Monday, November 29, 2010

Merry & Bright


I feel like I'm in a dream and the holidays just creeped up on me. Wasn't Halloween just last week? Time has a way of marching on, whether I'm ready for it or not.


I tend to panic the day after Thanksgiving, thinking about the sheer magnitude of things I need to accomplish before Christmas. It can be overwhelming. That is, until I make my lists


I got a jump on my holidays last week when I decided to make this banner. My friend, Lisa, helped me.

Lisa is contemplating putting a Cricut on her Christmas list, and I like to corrupt others with my evil crafting, so I peer pressured her into helping me. We had so much fun that we made four. Lisa is keeping one and giving another to one of her lucky peeps.

I'm also keeping one and giving the other away to one of my lucky readers. Are you feeling lucky?


If you want a chance to win one of these, leave me a comment telling me what the biggest stress of the holiday season is for you. Let's just call it my Comment Confessional. Feel free to exaggerate. I love embellishments.

Plus, you get to feel better getting it off your chest, and I get to feel better when I see that we're in the same boat.

Row, row, row your boat. We have 25 shopping days left until Christmas . . .

And because I know you're thinking it, I'm just going to answer your ESP-Internet question right now. Yes, I have been making a lot of these blasted banners lately. I think I'm fixated on them.

I've decided that I want one for every holiday. And if I'm making one, it's just as easy to make two, so stay tuned.

Oh, I should probably mention that I'm picking a winner Friday night. Sometime Friday night. I can't be nailed down to an exact time because I'm so flighty.

79 comments:

  1. Alright...I'm feeling lucky this time!!!

    My biggest stress at Christmas time is financial. I'm always afraid the kids will be disappointed. And that is so sad, because that's not what I should be focusing on!!!

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  2. My biggest stress of the season is trying every year not to be stressed and get things done early so I can actually have time to sit down and breathe a little and enjoy the old time Christmas movies, like White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life. AND....neighbor gifts and coming up with a new idea every year! I look forward to your posts and I love your banners so keep on making them!

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  3. My biggest holiday stress is finding a gift for my mom. She has everything and I can never find something good.

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  4. My biggest stress is financial as well. We just are so strapped to the penny and have no ideas what to do for the kids. Just don't want them to be disappointed :(

    Kimm Geria
    kgeria@cox.net

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  5. Did you cut out the shapes with your Cricut as well? My Cricut is definitely underused! My biggest stress is hopefully unique to this year. My mom has congestive heart failure (she's 85) and we don't think she'll live much longer. So the stress is trying to be there with her as much as possible, carry on with homeschooling and meet the huge emotional needs of my adopted kids. So, really, the Christmas decorations are up, I'm not doing the Christmas letter until the first of the year, and I'm trying to remember the reason for the season and cherish those I love.

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  6. I think the biggest stress is trying to do all the things that are expected. I'm trying to do the things I love this year!

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  7. My biggest stress in MONEY! Every year I say I am going to start making gifts in July and then it ends up being December and I still haven't done a darn thing!

    LOVE the banners you make!

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  8. I have high expectations for myself. I want my kids to have the perfect Norman Rockwell life. Which obviously gives me a lot of stress. Add into that the fact that this will probably be a very lean Christmas, and I am desperately trying to develop crafty skills. But this feels like a poor me comment, so I do have to say that although it stresses me to no end, the little ones sure know how to remedy that stress! :)

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  9. You may have been making a lot of the "blasted banners," but I think they're dang cute. This time I'm actually going to enter.

    i think the biggest stress for me at the holidays is just trying to keep everyone in my family happy. You know how it is, kids being around each other too much, Dad's around more often. Baby gets cranky. Maybe you don't Your girls seem to do pretty well together. Oh yeah, and since I live in the frozen North, getting all those gifts in the mail at the end of Nov, beginning of Dec. to make sure they get where they's going on time.

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  11. You need an etsy shop so you can sell these to us!!

