I wish I lived closer too hugs I wanted to hang out with friends this weekend but they told me it would be better to wait until after the holidays....so I've spent the weekend at home not being as productive as I wanted to be. I did get some more decorations put up in the living room and hung bells on the front door. Maybe I'll start a Harry Potter marathon after Christmas and then do a Lord of the Rings marathon. I always forget about the DC. I have it bookmarked but I still forget about it....just like I forget about the garden after I've planted a seed.......oops I think 8th grade promotion/graduation is more common in smaller towns. I got 3 cards today and almost forgot to use one. I was questing on my laptop and it decided it was time to do an update. Hour later it was still doing the update so I got on the PC and forgot I had a morty card. I still don't have enough to buy anything from the pawn shop so I might buy some CSC to do some shopping before I get off for the night and try to be productive. Well, by the time I finished baking I didn't want to look at a cupcake or eat one for awhile. Then the next day, they were decorated at the reception hall and they stayed there until the reception took place the next day. So I was either too tired to eat them or they weren't in the same place as me. And I didn't eat much at my wedding, I think I ate half my meal and a few bites of cake. I'm not really into sweets anymore. I've got specific candy that I like and it never lasts long in the house. I still have Christmas candy from last year in the kitchen. When I was traveling in the UK, I had no problem eating breakfast early in the morning, but that may have been because I was eating ham, sausage and eggs. There really isn't anywhere near me that serves brunch. Chris and I ate at a diner during our honeymoon and didn't like it. It was in a shady part of town (pretty sure there was a stolen car near the parking lot), the diner was loud, and the waitresses paid more attention to the customers who were members of the diner (there was some sort of membership card you could get). I buy cheap things when I price my shop. Anything under 1000sP is fair game to be bought and fragged. I can easily make over 500 crystals that way. Ian just gives me a measly 70 crystals for doing the quests. I think after one of his quests yesterday, he gave me one crystal. They probably do. I just remember the one lemur that stood in front of me and reached out. I wanted to pet him so bad but the handler was standing a few feet away. 😢 Thanks! I found a few today, they seem to have gone back to being elusive. Ok, I can't remember from last year, but then again I don't even remember who I had last year for Secret Santa Shark. This year has just been a blur. So, my MIL is starting to annoy me again, but just with what she's posting on Facebook. She keeps sharing pictures that say remember those who are deployed and aren't home for Christmas. She's shared about 4 like that. Every time I see one, the reminder is like a knife to the heart.....and may be why I'm just ready for Christmas to be over with. I don't need a constant reminder that I'll be alone for Christmas, besides the morning I spend with my parents.

I wasn't very productive this weekend either and now I have to hussle to get everything finished by tomorrow night. I should check and make sure I have planted all the seeds. I am pretty sure that I have though. I wish they would release some more. I loved the garden! I have gotten 2 cards so far. I stil have to do the Sag and Wiz quests. Right now I have 222 csc. Such an annoying number! Ugh that sounds like a lousy diner :( I hate places like that! I know! I mean that is just stingy! You spend too much for one crystal. Awe and they are so dang cute too! I feel so bad for them now :( I don't remember either. It could have been you and I still wouldn't remember lol! You are more patient then I am. I would have to tell her to knock it off. I am sorry, but it is like she is milking it for attention and that is just wrong. Sorry you have to deal with that Hun hugs

