What are you doing/did you do to mark Christmas in July?

[Jolly O'Leary]

Greetings! I just found this group and I'm thrilled. We celebrate Christmas in July for one week on our house. Sunday-Sunday encompassing the 25th. This year it was July 18-25. We started out having eggnog on Sunday night of the 18th. Being in Sweden, we have to make it from scratch. The good thing though is that you can have it year round.

We listen to Christmas music and watch Christmas movies all week. Christmas Island by Jimmy Buffet is a must. This year we watched Christmas in July (1940), Rudolph & Frosty's Christmas in July, Happy Feet, and Surf's Up. I have an mp3 loaded only with Christmas stuff which I listen to on the bus until Aug. 25. For the last two years, we have taken a 'Christmas in July' Baltic Sea cruise July 24-25(very cheap in Sweden and our own personal joke). The cruise is not titled Christmas in July but they do serve a buffet that is very similar to the Swedish Christmas buffet and we take the DVD player with Christmas movies to watch in the cabin. One of these years I'm going to sew a Christmas themed short set to wear-camp shirt, wide shorts, etc.

One of these years, I'd also like to keep the paper decorations handy to put up that week, but so far it hasn't happened. I never think about it until the end. I've also wanted to have a white elephant party with friends but that hasn't happened either. Swedes don't understand the concept of 're-gifting' or trading at the end much less doing it in July. LOL

I will post Christmas in August activities under that heading.

I look forward to seeing what other people do!

[FatherChristmas]

My first year celebrating Christmas in July. All I have marked down is music and Miracle on 34th Street. Any other suggestions?

[Noel+]

Here are some ideas we use for Christmas in July:

1. decorate the house or one room for Christmas..........set the mood
2. turn up the A/C so its 'cool' in the house/room
3. bake Christmas cookies or favorite dessert
4. some of us have holiday meal......some of us just have favorite dishes
5 invite friends/family over to celebrate
6. we buy one small gift for each other and open it after the meal

Hope that gets your creative juices flowing!

[DJTEEL]

Not much yet,,i bought my first christmas gift.it's for my sister.walgreens has this inexpensive game player in their toy section , that you hook up to the tv via an audio and video cable(y type) ..this little console is shaped exactly like a game pad controller and is the same size,yet it contains 50 video games in it on a pc chip.you just plug the 'y' cord into the audio/video inputs on the tv and turn the unit on and the menu pops up displaying the 50 selections.it's amazing that a unit that small can house so many games.all 50 are akin to the old atari games of yesteryear.so they're not difficult to play.people that are older and like the old atrai games will appreciate the little console moreso than younger adults and kids probably ,as they'd be to used to playing the hi tech sci fi stuff,.the game console was only 12 bucks and i hate to admit it ,but i bought one for myself also.the audio and video quality are quite remarkable.runs on 3 AA( ) batteries. i plan on watching QVC's christmas in july also in a couple weeks.begins here in the dallas area at 11pm(central time) late night the 24th and runs i believe for two days./ before then however,i plan to browse to see what else i can find.i was reading a while ago online ,not to expect the deals ,as well as alot of the products in the stores during the christmas season that we see on the shelves right now.so i'm definitely starting to shop again this week.sorry for the long post.(imagine how carried away i get when somebody merely asks me what kind of day i'm having).

[Noel+]

There are a couple of us planning on watching QVC's Christmas in July sale this month! And HSN usually has a 1 day Christmas in July theme the week before Christmas in July.

It brings back those lovely Christmas feelings!

[RadioJonD]

I'm downloading for CiJ 2011 !!

At least two blogs are sharing out of print Christmas music for CiJ. You can download a ton of stuff that hasn't seen the light of the digital age as a commercial release. You may even re-connect with that album/record of your childhood!


Ernie (Not Bert) - http://www.ernienotbert.blogspot.com/

Der Bingle - http://merryandbright.blogspot.com/


If you drop in and comment, tell 'em RadioJonD sent you! And don't forget to search with the word Christmas for previous Christmas content on Ernie's site! Most of his shares from previous years will still be available for download. Warning: Clean out some hard drive space !

Also, click their links to see if anyone else is sharing Christmas for CiJ. Share what you find here.

[Noel+]

Thanks so much RadioJonD! And Merry Christmas in July to you this week!

