The holidays always seemed to be a stressful time in my family. When we were younger, my family traveled out of state to see my grandmother and aunt/uncle. We would sit in a car for five hours asking "Are we there yet?" I remember those car rides as a child, but most of all I remember all of the preparation for Christmas Eve down South by my parents. My mom becomes the Keebler Elf and her kitchen a workshop for a variety of cookies. She makes many batches of chocolate chip, oatmeal scotchies (Oatmeal and Butterscotch), sugar cookies and sometimes other flavors. It seems now as I start my life with my husband I will be taking over the tradition of Christmas Eve, so I started earlier. I refuse to be waiting in line on the 23rd (which happens to be my brother's birthday) to get cooking and baking supplies and gifts for everyone.

My husband and I went shopping this past weekend and bought a few presents for everyone. Mom and dad get a steak knife set(they always buy the cheap kind so we bought a nice set they can use a few years). We paid on credit, but have the funds to cover it. It's a shame I brought so much debt into our new marriage.

Anyway, Mom gets Cinderella on DVD (It's her birthday too in Dec. and she's an avid collector of Disney movies). My brother and his brother both get money for their birthdays and Christmas. I think I'm going to put them in a small opened ornament for Christmas. My brother's girlfriend we bought a nice set from bath and body and we're going to get a small summed gift card for Hot Topic. My best friend and her boyfriend a treat from Hickory Farm (steak) and a GC for a pint of Haagan Dazs. Grandma down south is getting the professional picture of my husband, her and I from our wedding day two weeks ago in a nice frame.(We might have to wait a while to get this. Our pictures aren't in yet.)

On his side of his family, we decided to get his parents a gift certificate to a fancy restaurant. They don't go out that often and it would probably be much appreciated. My husband's best friend is getting a GC to the Playhouse back home. His grandfather is getting a donation to the non-profit nursing home he's in and his grandmother we haven't decided. The other set of grandparents are probably going to get dinner...

Yes, if you're adding this up...it's a LOT of money. However, we're spending $1,000.00 of the money we got from the wedding and then banking the rest for a house. We can't fly back to see his family for Christmas and Thanksgiving, which reminds me I need a small something for the game they play at Thanksgiving. Perhaps I will make my cinnamon syrup.

Other than that, I hope to finish shopping by Nov. 30 and have the cards out no later than Dec. 1. It's a gloomy day here in the city....