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Hi,

I greatly enjoy having a moment at the beginning of my day to read your column of life and adventures. Pj's are still some of my favorite clothes. Thank you for your stories and recipes. Susan

Suzanne,

I have reading all of the great pajama stories. I only started wearing PJs about 3 years ago but remember fondly the gowns that I received at Christmas. My favorite was a red one with lots of lace that I got when I was 4 years old. I moved the ‘gown’ with through college and the many times my husband and I moved during the early years of our marriage. However, somewhere along the way, I’m afraid that it made it into the ‘Goodwill’ bag.

I love my PJs now and have a special Christmas pair. Imagine my dismay when the rest of my family declared that they were going to get dressed Christmas day…. Take care and thank you for allowing me remember my special red gown! Alicia

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Dear Suzanne,

Thank you for opening your heart in so many ways. As I read your book, I kept saying, “oh, yeah”. I think the Midwest has its own cultural past and present. Do you believe that some people don’t know what a hotdish is or bars are?

I didn’t get pjs every Christmas, but I do remember the year I got footed pajamas, when I was about 13. Yes, I asked for them- Dr Denton’s, pink. I soon realized that my feet got too hot and I slid around like crazy, because of the plastic bottoms. Oh well, they were still great.

Now that I have teenagers, maybe I should get them Dr Dentons…. Thanks for sharing, Betty

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Suzanne,

I didn't grow up with pajamas and don't wear ps now. I read the pj stories your readers shared with interest, and didn't plan to write. But your last call for submission and the chance to win some cool gifts prompted me to share some thoughts.

I was born in the 1960's and grew up in poverty in China. It was during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and life was extremely hard, worse than the Great Depression in the U.S. In those days, people mostly made their own clothes. My grandma and mother made everything for us kids, from underwear to winter coat, from hat to shoes. There was not much to buy in the store anyway.

Usually we wore hand me downs and clothes that had been mended again and again. Once a year during the Chinese New Year, we got some new clothes.

Since everything was handmade, we didn't have many varieties and choices. We could and had to fit everything we had in small storage space. There were no such closets like we see today. We didn't have pajamas just for use at bed time. We wore the same undergarment underneath during the day and then in bed at night. Everything served multiple purposes.

Nowadays, I can certainly afford buying pajamas, but I don't need them. Being a green and resourceful person, I just use some old t-shirts in summer and old sweaters in winter if I am cold as my pj. I don't see any need to buy something just for bedtime when I have plenty of clothes I can use. Who cares if I wear an old t-shirt or a fancy pj?

Some people said they buy a new pj every year. It's a nice family tradition, but I question the necessity. Is this really necessary?

One thing is for sure, the more we buy, the more cluttered we are. Clutter has become a big issue for many people in our abundant society, We have so much more than we really need in life. It's fun reading with friends like you. Thanks for what you do every day. Blessings, Qin

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Hi Suzanne!

It has become a tradition in my family that every year we buy the children new pajamas. They are always allowed to open one gift on Christmas Eve, and it is always their pajamas. I love watching their faces as they open them and put them on. It is also helpful that they are already in their pajamas in the morning when it is time to open the rest of their presents and take some pictures. I am not sure where or when this started, but my sister and I have been doing it since we can remember for our kids. I love watching them grow out of them throughout the year. Christmas 2009 we got our son some Star Wars pjs and they were a little big. This Christmas they were so much smaller that they didn't even reach his ankles! I have attached a picture of my son Brody rockin' his new Spongebob pajamas. It was all about Spongebob this year! Tiffany D.

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Good morning Suzanne,

I have enjoyed reading the stories submitted. However I am disappointed that my story submitted a few weeks ago is not included. My mother sacrificed so much to be able to purchase new pajamas for her growing family each Christmas (eventually 9 children). We lived in the country in rural Ontario and my mom did not drive or work outside the home. She was able to manage the household on one income. One of my best memories is opening up a set of soft new flannel pajamas on Christmas Eve. Our house had no central heating and the bedrooms received no heat. The pajamas were so comfortable and warm too. Even now when I have had central heating for years I often wear flannel pajamas and turn down the heat. I feel warm inside and out. Thanks mom.

Thanks for sharing your memories. It makes my day brighter and brings back my own mmemories. Mary

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