Does anyone else just want to go away for Christmas?

**AnW819** · 09-30-2010, 08:15 PM

I am seriously thinking about it.

I always have to be the one to cook, and clean, and cry about not being able to buy gifts for everyone and we have DHs family to see, and mine, and its just to be honest a stressful 2 days!

I was saying to DH in a joking manner, we should just take the money that we would spend on gifts for each other and everyone else, and the money to cook a family dinner, and the gas to drive to PA and back, and everything else, and just take a 2 day frugal vacation.

Problem is, how frugal can a vacation be? If its more than the cost of our 2 days Christmas celebration obviously its not worth it, but to be honest and I never thought I would say this, I do not feel like being with family on Christmas.

I have always just wanted to say in a hotel room, have a mini tree, cook breakfast for DH, and relax. Sight see. Have a good time, just me and DH.

I don't see it really happening, but has anyone else ever done this? If so, what did you do? What was the cost? Any ideas for me?

I am just not looking forward to all the gift giving and having to cook for everyone and cleaning and cleaning and cleaning. I am just no up to it, nor do I think I will be.

I had a hard time telling my family last year that I did not have money for gifts even though it should of been obvious being I was living back at home with dad. There was one person I did not give a gift and that was my uncles wifes son who is 14. My uncle harped on me about all the way up until 2 weeks ago when I gave him the $10 I "forgot" to give him on Christmas. Like seriously???

Ugh...anyway....thats what I wanna do! LOL!

**frugalwarrior2** · 09-30-2010, 08:27 PM

I like to hide w/ just the kids, me and hubby on christmas. I like to have a tree,cook the meal the day before,open gifts in the jammies,drink hot choc. and watch stupid xmas movies like w/ Chevy Chase. I don't like to run all over visiting. I remember Mi winters in a dress that was uncomfortable w/ the wind burning your skin,heater not working and slipping all over the road to visit someone you hardly know or don't like.
So you can run away and I'll hide at home OK?

**TJs mommy** · 09-30-2010, 08:42 PM

your suggestion reminded me of the book "Skipping Christmas" (was redone into the movie "Christmas with the Kranks"). I've thought about skipping it all, but at the last minute change my mind..lol

Have been doing Christmas with just my DH the past few years, but my grandma moved closer last summer and has decided that the 2nd half of the day has to be spent at her house. I would love to be able to stay home with DH & DS, (she can come here for dinner), but don't know if she'll go for it.

**Contrary Housewife** · 09-30-2010, 09:16 PM

Wish I had a family to spend the holidays with. What few relatives we have left are too scattered to consider any kind of get together. We've gone away a few times because it's too depressing to stay home "alone". Most of the trips cost quite a bit, as in multiple thousands of dollars because of the destinations we chose (London, tropical cruise, etc.)

A quiet weekend in an out of town hotel can be a lot cheaper. Shop around, some places will have holiday rates or packages.

**AnW819** · 09-30-2010, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by frugalwarrior2

I like to hide w/ just the kids, me and hubby on christmas. I like to have a tree,cook the meal the day before,open gifts in the jammies,drink hot choc. and watch stupid xmas movies like w/ Chevy Chase. I don't like to run all over visiting. I remember Mi winters in a dress that was uncomfortable w/ the wind burning your skin,heater not working and slipping all over the road to visit someone you hardly know or don't like.
So you can run away and I'll hide at home OK?

Thats the thing if DH and I had our own apartment, I would just stay home, but we don't so I can't just hide at home, because everyone comes to dads!!! But what you do at home, is what I would like to do in a hotel LOL.

Originally Posted by Contrary Housewife

Wish I had a family to spend the holidays with. What few relatives we have left are too scattered to consider any kind of get together. We've gone away a few times because it's too depressing to stay home "alone". Most of the trips cost quite a bit, as in multiple thousands of dollars because of the destinations we chose (London, tropical cruise, etc.)

A quiet weekend in an out of town hotel can be a lot cheaper. Shop around, some places will have holiday rates or packages.

I hear ya, I think a lot of the reason Christmas bothers me is because it is emotional because I use to have such a huge family Christmas when I was younger, but family moved, out got kicked out of the family or got sick, and now its just like 5 of us, and no one really wants to Celebrate anyway. Its just depressing and I end up always being upset on Christmas.

**porembam** · 09-30-2010, 09:45 PM

I don't think you can make Christmas disappear - what you need to do is create a special day that you can live with. Let the people visiting your Dad that it will be potluck so that pressure will be off you from cooking an entire meal that makes you angry.

Set up a tiny tree in your bedroom and celebrate the morning with your husband in your own room.
When you are ready to join the family leave the room like you are leaving a hotel room.
When you've had enough family you and your hubby can return to your bedroom for the evening and enjoy a Christmas movie with just the 2 of you again.
Good - luck !

**krbshappy71** · 09-30-2010, 09:52 PM

We went away to Disney World for Christmas one year. It was kinda weird. I wouldn't do it again, I missed the rest of my family and can't have that Christmas back again. It was a great time as far as the moment, but then reflecting back to it I wish we'd done it, say, a week later or even just a couple days later so I could have still had a Christmas with them too.

