So the plan was to do a lot of house cleaning today to possibly, maybe, make the living room and dining room presentable so that I could maybe, at some point go and buy a Christmas tree and decorate it this year. Granted, this hasn’t happened in YEARS, but there is always a chance that it could. Possibly. Or not.
Of course I stayed up all night bingewatching Designated Survivor and playing solitaire and slept in well past noon. It’s dreary, damp and cold in the ATL. The leaves are finally turning. Let’s just say motivation is low. That is why I love the photo of Dorinda in the bed with the wreath. At least that is more progress than I have made.
I also need to either get some laundry to the fluff and fold folks or go to TJ Maxx and buy something to wear to Thanksgiving dinner. I don’t have any giant-sized clothes that are clean or appropriate for family dinner. I also need to double check that I know where my Xanax is. I love being at my sisters for family dinner, I just don’t like the enormous effort it takes to get there, and then driving home in the dark. Those of us that come from longer distances have pushed for a two o’clock meal for years, but the hostess is not having it. She knows we will show up for her fantastic cooking at virtually any hour. I’m hungry just thinking about it. I’ll probably roast a chicken and make dressing at some point next week. Leftovers are way more enjoyable than trying to eat in all the hubbub of the whole famdamily in two or three rooms.
In my quest for good and happy news, I am on baby watch with Fredrik and Derek. The twins are due around Thanksgiving weekend and the two dads are going nuts with baby stuff for the twins. It is like they are expecting a little prince and a little princess. The royal babies in England probably have less glamorous nurseries.
Okay so who is getting ready for Christmas? It seems the housewives are getting kind of an early start this year. My family generally put the tree up the Friday after Thanksgiving. If I get one up, I will have a real tree. I am just not sure I have a safe electrical out let to plug in the lights. My theme for my tree is fish. I have tons of hand blown glass fish, some really cool bamboo fish, ceramic fish, real starfish, and well, more fish. It was inspired by the beach house I wanted to live in some day. Do you have a theme?
Motivate me!
I’m the last damn person to offer motivation to anyone right now as every one of my kids and I have some rotten, nasty cold. Also, we’ve been having torrential rain here for the last 12+ hours almost continually, which has inexplicably caused water to start pouring down the INSIDE of our fireplace (we have a chimney cap, so this shouldn’t be able to happen) and In anxious as fuck about it. However, I think your fish theme tree idea sounds really cool, TT. Will you contine the theme for the top…like a starfish? I know, not technically a fish, but I was just thinking. Or will you do a fish topper? Theme trees can be so much fun. I live in fear of having to go to a “nice” occasion in cold weather season. I literally own not a single pair of full length dress pants or skirt or dressy top that fits me appropriate for fall or winter.
Good luck with your leak, SLM – stuff like that freaks me out. I’ve been wanting rain so badly here on the Central CA coast, but there’s obviously such a thing as too much. Hope you and your kids start feeling better soon, that your leak turns out not to be too serious, that you find something “nice” to wear (I sympathize, since I usually dress very comfortably and casually, and don’t buy a lot of formal clothes), that you get your motivation back and have a fabulous holiday season.
Thanks, EnglishRose, that’s so sweet of you. We have buckets and towels down and it looks contained just to the chimney interior, so it must mean there’s some mortar out somewhere inside of it (and not leaking from the roof), but it’s really freaking me out anyhow. They predict the rain will stop in 5 hours. Whole county is under a flood warning, but our section is too elevated to be effected. I hate it when we all get sick at once, it’s the pits. Yoga pants and tee shirts (long or short sleeve depending on season) are my uniform. Love me some comfort, too ?
While it’s never a goood time, these things always seem to happen at the worst time! Hope you and the kiddo’s feel better soon. Everybody is sick at my son’s school-up to a week-it’s that time of the year.
The moment I walk in my door, I hang up my clothes (or toss them in a pile on the ironing board) put on yoga pants and a tee-shirt–bliss, it’s the small things.. : )
We had our roof leak during Harvey, the sheer amount of non-stop water just wore down the shingles. It hadn’t leaked before and hasn’t since. It was just that it literally had nowhere left to go. Thankfully the water dried out once we figured out how to stop it coming in and there’s no lasting damage.
My holiday wish involves peace on earth for every piece of the heart given up. Let every heart prepare him room.
