The Grinch of allnurses.com

[traumaRUs]

Okay, not to be a Grinch, but really Christmas has become just so ridiculous. We all want this season to be happy with family get togethers, joy, peace and harmony. However, there are certain expectations of us too that we might not always be able to meet. The holidays can be stressful for many reasons. Here are some of my stressors. Can you identify with any of them? Please share what stresses you out during this season.

Christmas starts tooooooo early. At Halloween, fully two months before the actual date, we are forced to view Christmas decorations, Christmas pre-pre-pre sales, and the start of "what should you buy your kids for Christmas commercials.

Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies - ugh is all I can say. I can't do the continuous story of girl moves to the city for a great job, gets her heart broken by some guy, girl moves back home, girl meets hometown boy, falls in love, and gets a dog. Grrrr - I just can't stand all the sugar. Why not just be real? The holidays are stressful for many reasons - how about showing some real people at the holidays?

Emails after emails wanting me to spend money on "the greatest sale since the creation of sales." Any place I've ever ordered from is now sending me oodles and oodles of emails begging me to spend money with them. And what's with Black Friday, Black Friday Weekend and then Cyber Monday? So...we have day after day after day of sale notifications. When should I purchase, what should I purchase? So many choices. The positive for this (and yes there are some holiday positives even for this Negative Nancy - :)) is that I do like online shopping - efficient, quick and convenient.

The "guilt me" commercials on TV - you know the ones; where if you don't buy the latest laser gun, bicycle or video game/console for your child, you are somehow going to be perceived as a bad parent. Oh and of course these commercials are geared towards the kids so you have your kids begging for the next big thing too. And did I say the next big thing is $200+?

Office politics are high on my list some years too. Do you buy something for close co-workers, do you have some type of grab bag or something else? Is there a dollar limit? Are presents not allowed? I've worked several different places with different rules. In some places this added to the stress of the season too.

Christmas decorations - the biggest discussion at our house is when to put the decorations up. I am now (the day after Thanksgiving) looking at our decorated tree, with the outside lights twinkling. So, when is the optimal time to put up decorations? Is our house decorated too early? Or, should we have waited until two weeks before Xmas, like I wanted? And the next discussion is when to take the decorations down? I vote the day after Christmas. However other members of my family feel that they should stay up for another week or even two....another discussion.

Weird gifts - just saw a commercial saying I should gift my family with new toothbrushes. My family would probably be offended if this appeared in their stockings. Subscriptions to different apps seem to be another (at least to me) a weird present.

So, as the self-proclaimed Grinch of AN, surely I'm not alone? Come on guys help a Grinch out? What's your least favorite part of the holidays? What aspect of the holidays drives you crazy?

[Davey Do]

I like it when they're all done, and looking fantastic, duct tape and all!

Yes wondern, the wrapping looked fantastic, but the gift inside was the best... ever!

A framed autographed picture of Barry Manilow!

It made so happy, I puked!

[NurseDisneyPrincess]

I am one of the annoying, crazy, "Christmas" loons that has my decorations up by November 1st. I blast Christmas music in my car. I bring holiday theme sweets to work all month long. My tree is too big for my living room and I can't have enough lights. I binge on all the Hallmark and Netflix Christmas movies. Yes, that's me! And yes, I realize how annoying I am and how much I contribute to the ever growing, holiday consumerism machine.

But alas... I really don't care. I love Christmas! I love everything about it and this time of the year is just such a magical time for me. I've found that a lot of people don't feel the same way and I can kind of see why; people feel pressured to do too much and spend too much. But I also feel like people put that pressure on themselves? It's supposed to be FUN. But people stress out over it, put rules an stipulations on things such as gift giving... it's not even supposed to be about that really. If you celebrate Christmas and know the true meaning, then you know it's about the joy of the season.I see a lot of Grinch-y people out there who are angry about money, stress, who are sick of hearing the music and seeing the decorations. Tbh, I think some people just hate fun lol. But I can be fair and say that a lot of the hate is probably cause or intensified by stress- that, and a lot of nurses have to work on the holiday and be away from their families. That can really dull the sparkle.

So NOPE. No grinches here! I'm a Who from Whoville just holding hands with others and singing/swaying around the Christmas tree.

[NurseDisneyPrincess]

I'd love to invite all the grinches to my house for Christmas (eve) morning. Let me set the scene for you: A cozy living room equipped with a burning fireplace with the smell of wood and pine cones in the air. Breakfast consists of eggs, sausage/bacon, various crepes, french toast and fruit. Eggnog and a batch of mimosas. Around the tree is a bunch of presents and we always fight over who gets to open the first one. We play board games and my brother and uncle always finds a way to cheat at them. After all that, everyone gathers in the living room and my dad reads us "Twas the Night Before Christmas". Then we all settle down with a drink and watch the best Christmas movie of all time, Die Hard.

Family. Drinks. Good food. Presents. Board Games. Die Hard. What's NOT to love?!

[Davey Do]

I'd love to invite all the grinches to my house for Christmas.

Thanks for the invite, NurseDisneyPrincess!

Around the tree is a bunch of presents and we always fight over who gets to open the first one.

And I see anything goes!