I had planned to do laundry all day and start washing my old baby clothes before I reorganize the tubs they are in. Also planned to get clothes put away and swap plastic hangers out for thinner ones to conserve space. I've finished 2 loads of laundry so far. I plant seeds and then forget about them. Did that three times in a row a couple weeks ago. I'd do better if there was an alert to water seeds. Seems to be hit or miss on the cards for me, mostly I start getting them when I'm over half done with quests. I ended up buying CSC, now I just have to wait for the timer to cool down so I can buy more things. It was pretty lousy. The pictures they had online made it look like a really great, 50's type place, but it was more like 3 buildings pieced together inside. I ended up getting a migraine that day due to how loud it was in there, which then screwed our plans for the rest of the day 😢 Exactly! I saw that, and just thought 'wow, you can only spare one crystal?' The most I ever got for an sP prize was maybe 45k, but it never happened enough for me to make a profit on his quests. They are really cute, though in person they kinda looked peeved because of the coloring around their eyes.....but they're so cute! I just want to give them a giant hug I remember I signed up at the last minute because I forgot...the only reason I remembered is the smail starless sent me as a last minute reminder. I don't even remember what gifts I got from my santa shark last year, and normally I remember that kind of stuff (random facts I remember, important info...not so much) I have way more patience for some things than I should have, but I guess I'm also not wanting to create a huge rift between me and the in-laws. I am really close to posting on one of the pictures that it's a painful reminder that I'm alone this holiday. If she posts another one before Tuesday, that honestly might happen. She only posted one before Thanksgiving and mentioned me in it, mostly just a 'thinking of my son Chris....and also his wife' I agree, I think she is trying to get attention out of it, possibly trying to make it seem like it's really hard for her to have a son deployed. I've posted two things today about being alone at Christmas during a deployment. One is a blog post someone wrote about what a spouse might be going through when a deployment happens during Christmas, the other is a picture with a poem on it. I've got two more lined up to post tomorrow and Tuesday, mainly to serve as a reminder to the in-laws that it's harder for me than it is for them. The trips that Chris had planned, he's told me they are just ideas right now and are planned for later in the year.....not exactly what I was hoping for. So it looks like I will be trying to plan some sort of trip to do once he's home. I sold that twilight potion yesterday. I was shocked, I figured that would sit in my shop for months. That's the biggest single sale my shop has ever had.

I just managed to clean bathroom. Bleh! I need to straighten up the rest of the apartment and find a good place to put the decoration boxes. There deff should be an alert! I forget too :( I have to wait until it opens again. I don't think once a year is enough. This time of year is not a great time if they want to make a lot of money. A lot of people like me just can't afford to part with any more money right now! I don't think I made a profit on any of his quests, If you remind her that it is hard for you to be alone, will she insist that you come to her house? Will that be worse? I can understand not wanting to cause a rift, but I would get to the point of not caring. I have a bad habit of that some times. I hope you get to take a wonderful trip somewhere fun hugs Yay you! Congrats on the sale :D that is always fun!

good morning and merry luminaire to all of you! I know I have not been on all that foten this year but I still feel at home with you.

thank you for this!

You can try using this link if you know their user ID number

https://subeta.net/explore/luminaire/gift.php?userid=XXXXX

But they may have elected not to receive gifts under their tree, so you could try using the gifting center instead if that's the case unless they have that blocked also.

I figured it out using notepad. There were also gifts under their tree, when I left mine, so I was able to leave gifts. :)

Happy Lumi eve, everyone! Someone tossed a snowball at me last night and my HA still has a snowball on her face. LOL

Everyone is coming to my house tonight for Christmas eve, so I'm busy cleaning up.

Another big thank you to my very generous Secret Santa Shark! 2 CWs in the latest gift O.O Thank you so much!