I won’t do any decorations until December 1. I used to wait until 2 weeks before Christmas but I guess I’m loosening up. Canadian thanksgiving was ages ago so we can’t use that as a marker. Round here people start the day after Halloween. It’s super annoying.
If I happened to have the inspiration to decorate for Christmas again. I would go with all the handmade ornaments I made in my youth. But, I will pass. Too much .. Rather enjoy my friends efforts, stop by for a drink and bring something edible to their house.
It’s been raining all day here, my house has a fairly beachy theme to it, not over the top but the color scheme. I have been downsizing my decorating in the past year or two as my kid is growing up and my husband does not love the clutter. Still I have a shit ton of Christmas ornaments, so I put up one big tree and one small one. I change the theme of the small one each year. I have made it with all of the kid ornaments, our sports and team ornaments, travel ornaments, and one with just white and blue ornaments, which makes it look very ocean-y. I love the fish idea! It must be beautiful. Post a picture when it is done!
I too would love to see the glass fish ornaments. I love those!
We need to get everything down and have a look at what we need for this year, but the tree won’t go up up until the first week of December.
How did I not know that Fredrik and Derek are expecting twins?!! I remember on one of the shows seeing something about a surprise announcement but completely missed out on the rest. I am so happy for them. I can remember him getting teary years ago when he talked about wanting a little “Milla” and watching Fredrik’s grief when the first set of twins was lost. Now they get Milla and a little boy. What a fantastic Thanksgiving gift. Can’t wait to see photos of the happy family. I love Dorinda – she’s so funny and full of the spirit of the holidays – would love to hang out with her. She’s probably working her butt off getting her Berkshire house completely decked out, unlike me who waits until the last minute and then loves it so much I kick myself for not being more on the ball.
I’m so over the Snowman theme I had for years. My new theme is woodland nature….fawns, mice, elk, etc. BUT NO HORNS! I hate seeing antlers on wreaths or Christmas trees. I will decorate for Thanksgiving with music boxes, candles and save the Santa Clauses, and trees until after the turkey is eaten. I’d love to have a beach theme for a tree but it looks ridiculous here in the midwest.
I live in a hoity toity neighborhood where everyone tries to impress/outdo each other in everything. Every Christmas it gets more and more ridiculous. There’s nothing in the HOA that says you HAVE to decorate so…
Last year I took all the lights off one string except one red one. I put it out on the tallish bush by the door and told the kids it was Rudolph’s nose. That’s it. OMG, you could feel the hate vibes coming at me lolol. Well, they should have expected it. My welcome mat says “GO AWAY!”
now my hubby and I got a good laugh from that.
We are our annual city Christmas parade last night and the city’s huge light display was also turned on last night, but I don’t mind since we’ve had snow since before Halloween. If I put a tree up this year I’m only putting lights on it as my jumbo year old puppy thinks everything is his toy. I can just imagine him walking by pulling the tree behind him.
Last year at my folks there was a 4 month old lab. Needless to say, there was a specially purchased gate surrounding the tree! I think it is going up again. Cheaper ornaments will be below.
He LOVES his toys, but he doesn’t tend to destroy them for some reason. He still steeps with a couple of loveys I bought him when they got him.
I had a tree the first year or two I had Banjo and he was good with it. He never chewed on anything. My laptop on the floor, anything all over my floor he steps over it.
He’s even more chill now. HOWEVER. At the time, he did want to help me decorate and gets all in my way. 🙂 I really don’t forsee this being the year that the tree gets back up. I’ve done not one productive thing this weekend. But I suppose I still have time to get it together.
I didn’t either. My parents last dog would NEVER disturb anything. But she didn’t know what to do with dog toys either. We got her a couple, and I’d toss them around. I’d get a look like “Are you fucking kidding me right now?” and she’d walk away.
I think I am going to get into the spirit by getting myself new Christmas pajamas and another set of Christmas flannel sheets. Dig out a Christmas mug and wine glass – and call it good.
I love the fish theme and the suggestion of a starfish on top!
I haven’t had a tree in decades.
Cats being both reason and excuse.
I will be singing with a group at assisted living facilities twice this month and seven times in December, plus some of us will sing a few songs while families on hospice are treated and whisked off in limos to see lights.