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[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I am one of the annoying, crazy, "Christmas" loons that has my decorations up by November 1st. I blast Christmas music in my car. I bring holiday theme sweets to work all month long. My tree is too big for my living room and I can't have enough lights. I binge on all the Hallmark and Netflix Christmas movies. Yes, that's me! And yes, I realize how annoying I am and how much I contribute to the ever growing, holiday consumerism machine.

But alas... I really don't care. I love Christmas! I love everything about it and this time of the year is just such a magical time for me. I've found that a lot of people don't feel the same way and I can kind of see why; people feel pressured to do too much and spend too much. But I also feel like people put that pressure on themselves? It's supposed to be FUN. But people stress out over it, put rules an stipulations on things such as gift giving... it's not even supposed to be about that really. If you celebrate Christmas and know the true meaning, then you know it's about the joy of the season.I see a lot of Grinch-y people out there who are angry about money, stress, who are sick of hearing the music and seeing the decorations. Tbh, I think some people just hate fun lol. But I can be fair and say that a lot of the hate is probably cause or intensified by stress- that, and a lot of nurses have to work on the holiday and be away from their families. That can really dull the sparkle.

So NOPE. No grinches here! I'm a Who from Whoville just holding hands with others and singing/swaying around the Christmas tree.

Too cute! Maybe if I worked with you, i wouldn't be such a grinch. Thanks for the day brightener

[No Stars In My Eyes]

the best Christmas movie of all time, Die Hard. What's NOT to love?!

PERFECT!!! This is the best smile I've had all week!

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

I love the Hallmark Channel movies and the Christmas music on my car radio. Other than that, I am the Grinch in female form. I only buy a few small gifts for grandbabies, everyone else can suck it up. I will not go into debt to prove my love for anyone, and I will not ask anyone else to either. PERIOD! Both my family and my hubby's, we get together and cook a meal together, eat and talk all day. No one goes broke, everyone can have an enjoyable time

[River&MountainRN, ADN, RN]

I really do love Christmas, stemming back from my childhood when it was the only holiday (including my birthday) that both of my parents could get along, my father wouldn't be (quite as) loaded, and it was just pure magic with all of the decorations, foods, and traditions. I even like the majority of the Christmas music out there, love when it comes on the radio, and have my absolute favorites loaded onto my iPod, phone (to play in the car), and on my computer. I've continued the tradition of getting a few new Christmas village pieces each Christmas since I hit adulthood, and it's now grown to fill three large tables. My nutcrackers, snowmen, and Santas take up both sides of my mantle, my built-in cabinet, and top a couple of my shelves. Essentially, the inside of my house looks like a Christmas wonderland and it has since I had my mom over on Thanksgiving...we made a wonderful day of prepping our Thanksgiving meal, taking a break to decorate, cooking and eating our Thanksgiving meal, and then we lit everything up.

Outdoors is a little more difficult and bittersweet. I had a fantastic setup last year with the help of my (now ex) boyfriend. This year, I've done what I can (and my mom helped out) but it's not the same.

And, although it's "just a day", I've found out that this will be the first Christmas that I will be absolutely be on my own...ever. I'm still on medical leave for my back so I won't be working, I'm too far away to go to extended family, my mom can't come over (and will be working, so it's not like I can go over to her place), and I'm no longer together with my boyfriend. I've got my dog, though, so I guess we'll just get takeout from somewhere and watch the first three Home Alone movies, the Santa Clause I & II, and a few other non-mainstream (but still traditional to me) movies.

(Sorry, Hallmark/Lifetime fans, I'm with the "grinches" on those saccharine movies...I just can't! Hahahahaha!)

[Decitabinequeen]

Meh, ignore what bothers you.

Don't like Hallmark movies? Don't stop on that channel!

Tired of being bombarded with "buy me" emails? Unsubscribe!

Office holiday politics bothersome? Say "no thank you" and move on.

I'm a big believer in creating your own happiness when possible!

[wondern, ASN]

Yes wondern, the wrapping looked fantastic, but the gift inside was the best... ever!

A framed autographed picture of Barry Manilow!

It made so happy, I puked!

I'm so glad you loved it! I just laughed so hard I...well, nevermind...just a little...I'm thinking the new fancy designer Depends for Christmas maybe...I think they may even have black evening wear ones...

Thanks for the photo, Davey Do. Nice duct tape bow, huh?

[wondern, ASN]

I made it while watching a Lifetime Movie called, 'A Strange Affair", starring Judith Light. Her boyfriend moved in and helped her take care of her dying husband who'd done her wrong but she couldn't leave him because he was paralyzed or in a wheelchair for some reason. I missed the beginning. I'm thinking a progressive paralysis maybe...Anyone else catch it?

[Wuzzie]

Okay, I'll come clean. My name is Wuzzie and I'm a Hallmark watcher. Yes, they're cheesy and formulaic, predictable and loaded with terrible acting but they're also the great escape from reality I sometimes need. So tonight I'll be turning on the Christmas lights and the fire, pouring a glass of wine and enjoying the "Princess-Prince-Crown-Father-Mother-Grandpa-Gramma-Boyfriend for Christmas" movie offering and I'll toast each and everyone of you as you celebrate (or don't) in whatever way makes you happy!