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  12. Keep your banners coming!!!! They are the cutest! I need to add a cricut to some list of mine sometime.

    Before I get to my lamenting-@waldenbunch (if you read this). I'm so sorry about your mom. What a hard time for you. It sure doesn't make your holidays as merry & bright. All the well wishes to your family.

    Hardest part?!? This time of year is magical so I'm just gonna go with not being able to wear my flip flops & get it all done. But the snow sure is pretty!!

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  13. I always stress at Christmas. It makes me crazy!!! So, let me see... which to pick, which to pick... there are so many!
    My annual holiday photo. I try to be an over-achiever, so one year I made these awesome photo Christmas cards (back when they weren't so popular and it took me HOURS to figure out how to use photoshop!) and then I write out a letter. Well, I get so many compliments on my letter/card, that now I feel complete stress about the entire process. I have to out-do myself each year!!! I tell myself... people look forward to it, they will miss it if you don't do it... blah, blah, blah. Last year, I decided I didn't have time for the stress, so I waited and did my card after New Year!! HA! I'm sure, by the time it arrived, everyone had their holiday stuff put away and they had to dig out their card list and mark me as "participating"! {snicker} I'm sure that made it memorable!

    Merry Christmas, Jill! I love your blog!!!

    amy

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  14. Oh my...I stress about money and picking the right gift and having everyone in my house... and baking and working... lalalall

    I love that banner!

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  15. The biggest stress is when I think I am all done with gift buying and everything is wrapped and under the tree, my son {now 20} will come to me and say, "You know what you can get me for Christmas?". Huh!? Love the banner, Jill! They make for easy decor so I think it's a great idea to make them for each holiday.

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  16. My biggest stress is that my daughter's birthday is 3 days before Christmas! Trying to plan a birthday party amidst Christmas parties is bad.

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  17. It WAS Halloween yesterday! What happened to November?

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  18. My biggest stress has always been gift buying. I come from a large family and always am wanting to find the perfect gift for everyone. I usually end up feeling like the Grinch.

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  19. YOU ALWAYS MAKE THE CUTEST BANNERS. SERIOUSLY!

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  20. that banner is WAY cute!!! I would LOVE one...

    I think my biggest holiday stress is trying to divide what precious time off my husband has between our mothers... I love them... but YIKES!! They get their feelers hurt pretty easily and they only live 3 hours away from one another... so they are asking and confirming... "Now how many nights are you staying there?" "Where are you opening presents and when?" "But I wanted to do a dinner for you too!" Now I love our Moms, I really do, but it always feels like a wrestling match... poor old things, my MIL is 60 and single, and my Mom is 71 taking care of my terminally ill father. They're lonely... but sheesh!! chill, will ya? aaahhhh, that felt good.... the comfort and freedom of the big world wide web... (I hope, gulp.)

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  21. I get stressed out because I think I have to give everyone and their brother something for Christmas... even if it's just baked goodies, etc. I try to do too much, therefore I get stressed!

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  22. The biggest stress of the holiday seasons is bills! We have our house taxes due every December! It is hard not to let that put a damper on such an important holiday. I want to be able to remember that this season is about the birth of Jesus and not paying a measly tax bill :))

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  23. My biggest stress would have to be a tie between keeping my house clean enough to fulfill some idiotic Martha Stewart vision I have of Christmas.........., or getting out Christmas cards. I always feel tremendous stress from that. Here it is November 30, I have things ready, and I'm feeling bad for not getting a more recent picture of just the girls vs. our fammily picture. Perfectionism is not much fun!

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  24. My biggest stress of the holidays is making sure I don't forget anyone on my christmas list...and then I always dread the Oh Crap moment when someone gives you a gift and you didn't get them one!

    danyellow17@yahoo.com

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  25. My biggest stress is definately family. I have 2 brothers and they each have their own families. It is so hard for everyone to get together at the holidays because of in laws and their families. Did I mention we all live in the same town?!?! I think this banner would at least make my home feel like Christmas to my family.