So that will be lots of Christmas for me, plus we have been practicing and I have the songs on a CD so when I drive my patients to treatment, they may hear them too.
Aww that is so sweet Kudos to you
I’m Norwegian, so we celebrate Christmas a little different than you.. we celebrate on Christmas Eve, the 24th. In my family we put up some decorations the first Sunday of advent, and the tree on the 23rd
Not so different, my family celebrated on Christmas eve too.
I think most people do something for both days, no?
In my fam, we open ONE present on Christamas eve. When I was a kid we always opened our Mamaw’s present on Christmas Eve. It was a present a kid might overlook on Christmas morning. Mamaw had dozens of grandkids but would always make gifts for all of us. She was on a very small fixed income. So she would crochet a toilet paper roll cover or if we were really lucky send us a pot of homeade jam or something. The point was it was the best present we got on Christmas Eve, but would not have been so loved on Christmas day. Also on Christmas Eve, Mama would usually give us another present. New Pajamas. Which we would immediately put on and wake up in the next day. The we is not my siblings, most all of them would not be there over nigh except for one sister. I have little memory of ever being in the same house with all my siblings as they are a generation older.
You were the baby of the family too. My husband and I are both “whoops, time to get the tubes tied.” My sister was married and having a baby while I was an adolescent.
I have very fond memories of going to grandma’s house on Christmas Eve.
Yep, I was an aunt by age five.
same here, my brother and my nephews are a year apart, and recently my nephews wife just became a grandmother so now I am a great-great Aunt!
Love my Mark Robert’s Santas theme! Each one is so very special to me.
I’m planning to do my tree kind of ombré style this year. I came across some site where this guy decorates several trees each year and I got all inspired. We usually decorate the day after Thanksgiving, last year I started earlier and was sick of it by the time Christmas rolled around!
I don’t have a theme. Years ago I used to throw a big holiday cocktail party. Admission fee was an ornament. I love decorating my tree with the memory of all old friends. Oh I guess I do have a theme a friendship tree.
I love that idea
My mom bought an ornament for me every year since I was born. She gave them to me when I moved out and had my own tree. I still use all of them. I’ve been doing the same since my children were born.
I’ve done this ornament thing with my kids each year too. I try to buy similar ornaments for them. it does start them off with ornaments when they move out and, I hope, some memories of family Christmas.
I will wait for the house cleaners to come and clean up after Thanksgiving weekend (lots of family visiting and staying). Then the tree. My kids insist on a real tree, so we will be out looking over the weekend.
I have a small house but set up a couple little trees and we buy a real tree,years ago bought a pink Barbie tree for my girl’s room. I love Christmas .
the fish tree sounds beautiful. I got some plastic all glitter fish at Walmart after Christmas for 24 cents I even put those on. I have a cheapskate mentality and hit the stores and buy leftover decorations when they are 90% off. I have a little of everything.my favs are Birds
Hmmmm, now YOU are motivating ME! I thought this might be the first year EVER that we DON’T put up a tree, because for once we are not hosting the main Christmas festivities. I have a couple of painful autoimmune diseases, and my husband is not really into the holidays, as he’s in the “Grocery Game” and all holidays are misery for him. But you, TT, have made me realize that even if nobody sees the damn tree but ME, (and the neighbors through the window) it might be worth it! Because I fucking LOVE the holidays! So THANKS! I’m having a damn TREE! And all the ornaments and other crap that’s in the giant boxes that will have to be dragged down….by…my husband…OH BOY! I better buy him some beer! HAPPY HOLIDAYS! ?☃️?????
I’m planning to forego putting up a tree again this year, as my two kitties are not yet “grown up” enough to leave it alone. Instead, I’ve got lights on the outside of the house which I’ll turn on when I return from Thanksgiving with my parents, A few more decorations inside of the house and that will be it. I always go to my sister’s house for Christmas, so the decorations are only for me anyway.
I hope everyone here has a Happy Thanksgiving, in whichever way they choose to spend it.
