Goodbye QVC now the Christmas season is in full swing.

[Julius]

Ugh I don't like Halloween ...it's because of fireworks.....they are let off of course as right near firework night ! ...MIL doggy hates them and I feel for the animals ....yes have one night of fireworks and leave it at that ...

I'm with you there, May. I live in a block of flats at the end of a cul-de-sac and there are lawns all around my block of flats where from mid-October through to January there are fireworks going off all hours. One of the things I like about this area is that for somewhere so central it's usually peaceful, but the fireworks ruin it. I find them quite terrifying.

 

[Vienna]

I`m retired now and gone are the days when I earned a good salary but worked lots of hours and Christmas shopping was either a manic online buying session or a mad day`s dash around the shops. There was no pleasure in it, I shopped without little thought of the cost of each gift simply because I just wanted the damned Christmas shopping thing over and done with so I tended to buy several gifts in one go from one shop and without bothering to look for better deals elsewhere.
Nowadays I still have the same number of people to buy for but with a much smaller budget. The one thing I do have is time, time to think carefully what each person may like, time to shop around and look for good deals or bargains and time to enjoy the process.
True the gifts may be less expensive but half the fun is searching out the little things which to coin a phrase, may mean a lot.
I buy throughout the year, not deliberately but if I visit somewhere or if I see something in an online sale and I know someone would like it, then I buy it.
I can appreciate the hassle of being working women, caring for youngsters or oldsters and trying to fit in Christmas shopping too, I did it for many years and it`s hard work and not at all fun.

 

[Dame Fondacox]

The launch in July is unforgiveable but I can't really criticise them at this point in the year as it's popping up everywhere and yes, I'm still in shorts and suntan lotion mode. What really irks me about them is on boxing day, when we're still enjoying the festivities, they've taken all their decs down and the set is quite clinical for them to tell us we need to start thinking about the summer months ahead and buy some exfoliator and body lotion for when we'll be 'showing our skin off' again in the spring!

 

[talisker25]

I hate the way QVC push Christmas as the "Family Season", "The Party Season". Think of all those parties you'll be going to, having the neighbours in and then a huge, happy family Christmas with everyone getting on and handing over beautiful gifts to each other. It's a load of rubbish. Who has the neighbours in for mulled wine and mince pies? No one I know. Who goes to tons of parties? Maybe the office do but that's about it. We don't do family Christmas either as they are usually a disaster so it's just us. I don't like the way the TV assumes everyone has a family, everyone is hugely happy or that everyone has masses of money to spend on Christmas.

CC

We used to do all that stuff some years ago but the family are spread far and wide now so it's difficult. As for the neighbours, we send cards and wish each other a merry Christmas and that's it. The true meaning of Christmas is lost on many people, especially QVC. It's a Christian festival and, as a Christian that's first and foremost what I and my wife celebrate with the church family. Mind you, I would not get away without presents for my wife but that's different but these days, with the pressure put on us by retailers and selly telly about having the must have gift it's gimme gimme gimme.
Can I be the first to wish everyone a happy Christmas.... it's not too soon is it? :mysmilie_11::mysmilie_17::mysmilie_17::mysmilie_17:

 

[shopperholic]

We used to do all that stuff some years ago but the family are spread far and wide now so it's difficult. As for the neighbours, we send cards and wish each other a merry Christmas and that's it. The true meaning of Christmas is lost on many people, especially QVC. It's a Christian festival and, as a Christian that's first and foremost what I and my wife celebrate with the church family. Mind you, I would not get away without presents for my wife but that's different but these days, with the pressure put on us by retailers and selly telly about having the must have gift it's gimme gimme gimme.
Can I be the first to wish everyone a happy Christmas.... it's not too soon is it? :mysmilie_11::mysmilie_17::mysmilie_17::mysmilie_17:

Merry Christmas talisker and everyone. :mysmilie_3:

 

[yesilkedi]

Having a silent chuckle to myself here! Won't be back to the UK until mid November, not one sign of Christmas here although I do have Christmas presents bought and wrapped so it's not one mad rush on my return. Not missing the madness of QVC at all but love popping in here to read everyone's thoughts and comments.