    Ssilverbullet19@aol.com

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  26. My stress would have to be traveling. We don't have any family where we live so we always have to travel for the holidays. Taking everything a 3 year and 1 one year old need plus all of their Christmas presents equals a lot of stuff to deal with!

    deanbrann@gmail.com

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  27. The biggest stress is hiding all of the gifts from the kids. I always fear that our closet is going to be the chosen hiding place that ONE time when all of their gifts are in there. Sigh

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  28. I don't know that I'm feeling lucky, but I'll give it a shot anyway!

    My biggest stress is having to put all the decorations away after Christmas is over. I don't like that job AT ALL.

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  29. Lucky me, the biggest stress I have is trying to not "wet my shorts" from laughing so hard when we play all those stupid games around the holidays! You know, the ones you play with the white elephant gifts etc.
    I have been waiting "with baited breath" for you to get your buns in gear and do a Christmas banner! Thank goodness you got off your fanny and got a cute one done!!!!!!!!!

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  30. Ok.... I really do believe I need this banner! It is so stinking cute!

    I have erased about ten things that stress me out since I started this comment. So, honestly, I think the entire holiday season is just packed with stress for me. I would love to just skip all the parties, family dinners, and shopping for one year. I would love to spend the entire day playing with all the toys my kids get and drinking hot chocolate on the couch. I want to sit snuggled by my kids all day and just enjoy having them close.

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  31. So pretty! The banner has that professional look to it :)

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  32. Ugh...holiday stress!!! Where do I begin!? Shopping, baking, decorating, wrapping, visting inlaws, consumerism, materialism...I think the biggest stress for me and my husband is traveling (we live an 1 hr 15 min from our hometown). We have to pack everything for the baby and the dog. It's stressful every holiday. I love being with family though once we get there!
    I LOVE this banner, all of the ones you've made have been so cute! If I won, maybe it would help me get motivated!
    nkovaleski@neo.rr.com

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  33. Oh boy. My biggest stress of the holiday season is my husband. Every year I think I have done well, gotten each child enough presents, wrapped them, filled their stockings, decorated, baked the cookies... and all is peaceful in Anne-world. Then HE walks in and remarks that we will need way more presents because afterall they are only kids once and they need to grow up being filled with joy and wonder and excitement. (Money stress plus additional shopping stress) Then he wants to help wrap... and doesnt cut the paper to size, just keeps wrapping until the paper is completely used up, 8 layers later, tapes it securely with about half a roll of tape. (money stress due to supply stress, OCD stress) Then as he places the presents under and around the tree, he decides the tree needs more lights and another layer of garlands. (money stress due to decoration stress) And when it is all said and done, he somehow ends up inviting people over and forgetting to tell me. (anxiety stress and amount of food ready stress)

    As I look back over the holiday photos from the last 16 years you can see that my house is clean and my kids happy, my kitchen full of goodies galore... and me, bug eyed, ratty hair, old nasty jammies, havent slept in days look... wishing he would just butt out and let done be done.

    Whew... Now I am stressed that it is all going to start again. Gee thanks!

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  34. Oh stress why do you come at this time of year!! I have 6 wonderful children 10 years and under. Trying to fulfill all there needs at the same time trying to serve others. It can become quiet hard to juggle. I put many things like your cute crafty things on hold knowing that one day my season will come, when my children will be able to craft with me!! Right now it is important to teach my children how to serve others and that can be alot of work!!!

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  35. PS, of all your banners, this one I really really love. <3

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  36. My biggest stress is the fear of not creating a Christmas spirit atmosphere. Stress #2 is keeping my husband's spending in check...

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  37. holidays are full of stress money (6 kids in my family!! you can't buy for everyone and imagine all their off spring!! Then there is the dreaded inlaws!! and I feel like I am still getting the hang of this decorating thing I am not so great still so a banner would rock my world. I wish I had a cricut!!! I need to start trading you knitting for banners lol :)great job btw love it!!