**pollypurebred39** · 09-30-2010, 10:01 PM

Some hotels have Christmas celebrations. I know that Pocono Palace does, but they are $250 a night. But, it's an all inclusive resort. It includes meals, entertainment, swimming, snowmobiling, snowtubing, indoor mini golf, swimming pool, sauna, and lots more. Every room has their own whirlpool bath for two, and their beds are the most comfortable I've ever slept on. So if you break down how much it would cost you both to eat, and be entertained, the cost of the room is pretty reasonable.

This is our favorite suite, but it's more then $250

All-Inclusive Romantic Weekend Getaways in the Pocono Mountains

If this is just too far out of your budget, perhaps a bed and breakfast might be what your looking for. They surely would celebrate Christmas, have a breakfast and perhaps include other meals. You might want to book early, there are many who do this at Christmas and good places just may book up fast. I saw some listed for under $100 a night, one was $85 a night.

http://www.bbonline.com/nj/

**Neeley** · 09-30-2010, 10:26 PM

We spend every Christmas in Disney World.

Our typical trip is like this...

We arrive on the 18th and check into whichever Disney resort we booked for that year. Before we do anything else we decorate our room with a tree, stockings, gifts, etc...We make lots of dining reservations months in advance at the various table service restaurants throughout Disney including a Fantasmic dinner package, the Candlelight Processional dinner package (this year Trace Adkins is narrating it the night we have booked - yay!!!), the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue dinner show and at least one character meal each day. On Christmas morning we get up, open between five to seven gifts each, eat a breakfast with characters, and hit the parks. But, we do stop and call my parents, grandparents and DH's parents to wish them all a Merry Christmas. While we are there, we take one night to go to the different resorts and look at the rooms other families have decorated. It's pretty cool family time activity for us.

This year for our Christmas day meals we have a Princess breakfast at Akershus House in Epcot (Norway section), lunch at Chef's de France in Epcot and a character dinner at Chef Mickey's. We check out on the 26th, but still spend that day at the parks. We'll drive around 250 miles that night stop at a hotel and then drive the other 200 miles home the next day. The night we get home we do Christmas all over again since the vast majority of the kids' gifts are at home. We got to bed as if it were Christmas Eve, Santa comes and the next morning we open the remainder of our gifts.

For years our Christmas was spent on the road going from my mom's to my dad's to my grandmother's to my grandfather's then to DH's parents. (And this was leaving out two other sets of grandparents we didn't have time to visit since they are out of town) It was miserable. We were all exhausted by 2:00, the kids didn't get to enjoy their new toys and it was just too much drama. Most of the drama came in on Christmas Eve when we had to spend with my grandmother's family doing church, Dirty Santa, riding around looking at decorations and dinner. We never just got to relax and be together.

Now, we do Christmas OUR way, the way WE want and we LOVE it.

**Palooka** · 09-30-2010, 10:27 PM

I wouldn't mind getting away and doing something non-traditional from time to time. Sometimes I do get tired of the same old same old thing with the family. I know...I know....

**grneyegrl** · 09-30-2010, 10:31 PM

why not make xmas dinner potluck,, announce that u r not cooking everything just turkey

**pollypurebred39** · 09-30-2010, 10:32 PM

Me too Palooka, but DH wouldn't hear of it.

**Momto5RN** · 09-30-2010, 10:37 PM

you need to start new traditions. and lower your expectations.
thinking it would be fun to experience christmas elsewhere and running away are 2 different things - running away doesnt solve anything .

sometimes people want everything perfect have this idea of what it being perfect is and then fret themselves to death trying to meet that perfection even when they know its impossible to do .

can you see one family on christmas eve and the other on christmas day and then swap the next year .

and go out to dinner on christmas ??

my dhs family decided to give up on the stress of trying to do a family christmas dinner we meet at my sister in lawsin williamstown area at 2ish for gift exchange ( we do a pollyanna but theres a zillion of us- he is one of eight i have 20 neices and nephews and 2 great neices or nephews and then you figure in spouses and or long term GF or BF of dhs 7 siblings and the adult neices and nephews . )

afterwards people can go to the other side of the families to eat dinner - cook at home or a bunch of us go to TGIfridays in turnersviille on black horse pike when they open at 4 .

well worth pinching pennies and cutting back on gifts for dh and i to do that and since we dont eat out alot ( for 7 of us it gets really $$) its a special treat !

**Palooka** · 09-30-2010, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by pollypurebred39

Me too Palooka, but DH wouldn't hear of it.

I think I could talk my dh into it if we really had the money to do something totally different with our kids. Now I know he wouldn't mind not seeing my family on christmas,(lol)but he is a mommies boy and would feel bad not being there on Christmas Eve.

**mauimagic** · 09-30-2010, 11:08 PM

Our Christmas celebrations are always spent with my in-laws- we island hop for Christmas and then island hop for New Years with SIL and her family = then crawl home. Is it the highlight of my year - definitely not and is very expensive - just starting out with all that flying - adds up to at least $700. Not negotiable for my DH and DD.

Last year we sent our DD on her way while DH stayed home with me as I recovered from surgery. Okay it was lovely. And this year we will probably continue the tradition. - and I will do it with a good feeling in my heart and a smile on my face because I don't know how much longer my MIL will be with us and I adore her.

If I were in your shoes I might be tempted to tell your dad that you and your DH will be gone for two nights and will be missing the holiday celebration this year. I would explain to the normal guests that you will be preparing the turkey and gravy, leaving them ready to reheat - leaving them the opportunity to share their favorite side dishes.

Whatever you do - please let us know!!