 

[shopperholic]

I do love Christmas and I must agree I love the real reason we have Christmas more, the religious side of it. My family is small but perfectly formed, last year it grew by one, and this Christmas it'll have grown by another one, so my beautiful family will consist of eight, but we're an extremely close eight, we'd do anything for each other. I love getting us all together Christmas Day just laughing, eating and relaxing, exchanging presents (yes QVC, I said presents) :mysmilie_17:

 

[mossie]

was forced to go shopping with the other half in the range around the first week in september in one part of the store was halloween gear in the other isle they were putting out xmas gear what a stupid world we live in

 

[Breeze]

I can't abide Bonfire Night, should be called Bonfire Fortnight really. I reckon fireworks should be banned and just have private displays. You have the emergency services crying because of the pressure Bonfire Fortnight puts on them yet do nothing about it.

I totally agree.
My dogs hate it, terrified except for the littlest Yorkie who takes it as a personal affront & barks at them whenever she goes in the garden for a wee.
What gets me is they're always going on about how we should help preserve wildlife, help the birds etc but don't bother about what this time of year must do to them all.

 

[Craftalot]

I hate the way QVC push Christmas as the "Family Season", "The Party Season". Think of all those parties you'll be going to, having the neighbours in and then a huge, happy family Christmas with everyone getting on and handing over beautiful gifts to each other. It's a load of rubbish. Who has the neighbours in for mulled wine and mince pies? No one I know. Who goes to tons of parties? Maybe the office do but that's about it. We don't do family Christmas either as they are usually a disaster so it's just us. I don't like the way the TV assumes everyone has a family, everyone is hugely happy or that everyone has masses of money to spend on Christmas.

CC

I agree with you, but they're just selling a dream, aren't they - and there's clearly enough people who want to buy into that. They're hardly going to show a slightly burnt turkey, some tatty decorations and an argument, which is probably more representative! I also don't think people have these fabulous holidays in the Caribbean for which you need gallons of UltraSun, or all these dinner parties and 'lunch with the girls' and endless garden parties: all of which QVC wants to portray happening every day.

I'd personally like Christmas preparations to begin no earlier than 1 December, but that's hoping for too much.

 

[warwa100]

I hate the way QVC push Christmas as the "Family Season", "The Party Season". Think of all those parties you'll be going to, having the neighbours in and then a huge, happy family Christmas with everyone getting on and handing over beautiful gifts to each other. It's a load of rubbish. Who has the neighbours in for mulled wine and mince pies? No one I know. Who goes to tons of parties? Maybe the office do but that's about it. We don't do family Christmas either as they are usually a disaster so it's just us. I don't like the way the TV assumes everyone has a family, everyone is hugely happy or that everyone has masses of money to spend on Christmas.

CC

I love this post. I think it speaks nothing but truth. It's great.

 

[talisker25]

I agree with you, but they're just selling a dream, aren't they - and there's clearly enough people who want to buy into that. They're hardly going to show a slightly burnt turkey, some tatty decorations and an argument, which is probably more representative! I also don't think people have these fabulous holidays in the Caribbean for which you need gallons of UltraSun, or all these dinner parties and 'lunch with the girls' and endless garden parties: all of which QVC wants to portray happening every day.

I'd personally like Christmas preparations to begin no earlier than 1 December, but that's hoping for too much.

Not sure about a dream, more like a nightmare.. All has to be paid in the end but of course, that's no concern to Q. They have your money and you can sod off..

 

[warwa100]

I'm not religious, although I did go to church every week when I lived at home with my parents but the fact that Christmas is a religious holiday is always at the back of my mind.

I do like Christmas though. Well at least the build up to it (buying presents, writing cards, putting up the Christmas tree) but Christmas Day itself and the following few days until new year are not my cup of tea. I don't like family get-togethers, they don't end well most of the time. And then taking the tree & decorations down after all that is just boring.

My OH likes the tree to go up the first weekend of December (which I'm fine with), but then I want it down as soon after Christmas as possible, but he likes it up until new year. I can't wait to get rid of it after having it up for 4/5 weeks. lol!

Every year we split ourselves between my family and his over the actual few days of Christmas, and see other family members and friends throughout December. We have a lot of people to see, spend time with and buy presents for; it just gets too much for me (although he loves it). There is never any time for us to spend together, on our own...
...So this year, we are going to Florida for Christmas! - we are spending the night before at a hotel at the airport, then fly out in the morning of Dec 20th and not coming home until Christmas is well & truly finished on Jan 7th and we have agreed we are only buying presents for the children that are on our list every year and the tree isn't going up at all. I've only got away with all of this because we both turn 30 in the next couple of months and we've been together 10 years this year, so it's our presents to ourselves & each other for Christmas, birthdays and anniversary combine.

