I'm not in the mood, either. I have never put up a tree since I moved out on my own but I usually decorate. Not this year.

The only thing that I'm looking forward to, is a couple of day off of work.

Oh have a beer and find your spirit in the bottle. Do it for you and your DH! If he loves it find your cheer in whatever way you have to.

I'm with you on this one. I have gotten so bad about purchasing gifts lately. I have NO desire to go shopping NONE. I didn't even get DH anything for his Bday this year. That is SOOOO not like me. But I just am out of energy.

I hear ya..With a whole of of kid drama..bio and step..it seems like a hassle this year. I find it a money stressing anticlimactic time. And my SO is like "WHAT?" I kinda laughed really..and I'm plan on saying honey you wanna tree... we will get one. I will put on Christmas music and a have several glasses of creamsicle slush and sing..YOU can decorate!

We will see the skids for a couple of hours on Christmas eve..they will eat..open their gifts..and leave. One bio kid is eating with us as well on Christmas eve..will open her gifts..and leave. The other Bio kid is a product of parental alienation and hasn't spoke to me in three months.

I'm trying to focus on SO this year...to make it about our time and our happiness. If the kids join us great! If not..we have each other.

Merry Christmas to you!

Tuff, pass the Crown. I have ZERO Christmas spirit this year. Too much going on with PT and still not caught up with the house, stressed as all get out, and have NO desire to give PrincASS or PigPen so much as an old piece of chewing gum (SD22 and SD19 are another story). But NO holiday spirit. DH is overworked and too tired. So. No decorations this year. No tree. No nativity sets. None of my Santas. He doesn't even want me to do a big spread for Christmas like I usually do - just some very basic munchies "...so they won't stay long." :jawdrop:

Bah facking humbug.

I'm volunteering on Christmas Day and maybe even Christmas Eve this year.

Why??? Because it makes me feel good!

As for spending on so called "family?" Not.one.penny on gifts or trimmings. I'd rather give my time and money to those that actually appreciate those types of things.

It's sad when complete strangers place more value and appreciation in what you are doing for them than your own family.

Merry Christmas!!

I'll join the bah humbug group. And the crown group.

All kids and skids are grown and live several states away. I hate the shopping (DH does most of it), hate the traveling, hate the hectic nature of the season. And I can't even blame it on the skids, although we've had drama in the past over Christmas "traditions" (all theirs, none of mine, there's a shocker). Now there are two grandskids, who I adore, and their little faces will be worth the trip.

DH gets all mopey over Christmas, regretting his failures as a father, missing his parents, and fighting his underlying depression. My ex was the same way come to think about it. Depression is a terrible thing and it always seems to be worse for DH this time of year.

I get two weeks off work at Christmas. I would LOVE to spend them in my pajamas. Watching football. Or in front of the fireplace. With Crown.

I need someone to come and wrap presents, cook dinner and sever me wine. I am not in the mood to do it! Bah hum bug

I'm in the same boat. No interest in the holidays.

Since I married H, I've been less and less enthralled with the fall/winter holidays from Thanksgiving through to New Years Eve. He and the skid sucked the life and joy out of those times for me. H because he refused to get his SAD treated and skid....well....because she was a selfish little brat.

In fact, last year when we were separated, I had the best Thanksgiving I've had in many years. I spent it with some close friends and it was pure bliss.

This year, money is tight until I finish my classes and can get work in my new field, so we are not exchanging gifts. On top of that, after struggling with the skid over her reimbursing us for car and insurance payments, H had the nerve to ask what are we going to send her for christmas.

I said a card. Nothing more. Nothing less. I'm watching the bank account. Keeping an eye on the Amazon account and watching our credit cards.

He asked me why and I said......She has been late every month on the car/insurance payment. I have been stressed over money issues these last several weeks because of your kid. When you told her she was to start paying for everything directly, she dodged your calls and texts. Ignored my texts and only called when SHE needed you to cancel her off the policy. We finally received her payment for the November car/insurance but she has yet to confirm if she has switched over the car payment to her own account for December.

On top of that she argued over the last payment for her plane ticket to visit us in September. Saying she wasn't sure that she still owed on it. The plane ticket we put on our emergency credit card (not my idea and was another H decision that nearly caused me to end things with him).

So no.....no gifts to your ungrateful kid.

If he goes behind my back I will file for divorce so fast it will make his head spin.

Yeah.....I will be happy to put another crap year behind me.

Just do what you feel like doing - the world will not end if you don't go all out for the holidays.

I have not had a tree in at least 6-7 years. Nor did I decorate or entertain. But this year it works so I am enjoying it very much. My presents (for those that I WANT to buy for) are wrapped.

I hosted my first holiday event tonight with 12 people for dinner. It was fun and I enjoyed my home being decorated and welcoming.

I'm having DH's family (4 siblings spouses and children but sans SS30) for a meal this weekend. I'm looking forward to it as I really like all of them.

After that we are taking a vacation week to go to New Orleans and enjoy all the trappings there. And then back home to host my family for Christmas and then a few days later a lunch (long term tradition for about 40 years) with 5 of my besties.