[Jolly O'Leary]

This year I diligently put away a bag of simple stuff, Merry Christmas sign my mother sent from the US, garland, door hanger, etc. We put it out early since we were going on vacation. For us, Christmas in July is usually one week toward the end of the month in whatever week the 25th falls in. Since we were going on vacation, I put up the garland the week before so we could enjoy that Christmas feeling and started watching our favorite movies and I use Christmas music when I clean. No AC in Sweden, so my motivation depends on how hot it is. This year has been very hot. We usually have our "celebration" meal on Saturday night, but this year will probably be on Sunday due to kitten "accidents" that are making me go to the laundry today. ;-P I had let the groceries run really now since we were going to be gone. We usually have hawaiian/tropical food rather than traditional Christmas. This year I found a website for ideas on how to "create a luau" on your balcony. I would love to try that one year. Since it is VERY hot, I am thinking pork chops, store bought fruit salad, and either hot green beans or cold green bean salad. If I were ambitious, I might make a pineapple upside down cake, or banana cream pie. I just discovered an English grocery that sells jello and pudding but in a limited selection. I have to make a list to send to my parents in the US if I want certain flavors for holidays. In the US, I might also make a Christmas ribbon salad either as a side dish or dessert. Two must see movies are Christmas in July (1940) and Rudolph and Frosty´s Christmas in July. Trying to find an online source for Christmas in Paradise, but no luck yet. Christmas Town and Moonlight and Mistletoe are also fun "all Christmas all the time" themes.

In the US, I would watch QVC as much as I could. Here I see a bit online, but that is is. I also usally play a game with myself and get something on ebay for 10$ or less since I cannot afford QVC. We also exchange inexpensive gifts. This year I gave my husband a bus card holder (small plastic credit card sized thing) and a "magic towel" that unfolded in the bath. Both had a "globe" theme. he loves maps.

[Noel+]

Your Christmas in July celebration sounds very much like most of our members. We exchange inexpensive gifts, decorate the house a little, and bake cookies. So glad yours was special.........and with Zoe it seems extra-special!

[Jolly O'Leary]

Zoe is very special but our older cat does not think so yet. LOL I am beginning to think the "kitten" accident was really Zelma's revenge. It is incredibly hot here so we did not eat on the balcony, but used an electric grill for the pork chops (Waikiki pork chop recipe from Land O Lakes, 1994) and had dinner indoors out of the blazing nordic sun. We used coconut dream flavored Loka (carbonated water) and added green food coloring (did not have blue) to make a tropical drink. I have Magical Sunset Ice Cream for dessert in a bit. It has been too hot to run the oven to make dessert. We also had sweet potato biscuits I made for the trip up north, but forgot to take. We have three ice cream tubs of them to eat. The good thing is they are none the worse for having been frozen. That is good to know!

We will probably round out Christmas in July with A Charlie Brown Christmas since we have not had time to fit that in yet. My husband gave me an elizabethan style pearl necklace and earrings (costume). [We are SCA. ]

Already looking forward to Christmas in August!

[Noel+]

Sounds like a great end to Christmas in July, Jennifer. And thanks for educating us that it can be "hot" in Sweden! That's such a surprise to me!

[Jolly O'Leary]

Sounds like a great end to Christmas in July, Jennifer. And thanks for educating us that it can be "hot" in Sweden! That's such a surprise to me!

Yes, hot miserable, and even humid. If we get warm mediterranean winds, no clouds, it is hot hot hot and no AC in Europe. I come from San Antonio, Texas, and the sun here is much more brutal and I cannot wrap my head around why we are closer to the sun but it is warmest at the equator. I failed geography and weather mechanics I guess. Praying we get some wonderful Christmas snow as early as August.

Last year, the snow came two months early in October rather than December. Praying for it to be early again.

[Noel+]

Sounds like a great end to Christmas in July, Jennifer. And thanks for educating us that it can be "hot" in Sweden! That's such a surprise to me!

Yes, hot miserable, and even humid. If we get warm mediterranean winds, no clouds, it is hot hot hot and no AC in Europe. I come from San Antonio, Texas, and the sun here is much more brutal and I cannot wrap my head around why we are closer to the sun but it is warmest at the equator. I failed geography and weather mechanics I guess. Praying we get some wonderful Christmas snow as early as August.

Last year, the snow came two months early in October rather than December. Praying for it to be early again.

Temperatures in the U.S. are soaring this summer. Where I live, it is always hot -- southwestern desert - and hotter than San Antonio. BUT today its going to be 109F in Dallas!

Let's hope for an early, cold, and wet winter this year!!!