 

[Breeze]

That sounds lovely. Hope you have a great time.

Because we had livestock to tend all the family used to descend on us for Christmas every year. Of course, having drinks it "wouldn't be safe to drive" so they stayed for days & days..."a lovely break & rest".
Meanwhile, having prepared the bedrooms, shopped, make cakes, mince pies, decorated, put up the tree etc etc, I had cooking to do for the whole tribe ( never an offer of help) as well as still having all the animals to tend to.
The only time I really loved was late on Christmas Eve, going down to the barns to check the animals, so still & peaceful dozing in their hay. That felt like a true Christmas.

 

[Vienna]

I think the missing word in Christmas these days is " moderation ". Yes it`s a religious festival, yes it`s a time for giving, a time for spending with family or friends and a time to eat, drink and be either merry or miserable, whichever way it swings at the time. People go overboard and spend to excess, eat to excess, drink to excess and make themselves pains in the butt to excess.
I`m pretty sure when I was a kid we had the excitement of Christmas eve, then Christmas day and by the end of Boxing Day life was pretty much back to normal. No more festive food, we finished off the dregs of the Quality Street and my Dad returned to work and my Mum went back to egg and chips for tea.
Nowadays it all begins months beforehand and well into January, too much, too soon and too excessive.
I had happy but skint Christmases when my children were little, stroppy Christmases when they were teenagers and you had to threaten them out of bed on Christmas morning, fond Christmases when both of my parents were still alive and they came to us for dinner, lonely Christmases after my first husband died and all I wanted to do was to fast forward to the New Year, hectic Christmases in my last job working in a homeless hostel and we all had to work at least half of Christmas Day and Boxing Day and quiet Christmases now I`m retired and mine and second hubby`s children and grandchildren just "pop in" and then do their own thing.
Now history is repeating itself and our grownup children have hectic Christmas mornings with their own children and there`s also a few stroppy teenage grandkids too. One of my sons voluntarily works Christmas Day, he doesn`t have children so he does the Christmas day shift so at least one other Police Officer with children can have the day off. His partner does the same, she works in a hospital and does a shift in place of someone with children.
So the Spirit of Christmas is still very much alive, in my last job we always had the Sally Army Band on Christmas Day followed by a morning service which everybody enjoyed. Then each man received gifts and a huge Christmas dinner and we`d open the doors to those still living on the streets even though sadly we didn`t have beds for them all.
Christmas is like everything else in life, nothing is bad for you in moderation and a little bit of what you fancy does you good. To me Christmas lasts just 2 days and then that`s my fix for another 12 months.

 

[Craftalot]

Not sure about a dream, more like a nightmare.. All has to be paid in the end but of course, that's no concern to Q. They have your money and you can sod off..

Quite so - and if they can fool you with the 'easy pays' and do an inertia marketing trick on you so much the better. I've never quite worked out why if a single payment of, say, £400 is out of your budget, 4 'easy' pays of £100 are suddenly affordable, given the total is the same - spreading it out over 4 pay-days doesn't reduce the total.

I imagine that a lot of people with a shopping problem can end up with a lot of 'easy' payments simultaneously going out of their account each month for various purchases already forgotten about or relegated to a cupboard: I can see this adding up quickly. They've also probably got a lot of other monthly payments for unsecured credit like credit and store cards going out as well - compulsive buyers usually do. Recipe for a disaster. The presenters are totally irresponsible in pushing lines of credit to people without any proper diligence or affordability checks, and I imagine they're extremely heavy-handed in the event of default.

