I feel like such a grinch this christmas since financially we still aren't stable enough to decorate the house or by anyone gifts so it's made me a little depressed. We only have a christmas tree because my mom bought us one on black friday but we haven't been able to afford to buy decorations for it. I had so many gifts planned none of which we can actually get and it's just been really sad with my fiance working almost always 12-13 hour days with only 2 days off a week and to top it off I've been really sick lately, woke up with a fever and all so anyway I thought instead of being a grinch I might try to think of some fond christmas memories to help cheer me up so I thought I'd see if anyone had any to share too.

Someone had mentioned in the SB how their kitty was being naughty with their christmas tree and that reminded me of a time back in my teens.

My Grandmother had found this poor kitty laying in her fields, she had been hit by a car and left there to die. She was alright for the most part she just had a broken hip. Gram and Grandpop rushed her to the doctors and they helped her. So she was saying at our house for her recovery. She had been recovering for a little while and was starting to be permitted a few hours out of her little cage.

She took one look at the christmas tree and tore right up the middle, it was shaking in all directions we thought everything was going to fall right off it. Finally she comes to a stop so my mom begins parting the branches to find her and she's just standing there staring at us like oh hey what's up? Comes sauntering out on the branch. lol

While a pleasant memory that isn't my absolute fondest. My fondest of all is a few years ago my grandfather suddenly got really sick which led to him passing away. He passed away on the worst day in the world, my mother's birthday.

So the following Christmas, my mom was all ba humbug between her normal bad moods and dealing with grams who was absolutely miserable.

I wanted to decorate for the holidays like always because I feel like the decorations bring joy because they are enjoyable. I was told I was ridiculous for even suggesting this and that I better not put any christmas decorations up, my mom actually cursed/yelled at me to tell me not to do it.

Because of that I felt it was my sworn duty as the non-grinch of the house who had to bring some sort of spirit of enjoyment for the sake of everything.

Mind you I'm a 4 foot 10 girl very tiny and our christmas tree is huge and extremely heavy. You have to put it together branch by branch and I have to stand on a step stool to put it together lol.

I dragged every bag of branches to the house from the garage it was sooo heavy and I was so tired but I was determined.

I put it together piece by piece and began decorating it, I guess you're supposed to put the lights on first but I didn' tknow this I was young and had put a few things on it.

So my mom walks by and she's been glaring at me this entire time so finally she storms by again and glares at me more and scolds me about how if I'm going to insist on putting the god damn thing up i should do it right.

So she shoves on passed and begins taking all the decorations down and then puts the lights on it. THERE YOU PUT THE LIGHTS ON THE TREE FIRST.

I'm standing there like o.o...........

And then.. she begins decorating it, so we're putting on the garland and the decorations and after a little while gram is walking by she's looking kind of interested but trying to keep her grinch face on. Finally upon her walking by again she notices a decoration she really likes and stops and asks if we are going to put this one up?

I said no but you are :)

So then she starts decorating with us.

For the next few weeks both of them every so often they would stop and say to me how glad they were that I had decided to put the tree up that while the holiday sucks because of what happeend, it does make it a little brighter.

i always smile and tear up when I think back to that.

- My family usually didn't start unwrapping presents until 10:00 or 11:00 because my mom would get up late. Everyone would fend for themselves for breakfast. One year, I decided to get up early and make everyone breakfast. I made blueberry sauce and waffles (and gluten-free toast for my dad). We didn't start opening stuff any sooner, but it put everyone in a more Christmassy mood for sure.

If you don't have money for decorations, why don't you make some? Dental floss and popcorn is traditional (and tasty), or cut out paper snowflakes to put in the tree. Neither take a lot of focus, so you could do them even if you're still feeling ill, while watching a show or listening to music. I hope you feel better soon.

You know I was actually considering that, just going and buying a glitter glue pen or something and drawing the words MERRY CHRISTMAS in my giant sketchbook and taping them in the window lol. The bad part is that with my fiance's hours i can only have the car on Sunday's and Monday's and I don't know with it being so close to Christmas it's kind of like well what's the point now. My mom finally after 5 weeks of saying I'M SENDING YOUI THESE DECORATIONS is like Well I put $50 in your account so you can go buy them.

Well thanks mom 5 days from christmas when I can't use the car until 3 days from christmas that was helpful lol. I mean I hate to sound bitter but it just feels pointless now, I'd rather just use that $50 and buy us some groceries lol

Our money matters should start lookng up in the next month and a half so maybe for valentines day I can decorate our big ass window in the front with stupid hearts that will make my fiance roll his eyes at me. I'll look forward to that ^_________^