Christmas Bonuses?

Since the economy is weakening, I'm wondering if many companies are cutting out the Christmas bonuses. Andy got a $25.00 gift card last year to Tops, and this year, he got a $50.00 gift card to Tops! Way to increase during hard times! We're not complaining though! I stopped @ Tops after work armed w/ my envelope w/ my list & coupons, as well as a $5.00 off of a $50.00 or more purchase at Tops between 9/08-12/31/08...mostly everything on my list was for baking, and that's pretty much all I bought. I also picked up an economy pack of coffee filters--which stinks. We had a 5 cup maker Andy had bought me years ago-I had it in my bedroom when I lived with my grandmother!-which didn't need filters...one day, the pot was positioned wrong in the dish drainer (read: stacked on top of pots which were stacked on top of dishes...Hmm.)-and fell & shattered. The only other coffee pot we own is a Melitta one that pours the coffee into 2 travel mugs. ~I also bought Minute Rice (they wouldn't let me use my $1.00 coupon AND my .40 cents coupon...poop!) and a small box of cookies for Jordan, as well as (squeals with excitement!) a can of French Vanilla Folgers Cappuccino mix!!! I haven't had that in YEARS-I haven't been able to find it anywhere!!! I used to buy a can a week at $ General, I was obsessed!! It's soooo good! ~Well, anyways-before savings, my total was roughly $76.00--after savings, $47.00~the best part, is that I used the gift card, so it was all free! =) Like I said, the rest was all for baking-4 cans of sweetened condensed milk (which I found peelies on!), Crisco Shortening, 3 bags of chocolate chips, a bottle of Corn Syrup, 2 things of baker's chocolate, 2 things of cookie icing (using the B1G1F coupon, of course), Nilla wafers (for rum balls!), cream cheese (truffles! yummmmmmm!!), and pancake mix (For Peanut Butter Blossoms)--so I'm excited, b/c I'll be baking all weekend, and probably half of next week!!

Also--we're having a Christmas Party on the 27th-and it will be Jordan's first night EVER away from home!! =) I'm at the point now where you can have him for a week! Haha..I'll miss him, but it'll be Soooooo nice to have that night away from him! Especially since when we usually have parties, I never have more than 1 drink per like...2 hours....since I always have to make sure there's a sober person (to take care of the baby, to have to drive anyone to the hospital *yikes!*, etc.)--and then Andy & I always get into a spat on who has to take care of Jordan when he wakes up at a cruel 6am-and then I'm always feeling bad that he's waking up our guests basically 3 hrs (sometimes less!) after they fell asleep! So it'll be nice not to have all of that on my shoulders this time, and just have some drinks & enjoy my night! We'll be seeing a lot of people we haven't seen in awhile, and that's the ending of our Christmas week, so it'll be nice.
Seriously, we have a week of Christmas, just about, atleast. Crazy. The 23rd, I have a dentist appt (blegh!), the 24th, after work, we're going right to my mother's (I can't go INTO work until Andy gets home, so it'll be a rush-rush-rush night..)-then Christmas Day we have my g.ma's @ 4pm--currently Andy's mom's side is undecided on the timing to get together that day--the day after X.mas, we're getting together @ Andy's parents' house w/ his father's side (his grandparents, aunt, uncle, 2 cousins...tiny family!), then the day AFTER that (the day of our party) we're getting together @ his parents' house again with his brothers, sister in laws, & 2 neices to exchange gifts w/ them. I'm planning on skipping my stepgrandparents' house on Christmas Day-it's just too much-and also skipping dinner w/ Andy's grandparents (who we'll be seeing the next day) after my Grandma's. *sigh* so much to do!! Haha.
So, a party w/ friends & a few family members (my brother, a few cousins) is a perfect way to end that hectic time!!
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season, and don't forget-NO DRiNKiNG & DRiViNG!!

p.s.-i'm hoping my employer will have something nifty to give us for christmas...hope hope hope! Haha.