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  38. The biggest stress "The Christmas Card"....do I make it by hand, do I buy ones that someone else has made by hand? The I've waited to long to make cards by hand and have to hurry up and take a picture, order prints....get those dog..gone...labels printed out and everything mailed out...STRESSED!

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  39. My biggest stress issue is with the time~where does it go so fast?? I have all these good ideas that I want to do for the holidays and when I turn around, it is Christmas Eve and I think I will do them next year. My kids are growing up, so I have to start something now!! Anyway I would love the Christmas banner and I love your blog =)
    Dawns3@charter.net

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  40. My biggest stress. . . It's NEVER winning one of these blog drawings!!! GRRRRR!! (hope that counts as a stress!!) I seem to have such a lack of luck on these things!! So fingers crossed that this time I win, 'cause this banner is DANG cute!! Holiday Stress?? When am I not stressed?? Yep, I have it in spades! But I LOVE Christmas and LOVE being with my family and celebrating this wonderful season!! (even though I stay up waaaaaaay too late trying to get everything done perfectly!!) I put such stress on myself!
    By the way, I love your blog and check back often!! (will brown nosing help me win???) Thanks! Hope I'm the lucky girl!

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  41. Mine is shopping stress. Not the financial aspect (that is a factor I'm sure), but the actual being in the crowded mall or store stress. 2 years in a row I have actually tossed my cookies because my blood pressure whacked out due to all the people. I don't mind other types of crowds, but shopping crowds push me over the edge. You will NEVER see me out on Black Friday... Cyber Monday was created for people such as myself.

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  42. My biggest holiday stress is the M-E-S-S left behind on Christmas morning....and it doesn't seem to end until AFTER we put the tree and all the decor away. Messes...yuck!

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  43. My biggest stress---ugh! Christmas is just not my season--here is is Nov. 3oth and I already feel behind!
    Perhaps a banner would brighten my day( smile).

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  44. My biggest stress is being so busy, too many holiday activities. I feel like we don't get to slow down and really enjoy the season.
    Love the banner! :)
    amywood76@msn.com

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  45. Biggest stress: trying to make everyone a crafty gift! PLUS, trying to make crafty things to sell! And doing all of this with 2 crazy kiddos (one is 5 - a girl - and always talking; the other is a boy and is 21 mos. old and INTO EVERYTHING). My younger one takes any and every opportunity to get his hands on any of my craftroom items: jars of buttons to dump out, wooden stamps to hide between couch cushions, thumb tacks to strew all over the floor, paper scraps (you know, the teeny-tiny ones?) to pull out from the trash, empty oatmeal canisters and mason jars (read: to be repurposed...eventually) to fill with random objects, ribbons to unwind and leave everywhere, a sewing machine to experiment with...clearly, i could go on and on...but anyway, LOVE my kids - just still struggling to figure out how to get everything done, while still giving them the attention they need and deserve...and doing it during the holidays when things are even crazier! WHEW! I DO feel better! Thanks for the opportunity to vent! I'd LOOOOOVE to display your beautifully colorful Cricut banner in our home! My kids might even sit still for 5 seconds to get a really good look at it! ;) LOL

    Thanks!!!!!

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  46. I think that there would be a tie between two things that stress me the most...it would be the decorating and the shopping. Please enter me!

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  47. My biggest stress nowadays is thinking that if I don´t approve an exam I had a week ago,I´ll have no employment next year.So I´m thinking very little about Christmas and gifts... Till December 10th I´ll be totally worried about this!!
    Then I´llbe maddening worry about the gifts I have no time to buy or make!! Ahhhhhhh!!

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  48. my biggest stress is thinking up neighbor gifts and sending those blasted Christmas cards!!!!!

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  49. Money. This year my biggest stress is money. Plain and simple. I'm sure I'm not alone. :)

    Cecee

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  50. Money definitely! I love to give gifts, but sometimes the funds do not allow for that. I wish more people realized what the holidays are really about and it isn't about how many presents you give or receive.

