Christmas Is Coming

It's less than 185 days away!!!

Thanks a lot Frugal Dad for reminding me. Sheesh. Last Christmas was so busy - I was overwhelmed with orders. I'd like to prepare ahead of time.

We can check one thing off our list though - our Christmas lights are STILL up!!! HAHAHAHAHA! Yes, I am that white trash.

My mom is beyond humiliated. Every time she visits she looks up and just shakes her head. And they aren't the subtle lights either - they are icicles on white wires! So they really, really stand out.

So we can mark that off our to-do list. I'd like to get the house clean enough to take photos and share our cheerful Christmas celebration. I'd also like to finally have some of my co-workers and hubby's co-workers over for a small party. We'll see if that actually happens.

Have you started your Christmas wish list yet? :) I hope all the ladies will forward my jewelry site to their hubby. If you start now they might just remember in time for Christmas or Hanukkah! *grin* I know that there are bunches of Etsy shops on my wish list already.

Have you started thinking about special Christmas gifts for others? It doesn't have to be something material. What about planning a trip to a nursing home to visit with the folks or sing Christmas carols?

I love Frugal Dad's idea...

This year, we are planning to go out for breakfast on the morning of Christmas Eve and leave a $100 tip to our server.

How cool is that?!?!? I would get such a thrill from doing that. And we typically go out to eat on Christmas day at one of those Denny's like places. We have a couple great local ones. I might start tucking away extra cash into our ING account just for a special Christmas surprise. :) [Want to start an ING account...e-mail me and I'll send you a referral. You'll get some free cash if you open an account and I'll get a small reward as well.]

Part of what makes the Thanksgiving and Christmas season so special to me is doing things for others - random acts of kindness. Especially when the people I try to help have no idea who did it. :) I like to be sneaky that way.

What's your favorite part of Christmas? Do you have a special savings account (or jar) for gifts? If you start now it won't be so hard on your credit card and it will be a much less stressful event.