Sweet Shoppe Designs


Go Back   Sweet Shoppe Community > Candy Coated Conversation > A Sweet Little Community
Register FAQ Community Calendar Today's Posts Search

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 10-22-2014, 11:31 PM
kristijoy's Avatar
kristijoy kristijoy is offline
Sweet Talker
 
profile gallery send pm
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Northern California
Posts: 2,784
Default Unconventional Holidays

For the past 3 years we've had Thanksgiving celebrations at our house with friends (we don't visit family for this holiday, but for Christmas). The folks we invite are off visiting their families in other states!

So I'm thinking that instead of trying to recreate that experience, that the 3 of us should go do something completely different instead. If there was snow in the mountains, I would love to have a 'skiing weekend'. I doubt there will be enough snow by Thanksgiving, so I'm brainstorming other ideas....like a long hike with a picnic in a beautiful spot.

Any one else do something 'unconventional' for the holidays?
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 10-23-2014, 12:01 PM
pewtertm's Avatar
pewtertm pewtertm is offline
Sweet Talker
 
profile gallery send pm
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: OK, USA
Posts: 3,262
Send a message via Yahoo to pewtertm
Default

We used to drive down to the beach and spend Christmas Day riding the ferry and enjoying the quiet, non-crowded beach.
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 10-23-2014, 01:28 PM
kim21673's Avatar
kim21673 kim21673 is offline
Jabber-Jawbreaker
 
profile gallery send pm
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Chicagoland, IL
Posts: 5,196
Default

We went to Wisconsin Dells last year over Thanksgiving and had fun at the waterparks!!!! It was the best time!! We tried getting a suite this year and they were booked.
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 10-23-2014, 08:39 PM
lovely1m's Avatar
lovely1m lovely1m is offline
Sweetsaholic
 
profile gallery send pm
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 10,225
Default

Yep, I work.
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 10-24-2014, 12:10 AM
kristijoy's Avatar
kristijoy kristijoy is offline
Sweet Talker
 
profile gallery send pm
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Northern California
Posts: 2,784
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by lovely1m View Post
Yep, I work.
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 10-24-2014, 08:44 AM
LeeAndra's Avatar
LeeAndra LeeAndra is offline
SugarBabe
 
profile gallery send pm
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: northern Indiana
Posts: 6,075
Default

Oh, I would love to, but my family is mostly old farts who have to do everything exactly the same way it's been done for the last bajillion years.

I have spent the last 3 years trying to convince my MIL that she does not need to make a full-fledged Thanksgiving meal (that ALWAYS stresses her out) for her, FIL, DH, me, and the kids. She still won't let go of the idea that you HAVE to eat turkey and mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving Day or YOU WILL DIE.

Eventually, it will just be my sister + me and our kids, so while she is that OCD, I am not and will be able to do cool unconventional things like that.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 10-24-2014, 10:35 AM
Keely~B's Avatar
Keely~B Keely~B is offline
Sweet Talker
 
profile gallery send pm
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 4,438
Default

We do because my DH often has to work holidays. We sort of go with the flow.
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 10-24-2014, 11:21 AM
LoriJ's Avatar
LoriJ LoriJ is offline
Sugar Rush
 
profile gallery send pm
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Prince Edward Island, Canada
Posts: 954
Default

On Christmas day I gave up doing a big turkey dinner. I started when the kids were little doing a Christmas Brunch in our jammies after we open our presents. Whoever wants to come can, usually my mom and my sister and her husband and little girl have joined us but they are expecting a baby at Christmas this year so they won't be going far from home, the girls dad and grammie have come in the past. It is all done and over with by 11am and we stay home doing little to nothing for the rest of the day. Then we usually all go to the movies on Christmas night! It is so much less stress!
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 10-24-2014, 02:28 PM
Keely~B's Avatar
Keely~B Keely~B is offline
Sweet Talker
 
profile gallery send pm
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 4,438
Default

If I'm hosting Christmas we never do traditional dinner because once at Thanksgiving is plenty for me. We usually do a bunch of apps and then a nice dinner but not turkey or ham ( seafood etc ).
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 10-24-2014, 03:23 PM
renatasluis's Avatar
renatasluis renatasluis is offline
Sugar Rush
 
profile gallery send pm
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: the netherlands
Posts: 664
Default

