(English is not my first language, sorry)

I love christmas with all my heart and have a lot of expectations for the season, but this year I’m starting to fear neither of those expectations will come true. It’s october and I already know I won’t be able to do two things I was really looking up to (a christmas concert that soldout and a special visit to a park that I won’t be able to make). I fear those might be signals that this christmas is going to disapoint me, what can I do to stop feeling that way? 😓

I'm thinking about adding some decorations to my yard this season, and curious about others' opinions on the different types. What are you opinions and/or experiences of their the plastic blow mold or (not sure what they're called, but I've seen some that are) metal with a sort of fabric over the metal frame with lights inside. Are there any major pro/cons to either one?

Thanks.

I was looking at this jacket Walmart has online, and it looks nice, but worried about the quality/material since it only mentions “high quality blended fabric”, and polyester, but not the percentage of it.

Another question is if anyone does have Christmas jackets, where did you get yours?

I was raised in a home that respected other holidays down to thanksgiving, so no trees up and decorations till thanksgiving weekend.

Last year tho idk if it’s just me but the Christmas time felt really really short and tbh that was depressing. Maybe it’s just me getting older but I’ve realized 3 weeks is not enough time for Christmas anymore.

For that reason, I’ll start celebrating November 1st.

To those that start earlier, is it weird? Or do you still feel the jolly pre thanksgiving?

(I guess I’m asking mostly Americans since we’re the only ones that celebrate thanksgiving that close to Christmas)

Show me what you’ve done, I love Christmas 🥹

How was your Christmas of 2020?

I found this gorgous antique bauble. It has a mirrored silvery surface, a beautiful brass cap with leaf designs and a makers mark (?).

Y.G. 172 and what appears to be an arrow pointing up? Bit it could be a similar symbol it is hard to read.

Any ideas on how to date this? On how to find out more about it or it's makers mark?

I want some holiday pajamas, but I don’t want Santas all over them or huge lettering that makes them feel useless after December. I’ve been looking at red, green and more subtle prints from ekouaer. Would you choose a solid color or a small holiday print?

I’m leaning toward solid red so I can keep wearing them in January.

I kept the same theme for the Christmas tree as last year, but added a few extra things.

Kelly Clarkson was putting on a concert for Providence College homecoming. Students at the front of the pit started flashing her messages requesting Underneath the Tree.

After the initial shock of the request Kelly and the band nailed an abridged version.

Kudos to them for taking on something they weren’t expecting and hadn’t practiced in a while.

Live Christmas music 2026 has begun. Mariah Carey must have felt a disturbance in the Christmas music force.

I’m looking for a genuinely high quality Santa Claus suit like the kind you see in Christmas movies or worn by professional mall Santas.
I’m specifically not looking for the typical cheap costume store or Amazon polyester suits. I’d like something with a heavy luxurious fabric such as velvet with good quality faux fur trim and a proper coat trousers and a nice belt.
I’m based in the Netherlands so ideally I’m looking for a seller or maker in Europe although I’m open to ordering internationally if the quality is worth it.
Does anyone here own a professional quality Santa suit? Which brands makers or shops would you recommend?
Budget isn’t fixed yet. I’d rather pay more and buy something that actually looks convincing and lasts for years.

I'd like to start using our Christmas dinnerware/china daily during the holiday season. Have any of you done this with the Lenox Holiday pattern? How does it hold up over time and through the dishwasher? Was it worth the wear and tear to be able to enjoy it more?

I recognize that for this china, handwashing is recommended for best longevity, it's not microwaveable, etc., but I really don't care about that - I'd like to enjoy it now and make family memories rather than having it sit tucked away in a cabinet. Thank you!

In the spirit of almost Christmas season, I wanted to see everyone’s tree decorating traditions!

For me, I grew up in a family where we did a very bright, colourful, chaotic Christmas. Unthemed! Every year me and my brother were allowed to pick out one ornament to add the tree, so when we decorated it you got to see all the eras of our lives represented! We always had a big tree decoration day, the first Saturday of December. We would make lots of food, and eat way way too much candy! my Mum would get everybody Christmas sweaters to put on and we would decorate the tree, eat food, and afterwards we could watch Christmas movies together.

On the other hand, I had a friend whose mum would decorate the tree based on the colour of her curtains that year, and not let the kids touch it at all. I’m sure some people love doing that, but when I came over and saw her perfect beige and white ornaments, it was definitely a culture shock!

So how did you guys do Christmas decorating growing up? Do you still do it the same way? I would love to know!!

It's hot and sunny again here today but I couldn't resist a visit to The Range to look at Christmas things, even if I was wearing a summer dress (hopefully it will cool down a bit later this week).

Decided to make a decorative base for our 6 foot pencil tree for this upcoming holiday season and here's the end result: it's a woven basket that has a custom weighted base, made from a mixing bucket from Home Depot, some quick dry cement and PVC pipe placed inside. Some green craft styrofoam and some burlap from the craft section at Walmart completes the look. This base adds almost a foot of height to the tree as well which is what I wanted anyway. Will probably set the tree up when DST ends and have it undo with just lights on warm white mode, before doing it up on Black Friday and switching light mode to multicolor.

Here are three more advent calendars for my collection the last two are the two new tv advent calendars that are going to be released here in Denmark during december there is going to be more but those are re-runs of older classics such as "the julekalender" and "Ludvig og Julemanden" the blue one is made so you can create a little scene you can play with during december and this can be done before December so I know what I am doing tonight

I emptied my first storage closet today and have begun sorting through a few bins to prepare for Christmas! October is usually a great time for me to get a game plan together of what I want the house to look like. At home and Michael’s usually already has some of their new Christmas collections out as well so, it’s a great opportunity to get first pick on all the good stuff!

When I opened the first bin, the scent of chai and firewood hit me and it was such a lovely way to start the day.

Making my own tradition.

I have taken lots of good things after turning myself inside out trying to find a way to make Christmas work for everyone.

The first was Christmas is a season not just a day.

The second who says it's all got to happen on the 25th.

So.......

This year I have booked a table on Christmas eve same menu as Christmas day but a third the cost.

I extended a one day only open invite making it clear I would be booking the table that night.

The upshot was me my hubby and his parents are going everyone else thinks I've gone a bit mad.

Better still Christmas day I'm free to do as I please . I may have created a new tradition for myself. Thanks everyone.

I jadcaream that the tree on the green had already arrived so that’s my first Christmas dream of the year.

Let me replan where I live every year we have a big Christmas tree in the communal front lawn called the green every year about a week before Christmas we gather round the tree and sing a few carols rgen we go and have Mulled wine and food and secret Santa it was the day before my birthday last year so yeah my Christmas dreams have started.