I’ve tried to downsize tree size for several years now but Husband wants a 6-7 footer. I have the stuff to decorate it; we buy an ornament every year when we go somewhere and I have ornaments I’ve inherited and some from when we were young and poor but it just isn’t the same now that the kids are grown and gone. I have grands, but my DIL is allergic to cats (we have six) so we only see them when we go out or to their house – the girls have come to our house for Xmas. Last year my oldest granddaughter (7 then) said “GrandJenn, you don’t have an angel or a star on your tree!” Well, I am not a Christian and didn’t want to explain that until she’s older 🙂
I walked through the Target Christmas area, and maybe got a little into the holiday. I noticed that lights are more tacky then ever, so of course I loved them. Usually do at least a wreath and a few lights.
I ordered a huge ham for Thanksgiving, I love a ham butt. I eat turkey all year, so don’t consider it a special meal.
We split it up — turkey on Thanksgiving and a big ham for Christmas (often supplemented with a turkey breast but I get lots of company). I only have it in me to wrestle and stuff one turkey a year.
I also cook turkey all year. Ham , too much salt. Prime rib maybe.. prefer lobster.
It all comes down to family. Wish everyone a wonderful thanksgiving day.
I love Christmas and this year my boys are just beyond the baby stage so excited for Santa plus they are old enough to do so many things this year we are so excited to do. It definitely feels like Christmas here. I woke up to 28 degrees this morning
Margarita Tree??? Maybe the theme for my tree this year should be Inexplicable Straps.
Good one!
I set up a small tree and decorate the mantle and front door around Dec 1. I only recently started doing that. The whole season used to bum me out for reasons I won’t share lest I bum you out. By last year, I was positively festive! We don’t really do gifts, which removed a lot of pressure, but I do like doing nice things for hard working folks I see all the time. Makes me happy.
A cousin invited us over for Thanksgiving, so we’re going to get some goofy stuff for their kids, make some Brussels sprouts to take over, and eat ourselves stupid. Ah, Thanksgiving. The best holiday of all.
In Montana we have millions of acres of forests so a real tree is an easy thing to have for the price of a gallon of gas and some sweat in cutting it down and dragging the trophy to the vehicle. That said, I am always so surprised by the number of people up here who go to Walmart and buy the synthetic trees. They say the mess and hassle is the reason, but I always felt that a few needles were a small price to pay for the smell of a fresh pine tree in my home for a month.
Last year I took the “real tree” theme further by using natural materials for the decorations. Dried rosehips, pine cones, small pieces of cedar driftwood, nuts, and juniper berries were dominant along with icicle lights. It smelled wonderful and I got a lot of compliments.
Once Christmas was done, the tree was tossed out in our backyard (we live in the country) where the critters fed on the tree for a while before we cut it up and burned it in our fireplace. I had so much fun with the unusual tree that I am doing it again this year challenging myself to find more variety of natural ornaments that I will collect.
I miss real trees – had to go with the fake over 10 years ago because of my asthma. My allergies were going berserk, and my allergist read me the riot act. (Allergic to trees)
I was the real hold out on not having a fake… once the family I spend Christmas with heard I got a fake for myself, they all switched to fake. Oh, NOT because I couldn’t down the meds and spend a few hours enjoying their live trees, but because they all had wanted fake for a while!
I know you don’t post personal pics, but I’d sure love to see the fish tree. My tree is full of life-size slices of cake I made with satin and silk, pearls and ribbon, etc, and life-size ice cream cones with sequins and beads. It appeals to my pre-Diabetes Christmas wish list.
On another Holiday note, I used to HATE this time of the year because of how commercialized Christmas had become. It depressed me, along with the high cost of gift giving of presents that someone may or may not even like. My credit card bills in January would take my breath away and send me into a depression that lasted for months.
A few years ago that all changed when I announced to my family and friends that from this point on I, and my budget would no longer be held hostage. No more gifts for anyone other than my two small grandchildren, and their gifts would either be homemade (I made storybooks last year using their photos and creating a handwritten story-they freaking loved it and kept going back to the storybook while the expensive gifts laid discarded on the floor). My grown kids still gave me gifts for a couple years, and I felt guilty for about two seconds and got over it.
Now I can relax during the holidays without trying to figure out how I am going to pay for it. It is now all about food, drink, parties, and get togethers. I finally got my grown kids and my grown siblings on board with the “no gifts except for the kiddos” theme, and we have so much more fun now! We all look forward to Christmas now, and usually find a great Christmas play to go to, or have an evening of strolling through decorated neighborhoods, and everyone is loving the “no gifts” relief from the over abundant commercialization of what was once a religious holiday.