I need to clean the bathroom too, the sink and counters need a good scrubbing. I cleaned the toiled last week and it's already looking gross again because I don't have the greatest water. Working on more laundry today, washing my old baby clothes that my mom has had in storage for years. I should probably vacuum too, but I don't feel like moving everything out of the living room. I always seem to remember after the plant has died 😢 For awhile I had been doing pretty good to water the seed every day and ended up with a few plants. Lately, the seeds haven't been too lucky. It should be open more than once a year. I understand that having it open before Christmas makes it easier to buy some Lumi gifts, but at the same time, it's coinciding with Christmas and people have to choose. I probably could have just skipped buying last minute things off my WL from the pawn shop, but I decided to pick up some things, maybe 6 items. One day I thought I made a profit from his quests, because I got around 45k per quest for about half the quests, and some of the quests had been cheap....nope, I lost 200k or more. I think she would insist that I come to her house and it would be worse because I can't stand the youngest brother and I didn't get any gifts for them. She would probably text her middle son and tell him to pick me up on his way to her house since he lives about an hour east of me. Oh, I'm reaching that point and I reached that point at the end of October, when she decided that it was a great idea to message me the location of a family event she wanted me to go to and then assumed I was going to be spending the holidays with them. I wasn't exactly super pleasant in my response back to her. I told Chris about it last night, that her posts bother me because they're a painful reminder. He just said she can post what she wants on her account, which I understand that but at the same time it makes it harder for me. I told him his mother is no where near as affected my his deployment as I am because she isn't the one living alone taking care of bills and pets, while working multiple jobs. hugs I'm tempted to ask Chris where he has ideas to go later next year, hopefully it isn't spend an extended amount of time with his family. Maybe after Christmas is over I can get busy planning a trip. Thanks! I figured it would join the lost schoolboy items in the 'no sale for months' club. Now to decide if I want to leave the sP in the shop till until I get the last ach., or pull it out and stuff it in my vault.....after doing a bit more last minute Lumi shopping.

Thank you for the faeries! I'm getting closer, just have to release 122 more faeries.

Sorry I missed your post. Been super busy getting all the last minute stuff done. I can finally relax for a little while! I was just flat out broke :( Right after the black friday sales is not a good time! Oh you deff don't need that! I don't blame you. He would probably throw a fit about whatever you bought him anyway. Can you just avoid her on Facebook? Hopefully not! That would not be a vacation! I need to sell a few more things from my shop lol. I should stop spending! More trades for you :D

Thank you so very much to all of my gifters. Your gifts are amazing and so appreciated! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and an even better New Year *hugs*

Melly lumi to all of you! I hope your trees were all filled and your Secret Santa Sharks were all as generous as mine was

hugs again

Just finished family time and now a free afternoon awaits me

Merry Christmas all. Shh I'm not here, I need to rest. I'll send individual thank yous another day as I've had an exhausting adventure.

Happy Lumi everyone! Another giant thank you to my secret santa shark! And thank you to everyone who left something under my tree! 😊

That's fine, I was busy yesterday to with one family Christmas. I probably shouldn't have bought more CSC, since I'll be going shopping tomorrow to hit the after Christmas sales....and maybe buy a few more Switch games. I agree, the Black Friday sale and the CW pawn shop sale happen too close together. Next year, I probably won't take part in either one. I actually didn't buy any gifts for them this because as soon as Chris left for his deployment I had already planned to not spend the holidays with them (sounds cruel, I know). Last year, Chris and I gave his youngest brother a kit that teaches kids how electricity works and how to do basic wiring. He said it was cool but I think he only messed with it for about a week because I haven't heard it mentioned. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law stopped by to drop off gifts from the in-laws and from them. My mother-in-law gave me a bottle of wine and I have one other wrapped gift, while Chris has 2 gifts and there are 2 gifts for the both of us. I can try to avoid her on Facebook unless she tags me in something. Today she posted another picture that said remember our deployed troops this Christmas.....insert eyeroll....I wanted to say something but I didn't because I don't want to start drama on Christmas. I'm sure she probably cried today because Chris couldn't be there with her for Christmas. That would not be a vacation at all. I think I would leave with no hair and a migraine. I know Chris had wanted to go to a waterpark that is 4 hours away and have his brother and his wife join us, as a double date weekend getaway I guess...? I told him that can be done anytime, but I don't want him to come home and the first thing we do is travel somewhere with other family members. I just added a bunch of things to my shop that will possibly sit for awhile. I really need to go through my wishlist and look at the items in each costume trunk I have WL'ed and just add the specific items I want to my WL Thank you!. I only need 24 more faeries, if I'm doing my math right this time. 😀

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays Sharkies. <3

~ I will send over more as I get them. :) You are SO close!

