Christmas tips!

[Brandi]

How about some tips and short cuts on making christmas easier? Here I will start!
I love pomagranates this time of year. But they are very messy to deal with. But I do love to sprinkle them on my salad. So in order to deseed them cleanly this is what I do. Get a large bowl of cool water, cut the pom in quarter's and submerge under water and pop the seeds away from the skin. The seeds sink and most of the whitish skin floats. I store them in a container for sometimes two weeks, but they don't last that long in my house.

[solobiker]

great idea, I will have to think if I have any ideas.

[jesvetmed]

Cool, Brandi! I've never known what to do about a pomegranate. I'll try this.

[shootingstar]

I shop early. Sometimes I forget where I hid certain presents.

Meaning I shop throughout the year. It's so handy to buy something, then you question yourself: do I need this? And instead the question becomes: Who would like this as a gift?

Only 1 yr. awhile ago, I left Christmas shopping unitl the final week. It was awful because I hate shopping in crowds, long/time-sucking lineups, felt unnecessary pressure to buy anything out of desperation and I have many people to buy for due to family size. Never again.

[Miranda]

How about... just don't do it.

Ask yourself, "...is the 'whatever' really worth the effort/time/stress/money?".

There are many things I used kill myself doing every year. They took a lot of time and money. Now, I just don't.

For my kids stuff that's the "I gotta have this mom, it's my #1 thing-a-ma-whatever"... I click buy on line asap before it sells out. My wonderful UPS man leaves my dog a cookie on top the box at my porch...

My dog is happy...

UPS is happy for the biz...

Kids are happy, they got the thing-a-ma-whatever...

I'm happy...

That makes for Happy Holidays!

Simplicity.

[pardes]

How about... just don't do it.

I have to heartily agree with that. The "spirit" of Christmas has nothing to do with frantic business and gifts of the monetary kind. Not that I deny anyone the right do do whatever they want....it IS after all THEIR Christmas.

[Blueberry]

My wonderful UPS man leaves my dog a cookie on top the box at my porch...

My wonderful USPS guy does the same thing. My dog now sits by the door after the mail has come, waiting for me to retrieve his biscuit

I'm making many handmade (knitted) gifts this year. The budget just isn't there. Lots of cookies and other treats too

CA

[shootingstar]

Putting up the Christmas tree is simple for us.

It's my baby artificial Christmas tree that is about 1 ft. high for a tabletop I've had for nearly 20 yrs.

In a wierd fun way, I enjoy decorating it with a collection of miniature different ornaments that I've amassed as gifts from other people, things made by nieces and nephews when they were young, little trickets I've collected from bike trips and trips overseas. An East Indian doll in sari, a woven husk goldfish from Chinatown, Venetian glass candy bauble given as a gift from Italy, Santa Claus rowing a dory from Cape Cod where I did cycle, tiny plastic beer stein from Munich, etc. There's even a plastic bike keychain fob...

Because it's small tree, easy to decorate with many meaningful things, I'm motivated to set it up lst day in Dec. And I do!

also a tree that young children like to look at..since it's at their scale.

[nancielle]

I shop early. Sometimes I forget where I hid certain presents.

Meaning I shop throughout the year. It's so handy to buy something, then you question yourself: do I need this? And instead the question becomes: Who would like this as a gift?

I do this too. I'll buy a couple of those ginormous gift bags when they go on sale after Christmas then, when I find something (or make something) throughout the year I think would make a great gift, I'll put a post-it note on it and put it in the bag. I save the wrapping until just before Christmas...pop in a Christmas movie and wrap things up.

I also set aside a bag that will be strictly for items found that will go to charity. Friends of mine and I began doing that several years ago in lieu of doing "Secret Santas" at work and we've continued the tradition since then.

I try not to cram everything in before 12/25. Since Christmas is 12 days, I reserve 12/25 for my immediate family then schedule get togethers with friends in the days leading up to "Little Christmas" 1/6. It's taken the stress off of all of us.

[indigoiis]

Two words: Potluck dinner.

[Flybye]

Two more words:

Paper plates.

[Aggie_Ama]

I find setting a per present budget sparks some real creative ideas. This year I am doing some homemade, should be interesting but since it is baked goods possibly stressful since I have to do it last minute. Talk to me on December 26!

[Pedal Wench]

How about some tips and short cuts on making christmas easier? Here I will start!
I love pomagranates this time of year. But they are very messy to deal with. But I do love to sprinkle them on my salad. So in order to deseed them cleanly this is what I do. Get a large bowl of cool water, cut the pom in quarter's and submerge under water and pop the seeds away from the skin. The seeds sink and most of the whitish skin floats. I store them in a container for sometimes two weeks, but they don't last that long in my house.

I found the easiest way to deal, mess-free, with pomegranites, which I love and eat way too many.

Cut off the very top flower-end, and remove a small wedge of the white pulp right below, like you were removing the stem from a tomato. Then lightly score it all around, going just slightly deeper at the stem end and continue back to the top. Put your thumbs in the divot at the top and pull, and it should come apart rather neatly, with no cut or smushed seeds. Put on dark colored clothing, and pick away.

[sundial]

Instead of exchanging gifts, why not meet for dinner and head to a movie?

[indigoiis]

Yeah, I like that idea.

But I was just thinking, what about office co-workers? I have no idea... last year everyone gave everyone something (except I didn't give - I didn't know it was the culture, being new.)

This year, I would love to give them all something small and easy to do.

I have the patience of a housefly, though, so as creative as I may be, my craft attempts never manifest into any tangible objects one might want to have in their homes.

Maybe I'll make cookies.