have our holiday decorations up before leaving for WDW. We usually travel during the holidays and this year is no exception. Visiting my In-Laws so most of the food is handled by them. I'd prefer to be home for the Holidays, but not in the doghouse.

WOOF!

Smart man!

 

[jeanigor]

Sounds like George and I are related. Tons of decorations and stuff, but didn't put anything out last year. We bought an 18" Charlie Brown tree at Meijer for $5 and it sat on the kitchen counter. We don't exchange gifts, and G's family isn't into the decorating thing, nothing was missed.

What is going to be a challenge for me is all the auxiliary holiday festivities. I'm missing Christmas with my sisters and step-mom (Dec. 11), my grandfather (Dec. 18) and the office party (Dec. 17).

Perhaps I will wear my Thanksgiving outfit to turkey day and bring my Christmas sweater to change into for dessert....

 

[mainegal]

Simple for me.
Small apartment with two adults.
Closet with four big boxes of decorations.
Each year I take out the boxes, choose some to donate to the church's Christmas bazaar white elephant table. Select a few items to add some sparkle to the apartment.
That's about it.

 

[DVCsince02]

It's going to be very hard for us. With 3 small kids who are looking forward to Santa's arrival, and it's our turn to host Christmas Eve with my family this year. November will be very busy with shopping, wrapping, and decorating as much as possible. Luckily 2 kids will be in some sort of school and I will only have to take Evan with me.

 

[WebmasterLeah]

Perhaps I will wear my Thanksgiving outfit to turkey day and bring my Christmas sweater to change into for dessert....

Do we get to see pics of said "Thanksgiving outfit"?? Please??

 

[jeanigor]

Do we get to see pics of said "Thanksgiving outfit"?? Please??

It does NOT include feathers or a warbler.

 

[tlcoke]

I usually decorate outdoors only, though I have the multitudes of Christmas decoration, I just don't do it anymore since no one sees them but me. I am just going to put out my Nativity Scene and the Spot Light on a timer since I will be gone most of the month up until 3 days prior to Christmas.

As for gifts this year, I have decided to go simple, mostly gift cards for the few people I have to buy for. The rest will be done before I leave town.

Christmas Eve is spent at my parents house and Christmas Day at a Friends house with their family.

 

[AllyGirl_79]

It's interesting that this thread is here -- I was just thinking about this today.

I recently bought my first home, and I have a giant bay window that screams "Christmas Tree" to me. I'm actually thinking of putting everything up the week before Thanksgiving, so I can enjoy it longer.

Going to have to start the Christmas shopping sooner rather than later this year. Fourteen nieces and nephews, an additional 3 godchildren, the godchildren's siblings, my parents and brothers, two very good friends, and various grab-bags and exchanges. Last year my list was 37 names...

 

[aGoofyMom]

Normally I have 6 trees or so up. This year, definately scaling back. I will have all necessary presents delivered to my parents for December 1. It is my nephew's birthday, and we will likely deliver pets for pet sitting at the same time. In fact, shopping is about half way there.
In my infinite wisdom, I started an annual cookie exchange at work last year. I have been informed that a cruise is no excuse for not participating. The date is set for the exchange for my last night in before leaving for the cruise. I am just bringing a cooler for the car for all the goodies.
I will be making my cookies next week and freezing them, at the suggestion of the same co-workers.

I suspect the only tree going up in my house will be the pre-lit palm tree, with my Disney ornaments.

 

[Hedy]

We will decorate once I get home. We have a real tree, so it doesn't make sense to water if it I'm not there. My guess is the non-tree stuff will be out before I go, if only because I have to open the Hope Chest to get out my Sanat Minnie hat. Christmas shopping will be DONE by mid-November, save for anything I'm getting in WDW. This si what worked on my December trips in 2007 and 2008.

 

[froggy5657]

We actually put up nothing outside for Christmas. Not even lights for outside (well, we have three light up snowflakes that I had to force my mom to get). As it is just me and my mom going, we will put up the tree beforehand as a family, and my dad and sister will water it. I plan on doing my Christmas shopping on the boat/castaway cay

 

[jeanigor]

I plan on doing my Christmas shopping on the boat/castaway cay

I like the 9" vinyls, but the 3" aer cute too.

 

[froggy5657]

I like the 9" vinyls, but the 3" aer cute too.

Yeah good luck getting 3 of those back in a carry on along with my clothes and FE gifts :

But the small ones would def work, I need to keep that in mind

 

[dpuck1998]

I put up decorations right after I take down my halloween decorations! Althoguht we aren't going on the cruise, we leave Dec 17th, so we start early and leave it up while we are gone. We take down right upon returning from vacation.