 

[Anna]

I think the missing word in Christmas these days is " moderation ". Yes it`s a religious festival, yes it`s a time for giving, a time for spending with family or friends and a time to eat, drink and be either merry or miserable, whichever way it swings at the time. People go overboard and spend to excess, eat to excess, drink to excess and make themselves pains in the butt to excess.
I`m pretty sure when I was a kid we had the excitement of Christmas eve, then Christmas day and by the end of Boxing Day life was pretty much back to normal. No more festive food, we finished off the dregs of the Quality Street and my Dad returned to work and my Mum went back to egg and chips for tea.
Nowadays it all begins months beforehand and well into January, too much, too soon and too excessive.
I had happy but skint Christmases when my children were little, stroppy Christmases when they were teenagers and you had to threaten them out of bed on Christmas morning, fond Christmases when both of my parents were still alive and they came to us for dinner, lonely Christmases after my first husband died and all I wanted to do was to fast forward to the New Year, hectic Christmases in my last job working in a homeless hostel and we all had to work at least half of Christmas Day and Boxing Day and quiet Christmases now I`m retired and mine and second hubby`s children and grandchildren just "pop in" and then do their own thing.
Now history is repeating itself and our grownup children have hectic Christmas mornings with their own children and there`s also a few stroppy teenage grandkids too. One of my sons voluntarily works Christmas Day, he doesn`t have children so he does the Christmas day shift so at least one other Police Officer with children can have the day off. His partner does the same, she works in a hospital and does a shift in place of someone with children.
So the Spirit of Christmas is still very much alive, in my last job we always had the Sally Army Band on Christmas Day followed by a morning service which everybody enjoyed. Then each man received gifts and a huge Christmas dinner and we`d open the doors to those still living on the streets even though sadly we didn`t have beds for them all.
Christmas is like everything else in life, nothing is bad for you in moderation and a little bit of what you fancy does you good. To me Christmas lasts just 2 days and then that`s my fix for another 12 months.

Lovely post Vienna.

 

[maymorganlondon]

Quite so - and if they can fool you with the 'easy pays' and do an inertia marketing trick on you so much the better. I've never quite worked out why if a single payment of, say, £400 is out of your budget, 4 'easy' pays of £100 are suddenly affordable, given the total is the same - spreading it out over 4 pay-days doesn't reduce the total.

I imagine that a lot of people with a shopping problem can end up with a lot of 'easy' payments simultaneously going out of their account each month for various purchases already forgotten about or relegated to a cupboard: I can see this adding up quickly. They've also probably got a lot of other monthly payments for unsecured credit like credit and store cards going out as well - compulsive buyers usually do. Recipe for a disaster. The presenters are totally irresponsible in pushing lines of credit to people without any proper diligence or affordability checks, and I imagine they're extremely heavy-handed in the event of default.

It's inevitable given the whole premise of easy pays is no credit checking. The requirement for credit checking and other due diligence kicks in when you step over the threshold which keeps easy pays to a maximum of 4... as below the threshold they are classed differently for financial regulation.

 

[talisker25]

quite so - and if they can fool you with the 'easy pays' and do an inertia marketing trick on you so much the better. I've never quite worked out why if a single payment of, say, £400 is out of your budget, 4 'easy' pays of £100 are suddenly affordable, given the total is the same - spreading it out over 4 pay-days doesn't reduce the total.

I imagine that a lot of people with a shopping problem can end up with a lot of 'easy' payments simultaneously going out of their account each month for various purchases already forgotten about or relegated to a cupboard: I can see this adding up quickly. They've also probably got a lot of other monthly payments for unsecured credit like credit and store cards going out as well - compulsive buyers usually do. Recipe for a disaster. The presenters are totally irresponsible in pushing lines of credit to people without any proper diligence or affordability checks, and i imagine they're extremely heavy-handed in the event of default.

[email protected]......

 

[May]

I remember looking throgh the Janelt Frazer catalogue and choosing 1 main prezzie ..I always remember my prized Sindy doll ..lol and a few other small tree presents. I was over the moon my bothers had to share a tape recorder one year and a calculator another year lol ...they were very expensive in the early 1970s .....i ( I say "I "as I don't really know what my brothers think anymore as I don't see them ...another story ) had wonderful Christmases with Mum and Dad and elder sister who was 17 years older than me bless her ...she always spoiled me as her own child ....we had lovley lovley times and I look back very fondly without all the excesses of today's Christmases ...when I hear the Sally Ann brass band it always gets me very emotional ...my parents like many gone now 14 years ago and my sister 16 years ...so for me I love the religious aspect ...I don't mind saying ...I find it very comforting personally but it's not for everybody ......I am so very grateful for those days ...and we make the best memories we can now with our beloved children and husbands extended family ...and I really feel for those who have no family left to celebrate with....Christmas can be a desperately painful time too ...that makes me very sad for them.