Read Grisham’s “skipping Christmas”. It will put all of the hoopla in perspective and make you smile. As for me, I have a pet of the feline persuasion that forbids much in the way of decoration. But he leaves the paper whites and amaryllis alone. Me, family and friends no longer exchange gifts. I do however take things of mine that I know others would like for my home, and gift year round. I have given antique jewelry that I will never wear, silver that I will never polish, to others. I gives me great pleasure to gift for no reason, completely unexpected. Same for decorating, I do it if the mood suits me, remembering the early years of friends getting together to make my place special, as it was the gathering place for all.
Growing up,the holidays were ridiculous and frenetic. As my own head of household, my only rule is “don’t half-ass the holidays!” Whatever my family chooses to do, enjoy it. No guilt.
My birthday is right before Thanksgiving, so the marrieds are coming for that. Then we will see them for leftovers after Thursday. The inlaws are amazing people, but they like Thanksgiving ON Thanksgiving. They get the massive 5 pm dinner. I get dinner when I get done cooking, plus a quiet evening.
Due to the weird weather this summer, I have an elderly hen recuperating in my dining room (in her retirement cage). So, Thanksgiving will be turkey and chicken!
Thanks, I will be here all week. Tip your waiter.
Here is my ham secret: I simmer my ham for 30 mins, then let cool. Then bake. You will be surprised at the amount of salt in the boil water.
TT, fish tree? Fantastic! Since, I have had fish tanks since age 4 (over 50 years), our ornaments are mostly de facto fishy. People love to give us fish ornaments. Since fish are a symbol of luck, there are some great blown glass ones from Asia and Europe. No, they do not all go on the tree. I decorate until I am sick of it. The rest go back in the box. Every year, some go to Goodwill.
For motivation, remember that you are as important as any tradition or family member. We each have one “thing” that makes it Christmas. And that one thing can be bourbon. I have a small creche up all year long. On the rough years, I don’t do a lot else. That little Holy Family in July makes me smile as much as they do in December.
Time to head out to the fish club auction. To everyone reading this, it is your holiday too, dang it!
I always thought that it was important to establish family memories for my children, so early on
took our most beloved family tradition, eating Christmas Eve dinner on the floor, & modified it
for us. The 1st year my parents were married they had no furniture, so ate on the floor. They had
continued that practice every year to remind us all that we had more than they had in the
beginning. Because my husband was marrying into an existing family, I wanted a tradition that
would be meaningful for just us. For that reason, I added that not only would we dine sitting on
the floor, I would prepare & serve a meal from a different country each year. Everyone
eventually got involved, even friends, in deciding what country & recipes we would select. The
planning & preparation last from Thanksgiving on, & really marked the holiday season for us all. Even though we were not religious, we incorporated traditional holidays into our lives, even if
they were of Christian origin.
A practical solution from many years ago has become a tradition. Because I got tired of writing “To Jeremy from Grandma & Grandpa” over & over for each holiday gift, I started printing tags on card stock on the computer. I print them large, with a different & meaningful piece of clip art for each member of the family & it has helped the children to recognize their own names early because they always wanted to identify their own presents under the tree. For the past 20 years I’ve used homemade cloth gift bags as my individual tree-saving effort, & we re-use them annually. The ribbons are sewn-in, & I use a paper punch to put a hole in the tag, then slip it on one of the ribbons, & voila! the hole thing is done in an instant.
Post retirement, when my late husband & I went cruising on our sailboat, I went to great lengths to plan
celebrations for the 2 of us on our boat so we could maintain traditional holidays & events while
far from home. We carried a tiny Christmas tree with miniature decorations & battery-operated
lights. I had folding decorations for every imaginable celebration, & inflatable decorations for the boat’s exterior. I made matching t-shirts for us, including for our boat mascot, Roger the peg-legged
pirate teddy bear. All 3 of us had Christmas shirts with flashing Christmas lights, green shirts
for St. Patrick’s Day & heart-covered shirts for St. Valentine’s Day. I didn’t want us to lose
touch with our culture. One of my favorite cruising memories is Christmas Eve at the Cartagena
Yacht Club when all the lights in that part of the city went out except for the flashing Christmas trees Roger, Rocket Man & I were wearing. Our lights made the blackout a fun time for everyone there.
