Did you maintain a holiday spirit, while unemployed this season? Did your creat

1. 70

   Storytellersrusposted 13 years ago

   Did you maintain a holiday spirit, while unemployed this season?  Did your creativity save the day?
   
   It takes great effort to keep up spirits during the most materialistic time of year.  Guests focus on tasty food, family studies presents with sparkly anticipation.  How did you pull it together?  What innovations did you discover, trying to maintain a holiday spirit?

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2. 80

   msvioletsposted 13 years ago

   My kids saved the day.  They pulled out a ton of craft supplies and made sure there was something to hand to or mail to every one of our relatives.  Many of them were more than just handmade by kid stuff, too. 
   We realized it isn't about the money spent, it really is what's in your heart.

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3. 60

   capricornrisingposted 13 years ago

   We make sure we each only spend $50.00 on each other every year, since we both know money can be better put to other use, and we're not the materialistic type. We also stayed in and had a quiet Christmas, since we both caught headcolds. We cooked, re-used gift wrappings, put out stored decorations, watched a couple of Christmas films. This is actually one of my favorite things to do on Christmas Day - stay in with the hubby and snuggle! This doesn't mean things won't be different next  year - we might take a trip to see family, as we sometimes do.

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4. 64

   vmartinezwilsonposted 13 years ago

   Me, too msviolets, my daughter and husband save the day when it comes to lifting my spirits. This year, I made homemade chocolates for my family and both my daughter and husband helped out with that.  I put on some of my favorite holiday music and Duran Duran (music I play when I feel down) and wrote little stories and sent them in my Christmas cards. 
   
   
   Capricorn, we did something similar in my family as well.  We always use old wrapping paper, bags and bows.  In fact, we usually pool from the same supply, unless its gifts from Santa.  My daughter is 6.  We always watch A Nightmare Before Christmas and Hogfather.

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5. 76

   Uninvited Writerposted 13 years ago

   I actually did. I have come to view my unemployment as an opportunity to write more. I have never been happier. I didn't buy any gifts this year but was given a couple of monetary gifts which I was not expecting.  I don't have any children to buy for thankfully.

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6. 82

   Hyphenbirdposted 13 years ago

   My son made snow globes as gifts by using baby food jars (received free) and little figures from the thrift store (10@1.00). We used glitter as snow and these were practically free. I wrote short poems for people and put them on photographs that I took. Then I had them printed for 10c each. Once I had a coupon so they were free also. I made bread for my neighbors from mix that I had purchased earlier in the year. So I spent almost nothing during the Christmas season on gifts. I certainly received an abundance of love though.

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7. 0

   reeltaulkposted 13 years ago

   This holiday for me was amazing!  Although I didn't spend it with blood I spent it with another type of family......friends.   Sharing and exchanging gifts that will never be seen but will be unconditionally available for many many many years to come.

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8. 87

   sgbrownposted 13 years ago

   I actually had more holiday spirit than the previous years.  Being unemployed, I had more time to spend being creative and put a little extra attention into my gifts.  I had more time to spend with family and enjoying the season.

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9. 60

   American Viewposted 13 years ago

   I had more spirit this year considering I was in a coma and on a ventalator fighting for my life this time last year. I could not buy presents but sent cards to my few friends and family. My best presents were a phone call from a friend I had not heard from for 15 years. And my girlfriend brought me some real turkey and ham from her families dinner as compared to the garbage imitation food we get here. Life and Love are the best presents

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10. 71

    FISposted 13 years ago

    I was able to keep the holiday spirit even though unemployed. For one thing, almost everyone that I know is either unemployed or underemployed or ill.... so... everyone being in the same boat... there were not sky high expectations. The realistic expectations actually seemed to make the spirit brighter than it has been for a long time. Plus, having used my Amazon.com credit card too much over the last few years, I had lots of points saved up for free stuff at Amazon and I was able to give a lot of good gifts for free.
    
    Really... the spirit of Christmas is a spirit of hope and before Christianity it was a chance to buck up before the long hard winter. Sitting here on New Years day, slightly hungover, the temperature plummeting, meaning the heating bill will soon soar... looking out over the winter and the year to come... I do feel the spirit fading as I wonder what the new year holds.

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11. 78

    Cat Rposted 13 years ago

    Considering that a TON of people lost their unemployment five days before Christmas and may/may not have survived through some pathetic extension, not knowing how they will feed their families in the future...
    
    If this 'leadership' continues the route they are going, our economy will be worse than ever! Instead of helping other countries, how about we reduce our own unemployment, our international dept and take care about our own people!?

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