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  51. I'm always thinking up terrific gift ideas that I can make for my loved ones way too late to get them all done. This means I usually stress a LOT over time (or rather, my lack thereof) and then stress about $$ since now I have to go buy something to make up for the thing I didn't have time to make. Around September I mentally remind myself to get my holiday crafting started, but my mind almost never listens to me. LOL.

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  52. I think if you look really hard Christmas does spell stress...I homeschool my 3 youngest children, so getting them done with schoolwork so I can get cards, presents, cute ideas I picked up on blogs created for the whole family is usually hi on my stree priority list (they are watching cartoons as we speak because I'm playing on the computer yikes!!) Seeing all my children and splitting the time with other families STRESS- spending time with Grandma, then Grandpa, then Grandma and finding time for us STRESS, A birthday party for a 7 year old, church Christmas party, end of the year Scrapclass party STRESS, Shop, wrap, tag again and again STRESS, What's for dinner STRESS, "It's snowing where's my gloves Mom" STRESS, the power and gas bill is how much!STRESS!!! is my visiting teaching done-is there December goodie cute enough? STRESS! ok so remind me again what it is that I love so much about this holiday lol---large plastic bins on sale to stash my christmas craft ideas until next year-priceless. Thanks for all of your cute ideas, and letting me vent lecture free :) mamajax

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  53. Wait I really want that garland since I don't have time to make mine :) mamajax@gmail.com

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  54. My biggest stress is having so much that I want to do and never having the time to do it all...plus I tend to try to make things Martha Stewart perfect at the holidays...even though Martha has proved herself to be so not perfect what with the jail time and all...and afterwards I realize that everyone around me only sees the things I do get done and not all the stuff I didn't so it doesn't really matter anyway to anyone but me!!

    But winning this would really help me out because then I wouldn't have to make one myself!!

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  55. My biggest stress this year is hosting Christmas eve for the family at our house. Making sure the house is clean and dinner is perfect for the Mother-in-law....

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  56. My biggest stress at Christmas is EVERYTHING! I want to make the house beautiful, bake, buy the perfect presents and be jolly! Plus.. I am a first grade teacher and honestly Christmas came before Thanksgiving! I would love this banner.. It would make me feel happy everytime I looked at it! Pick Me! Pick Me!

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  57. For the last year or two, my biggest stress of the holiday season is financial. I'm just not able to spend like I used to.

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  58. Silly Question, but did you mention when the drawing ends??? Just curious! (and still hoping that I win!!) :)

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  59. My biggest stress is wanting to be able to relax and enjoy the entire season with my kids, but yet there are SO many things to do, I feel I'm busy right down to the very last minute and then Christmas is over. Every year I say I'm not going to get stressed so that my kids will know the real meaning of Christmas and not just all of the craziness of it.

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  60. My biggest stress around this time of year is getting through report cards, planning fun "winter themed holiday activities" that can keep the kids entertained but not overly excited at school, then dropping from exhaustion when Winter Break finally hits, only to realize that I now have to get my own family holiday act together! (Whew! That was a long sentence.)

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  61. My biggest stress is always trying to make sure everyone is happy, we're building memories and not going broke in the process. I always say I'm going to simplify and then I panic thinking I just haven't done enough.

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  62. My biggest stress this year is financial. Husband has been out of work since May 2009 due to medical reasons and just when we thought it was better the bottom dropped out again. We have a 6 and 9 year old and I haven't quite figured out how Santa is going to come to our house this year. In past years it's been trying to visit everyone. His parents (2 blocks away), both of my parents who are divorced (8 hours away), his daughter (12 hours away) and make everyone else happy.

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  63. i am feeling grinch-y and not lucky, but hey, I'll give it a shot. maybe my luck with turn.

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  64. I just got called to be the ward primary president so everything is stressful this holiday season! I love your magnetic bookmark idea!