Thank you! 😊 Hopefully I find some while I work on my quests.

I am hoping to find some good sales too! I know I will end up buying stuff next year in the BF sale and the pawn shop. I always do. I just plan on being better prepared! It isn't cruel at all. You should be able to relax over the holiday and not stress about the in-laws. I don't understand why she feels the need to remind people of that over and over again. People who have family or friends deployed already remember and those who don't will ignore it (basic human instict to think of happy things at the holidays). Sorry, but she should remember that she has other kids who are there with her. Yeah you guys need some alone time away from family! I am sure most of my stuff will sit in my shop for long time now that all the holiday shopping is over with, Yay you! So close!

My mom and I will stop at all the thrift stores first, because it's amazing how many people give away brand new items right after Christmas. Two years ago I found the Lego Hogwarts castle at a thrift store for $2. Then we'll hit the mall, Walmart, maybe and maybe Target. Depending on what I have on my wishlist at that time, and how I'm doing financially, I might jump on the BF sale, but I'll be keeping in mind that the prices of some items might be better but the pawn shop sale. Today was fairly relaxing, until I thought my BIL and SIL were possibly staying to watch me open gifts. They stayed long enough to drop them off and explain which gifts were from who. I'm tempted to crack open the wine and either watch a movie tonight or play a video game. I agree, most people are going to ignore those posts. The only people who are going to pay any attention to it are her extended family and they'll all comment 'thinking of Chris this year' or 'thinking of you/praying every day'. Her middle son and his wife drove over 3 hours one direction to spend Christmas at her house. She sent me a text today to tell me Merry Christmas and that she wished I was there....I didn't answer it because honestly she was the last person I wanted to talk to today. We do, because I have a feeling we will be going to every extended family Christmas next year (there are at least 3) and Chris will probably insist on spending the holidays with his family. I'm saying no to Easter though...this year we lost control on the ice on the way to his parents' place and then later my MIL thinks everyone should spend Easter with her every single year....like she's more important than my own family. I'm really hoping Chris comes home early next year. I don't want him to come home when I'm working 3 jobs and have to make sure that I get the time off needed from each one (one job will be easy to get time off, the other two are questionable), but that wouldn't be until May. And I hope I don't have to drive over 2 hours to pick him up, especially if I'm not informed of when he's coming home right away. Yeah, I had quite a few sales yesterday, a lot of plushies and beanbags, maybe some stickers. Which I don't mind. I don't like have pages and pages of items to go through and reprice. I know! I just wish the faeries would stop hiding...I've only found 2 so far tonight.

edit: I got a forum point and a faerie!

Ok wow... I had so many events in my sidebar the older ones weren't even showing up. Now that I am finally taking the time to clean them out all these Forum mentions are popping up. I just want to let you all know I wasn't ignoring you! I'll apologize in advance and try to answer them now. 😊

and anyone I might have missed- many thanks for the birthday wishes! I am so late saying thanks to some of you!

How was everyone's Christmas? I hope you all had a fabulous day! Does anyone still need fairies? Let me know and I can set up some trades.

You're welcome! Also thank you for the Lumi gifts! 😊 My Christmas was ok, it would have been better if my husband was home and not deployed.

Emily would freak out! She really wants a HP lego set. They are just so dang expensive! It was nice of them to drop everything off and even nicer of them not to make you uncomfortable :) watching a movie and playing a game are both of my top choices. I don't blame you at all. Yeah you guys will deff be making the rounds next year! Oh that is not a good thing. You should stay home. Easter dinner is not worth it. I always just autoprice once a day. I am too lazy to price over 700 items by hand. I have found a few. I am sure we will find more before the night is over :D

Hey Hun hugs Happy Merry Luminairy! I would chat more but Emily is hovering over me. She wants to go see the lights. I will BBS :D