By now, at 3/4 of a century, I figure I’ve done my duty as far as decorations & trees & traditions go, so now just concentrate on family gifts (I have TWO custom gift closets), & everyone else can decorate their own homes. I also have a big gift list for all the children of my tenants & some former tenants, & my children’s foundation helps a lot of kids in need at this time of year, so this is my busiest time of year.
I want to come live with you MizGrandma and hear you talk about your travels. I will sleep in one of the gift closets.
I’ll string a few rows of lights outside in my now dead garden. The lights will stay on for as long as they work. Usually about 6 months. Thanksgiving with family at my sister’s house. It will be the “unveiling” of my breastless chest. Im making the stuffing. We’re going to play Trivia Pursuit after dinner.
I love Christmas but hate traditional red and green and ornaments and etc,,,,,plus I am too old for all that stuff.
So I get a medium tree, spray it with fake snow,string small twinkle lights on it, sprinkle gold glitter all over it and put my big angel on top.
Usually I buy some pink poinsettias and cut some magnolia leaves to put in brass urns on the fireplace mantel and besides a door wreath that’s all I do and all I have done for years.
When I recuperate from Christmas all I have to do is take the lights and angel off the tree and put it outside for recycling and take down my fake door wreath.
As you age you go for simple and easy…..lol
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I don’t decorate much anymore, because my folks host (I have a tiny place) and I will help them decorate the day after Thanksgiving. I set out some stuff to feel more festive. They host Christmas Eve, and of course the more immediate peeps on Christmas morning. We might be hosting something Christmas afternoon too, which is hard on them so I try to do a lot. Luckily it is potluck. Like a lot of people we do clam chowder on Christmas Eve, no matter what the other food items are. I do have Christmas dishes I eat off of the entire season at home.
People have been posting an article encouraging people to get out the decorations a little early, and to be sure to do them because they lift your spirits.
TT, did you hear about David Cassidy? He’s in bad shape. I love that photo I sent you of him and the hubs.
GIRL, put that damn tree up! The lights are so pretty at night!
Mine has been up for two weeks not but my neighbor’s tree went up November 1st. My other neighbors all went up this weekend.
My theme is ‘ornaments that others have given me over the years’. Lots of Gamecock stuff on my tree and lots of pink flamingos.
For Thanksgiving, I am roasting a turkey breast Wednesday night and we are spending Thanksgiving Day on the beach. I’ll throw the turkey in the cooler along with a bunch of beer and other stuff and we will eat on the beach.
Flying out on Christmas Day, so am relieved of doing the whole tree thing again. We put ours up on Christmas Eve and take it down New Year’s Day, so am not missing much.
TT, just throw some strands of lights up inside, hang your fish from them and enjoy the transformation!
Did anyone see Rachel Ray sharing her Black Friday breakfast menu last week? I remember something about making waffles out of leftover stuffing and serving them with cranberry sauce. I want to skip everything else and just make THAT.
I don’t enjoy the holidays and really haven’t most of my adult life. I am dreading this year! I am twice divorced and have spent my entire adult life sharing my 2 sons with each of their dads on all holidays. This year my sister got divorced and got a custody agreement she hates so she doesn’t have her 3 girls on most of the holidays because she didn’t want to fight for them. Now she’s regretting it and each function so far since June is the Pity Donna show about her not having her girls. Sorry if I sound nasty, but I spent from the age of 19 when I got divorced the first time having to split the holidays and having my sons only part of each holiday. I fought for that agreement and got what I wanted in each divorce with each kid and their father. If my sister is so upset over giving away all her holidays to her ex then do something and knock off the pity party.
JoJersey, this is going to sound ridiculous and probably piss you off but at some point in my life I decided that I was going to enjoy the holidays. Before I got Banjo I used to travel a lot for Christmas. Since he is difficult to manage it is very hard to get him a sitter. But I’ve gone to Paris alone for Christmas twice and it is pretty awesome. Or you could just go to Miami or Chicago, or San Diego, or Barbados.
I spend Thanksgiving with the family and then on Christmas if I am not traveling I just stay home and drink champagne and sometimes have some sort of special meal, or other times I just eat junk food and watch Christmas movies and play online and take naps.
My point is during the part of the holidays where you don’t have your sons, then give yourself some me time where you can do just whatever you want!
Or you can continue to hate the holidays.