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  65. My biggest stress is -FORGETING SOMEONE OR SOMETHING. My goal this year was to be done shopping by December 1st because we have a December birthday in our family and I try to make birthdays big and christmas gifts small so the real meaning of Christmas can be experienced. We do a family each year instead of the girls buying for each other or us as parents. We have even done that shopping. I am done shopping now it's just time to decorate after the birthday is over and I STILL FEEL LIKE I HAVE FORGOTTEN SOMETHING!! That is my biggest stress:)

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  66. OK. I stress out about my Mother's Christmas gift. You know the people that have everything and can buy anything for themselves? Ugh! And you know they NEVER tell you exactly what they want..."I love anything you buy me. I only gave birth to you." No pressure. No guilt. LOL!
    PS The banner is beautiful!

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  67. Just wanted to mentioned that I got your banner idea and it was a huge success in my office... did "tweek" a bit but it came out AWESOME..thanks

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  68. And on the stress level, is a tie between financial and pleasing (maybe is only in my mind...maybe not)or beeing under the watchful eye of your hubby's only sister, wich by the way has no children, and is spending 2 entire weeks in town.

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  69. My biggest stress strangely is putting up the tree. I love Halloween so much, I go so all out that I just DON'T WANT to decorate all over again. I usually have a scroog-ey tree, either just the tip top or this year I'm contemplating just outlining one on the wall in garland and lights. I don't have kids yet so who cares :P
    Plus our only outside plugin is in the middle of the back of our house, and I don't own near enough lights yet to wrap ALL the way around, so it's usually one strand strung across a window...inside. Fine by me, in Canada it's too cold to go outside anyways!
    The banner would go a long way to make my house feel festive with little to no effort ;)
    Feeding off your enthusiasm! (and scribbling my lists too)

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  70. I LOVE your banners and would have the perfect place for it should I win!

    My biggest holiday stress is my in-laws. My hubby can never seem to do anything right by them, and whether we choose to spend the holidays with them or not, they have to make him feel like a terrible human being. Because of their attitude, my husband becomes the Grinch at Christmas. It is not that he does not like Christmas, it is just that he is under so much pressure and anxiety because of the negative way his family treats us, yet he feels pulled to be with them because it is the Holidays. It becomes a loose loose situation.
    So, there... that is the source of my biggest holiday stress.

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  71. My husband and I plan well. We have a very set budget and don't have a problem sticking to it. We go to our family's houses for meals and such so that is easy. The biggest stress: making sure we don't forget anything! We have to take everything with us: presents, food, diaper bag (full of everything), toys, extra clothes. And then we have to bring everything back with us... we've left the house and then turned around and gone back many times because we've forgotten something. It's nothing too bad and I'm sure a list would help :o) but that is our biggest stress :o)

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  72. Just checking to see if I won yet... *grin*

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  73. Girl you know I love your work, even though I have been a little absent lately! I likey this one :)

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  74. my biggest holiday stress is splitting our precious family time among all family members.

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  75. My biggest holiday stress is keeping off the weight I've worked so hard to get off. All of those yummy delicious treats that you only get once a year during the holidays just seem to call my name. But oh...the calories........I can only run on that treadmill for so long.

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  76. The most stressful time for me is surviving these last 3 weeks before Christmas break with my 23 (very excited about the holidays) 1st graders. We having lots of fun making special 1st grade memories but boy am I tired at the end of the day!!

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  77. I love each and everyone of your banners and cross my fingers each time that I will be the winner!

    The most stressful part of the holidy for me is not knowing if my husband will be home for Christmas. We will know sometime soon, I hope...if he isn't going to be home what do we do? Write Santa and ask him to come on a different day, is that kosher? Until this year (my oldest is almost 5) the pressure wasn't there but man am I feeling it this year.

    Megan Robison
    mtschaggeny@hotmail.com

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  78. I guess i don't focus on the stress but how it brings my family who is all over the US together for this holiday and i am also thankful that my Aunt was able to have one more christmas with all of us. I have not even started to shop for christmas presents. I have made a few Mini Albums but still focus on the good and all the rest will come together

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