Oh, Christmas time, you're the Pink Elephant for overspending and proving that money spent equals how much someone loves you.

I understand that, if someone has the ability to buy it, they can go for it.

But I don't understand spending several thousand dollars on ONE gift, and still getting other gifts for them.
Maybe they think that, the more expensive it is, the more they're proving their love.

Me, I'm glad that my idea of love is not money based. Excluding shipping gifts out, I spent less than $50 and made ten gifts. The 'big' gift for Ma Mere, the supplies I used were free. Ma Mere won't see it as me being cheap, she'll see it as I spent a month making it and won't care about the price.



Christmas bitching! A lovely idea!!! I am also hand-making gifts this year. Not everything, but a lot of it. I'm stressed to the max and hoping that by the time the big day comes I will be able to settle in and roll with it in an enjoyable manner. I hope. The older I get the faster December flies by and the less I enjoy it. I feel like a grinch for saying that. I know it's all "in" right now to grinch on Christmas and make Scrooge-y faces and what-not, but it's just not me to do that. I don't have any animosity toward Christmas I just don't have that giddy Christmas spirit that I had several years ago. I miss it. Lots.

What disturbs me the most is the relief I feel after all the Christmas decorations and things have been cleaned up and put away. I relish the return of my usual space whereas there was a time not all that long ago that I felt sad when the tree went away.

Dear Santa, this year I'd just like my Christmas spirit back and to not burn my wrists or the top of my hands taking the freaking ham out of the oven.


I’m sick and tired of having it shoved down my throat that I need to donate and volunteer at this time of year. You have no idea what I do or how I spend my money when I’m not at work or in your orbit so butt out.

I’m not a bad person because I’m not spending time at the church, nursing home or homeless shelter. Maybe it makes YOU feel good to email/extoll the wonderful feeling you get from doing such but I don’t feel the need to tell everyone about every little good deed that I do.

And it’s not nice to belittle people for donating money to places instead of physically volunteering. Doesn’t the soup kitchen need money to buy the food that you are so wonderful to serve? I know that the shelter animals need to be walked and played with but doesn’t it take money to pay for their vaccinations and food? Wouldn’t all the organizations have a bit of a pickle on their hands if everyone decided to donate time instead of a few recluses donating money too?

I was this close to doing a payroll deduction to donate to the organization that you work with (my employer will match up to $1000 per year) and then your email came rolling in where you talked down about people “throwing money” at problems instead of "getting their hands dirty". Fine. I’ll keep my money in my pocket.

So I didn’t pick an angel off the angel tree...I happen to actually know a family going through a rough time and decided to help them with their Christmas instead. But you don’t know that, do you? If I was a real tightwad meanie, I’d just pick a fucking angel off of the tree because it would be a hell of a lot cheaper.

Maybe I do random nice shit all year long when funds allow and not just at Christmas. My own husband doesn’t know about most of the things that I do because it’s not even any of his business.

You can take your candy cane and stick it where the sun doesn’t shine.