We dont celebrate thanksgiving in the netherlands.
and christmas no idea, my boys are 1 day with me and 1 day with their father, last christmas i was home alone.
my sister live on the other side of the country
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 10-24-2014, 10:44 PM
Sherri Tierney's Avatar
Sherri Tierney Sherri Tierney is offline
Sweet Talker
 
profile gallery send pm
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,802
Default

Every other Thanksgiving is unconventional for us. Every other year we meet my SIL and her family somewhere between here (Kansas) and where they live (Pennsylvania). We've met in St. Louis, Louisville, Nashville and Atlanta. I'm not sure where we'll meet next year. We usually have Thanksgiving dinner at a Cracker Barrel since they are one place we can always find open. Whatever else we do just depends on what is open in the area. Last year we went to the aquarium in Atlanta on Thanksgiving Day. Two years before that we were killing time at a Bass Pro Shop store in Nashville! I love our unconventional holidays. It is so nice to get together with family and spend time exploring a place none of us have ever been.
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 10-24-2014, 10:46 PM
kristijoy's Avatar
kristijoy kristijoy is offline
Sweet Talker
 
profile gallery send pm
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Northern California
Posts: 2,784
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sherri Tierney View Post
Every other Thanksgiving is unconventional for us. Every other year we meet my SIL and her family somewhere between here (Kansas) and where they live (Pennsylvania). We've met in St. Louis, Louisville, Nashville and Atlanta. I'm not sure where we'll meet next year. We usually have Thanksgiving dinner at a Cracker Barrel since they are one place we can always find open. Whatever else we do just depends on what is open in the area. Last year we went to the aquarium in Atlanta on Thanksgiving Day. Two years before that we were killing time at a Bass Pro Shop store in Nashville! I love our unconventional holidays. It is so nice to get together with family and spend time exploring a place none of us have ever been.
This is a fabulous idea! I love it! Someday...I really want to go to Europe for Christmas!
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 10-25-2014, 08:44 AM
julifish's Avatar
julifish julifish is offline
Jabber-Jawbreaker
 
profile gallery send pm
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,000
Default

Because our kids are off the whole week of Thanksgiving we often use this as family vacation time. I have to say this approach has mixed reviews with the kids.

We've done a cruise with my brother, his family and my parents one year. We were in Key West on Thanksgiving. We had turkey dinner on the ship but it sure didn't feel like Thanksgiving.

We've gone camping the first part of the week and then come home for Thanksgiving Wed night and have our traditional Thanksgiving dinner at my parents' house. The kids like this!

We've gone to Gatlinburg and spent the day at Cade's Cove (which was so beautiful). We had a turkey sandwich lunch in a huge field. I didn't book a place to eat dinner ahead of time and we ended up at Golden Corral which was terrible. The girls still remind me that we're never doing that again. However we did go shopping that night and everyone had fun doing that.

This year we are going to Washington DC for the week and some friends of ours from college live near there and they invited us to join them for Thanksgiving dinner.

So my lesson learned is - plan a traditional dinner (even if it's at a restaurant) and then enjoy the rest of the day doing whatever pleases you. I never thought we'd miss the dinner part, but we really have (even when we have Thanksgiving early with family). Really it's just a day, but there is something about the turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes that make the day for me and my family.
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 10-25-2014, 10:44 AM
mariewilcox's Avatar
mariewilcox mariewilcox is offline
Sweet Talker
 
profile gallery send pm
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Maine
Posts: 2,931
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by lovely1m View Post
Yep, I work.
LOL me too - we're "doing" Thanksgiving the Sunday before with my sister and her kids.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 10-25-2014, 02:48 PM
kristijoy's Avatar
kristijoy kristijoy is offline
Sweet Talker
 
profile gallery send pm
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Northern California
Posts: 2,784
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mariewilcox View Post
LOL me too - we're "doing" Thanksgiving the Sunday before with my sister and her kids.
This is so awesome when people are flexible!!!

Thanks Juli about the heads up about the dinner! I'm personally not too worried about this part, since the 3 of us are vegetarians and Thanksgiving has never been about the food for us. We always seem to 'make-do' at the meal by adding a nutloaf or something. Truthfully this is actually more of a pain than fun because we are trying to make a veggie foodie thing out of a holiday that is really about turkey! And my son just always eats noodles anyway!!!
__________________
Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:31 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
All Creative Content © 2007 SweetShoppeDesigns

Making your memories sweeter

Copyright © 2016 Sweet Shoppe Designs – The Sweetest Digital Scrapbooking Site on the Web | Site by Lilac Creative