Monday, December 5, 2011

Christmas Preparation

Hello!  After 40 posts in November, I needed a blog break to recover from my carpel tunnel.  Ok, not really but a healthy handful of days away from blogging every once in awhile is always good for me.  So here we are, in December already....with the 5th almost in the books.  Where does the time go?

Shopping:

Have you finished started your Christmas shopping?  I don't have to buy for too many people so I guess it's not that difficult however I tend to go overboard and want to keep buying for my family which of course gets expensive but I need to cut myself off at some point.  I have quite a few items that I purchased online that still need to be delivered to me.  Man, do I love online shopping.  I've done quite a bit of it for Christmas the last few years. I can't online shop without purchasing a little bit for myself though.  This year my presents to myself are from Sephora, which I'm still waiting  to receive.  It's not that special though.  It's just foundation that I needed but considering it's expensive, I consider it a gift to myself.  I also purchased the following set on Thanksgiving at Kohl's online. I love the white because it's classic and timeless  It was $39.99 and there is a $20 rebate and then I received an additional 15% off and free shipping.  Plus I earned Kohl's cash with my purchase.  So after rebate, this set cost $14. I impress myself sometimes.


Tree:

Do you have your Christmas tree up?  I wanted to do it the day after Thanksgiving and every day after that but I just couldn't find the time.  I finally did get the tree up on Saturday evening.  I do not enjoy putting up the tree and decorating it.  I don't think I have patience to do it.  The nice thing is M helped a little and I pretty much made him hang out with me while I did it so I would stay interested.  I love it when the tree is complete and then I'm glad I put the effort in.  Do you like putting up your Christmas tree?  Here's a picture of our skinny tree this year:


Wrapping:

Ok, so maybe you've bought some presents and your tree is up but do you have wrapped presents underneath it yet?  I just started wrapping yesterday and got eight presents done.  I have a lot more to go and I'm not excited about it.  I've come to hate wrapping but as long as I tackle a few presents here and there, I'll be fine.  I just don't want to be that person on Christmas Ever wrapping for hours.  Been there, done that.

Lights:

Do you decorate your home/apartment with outdoor lights?  We do not and I actually didn't even consider it until writing this sentence.  There is a housing development down the street and they have so many houses decorated in the neighborhood that it looks magical as you drive through.  Here's one house that I liked but I really should drive by and take a video of all the houses.  Maybe I'll do that later this week.


Baking: 

Do you make Christmas cookies?  I like to bake and I will be making some cookies again this year.  I plan on making a decent variety as I will be giving my grandpa a tin full of cookies, all made with love of course.  I think I might be over my head this year with a plan that I have for some cookies as I've never experimented like this before so I'll let you know how they turn out.  If they do turn out, I'll be more than excited.  Not only do they have to be pretty, I suppose they have to taste good too.

4 comments:

Ang said...

So many questions; how do you expect me to answer them all?
I've started sopping, yes.I have not finished. I actually need to sit down and make a list of who I have left to buy for and what to get them.

Our tree has been up since November 19th - the weekend BEFORE Thanksgiving - sue me, I'm excited to have my first Christmas in the same house with Steve :) Decorating isn't my favorite thing, but it could be worse.

I have nothing wrapped. I used to wrap right away and a used to quite enjoy wrapping - it was like a stupid challenge to me "see how perfect I can wrap this package" - now though... I hate it. I've thought about starting many times, but never actually done anything about it.

I don't bake. I won't bake this year. Maybe we should start a blogger annual Christmas cookie exchange? Starting next year, of course. We could make cookies - and get together to exchange them? Not a bad idea...

Kristi @ Mi Vida Ocupada said...

I've shopped a bit :)My presents get wrapped the 23rd or 24th
We never decorate for Christmas. Ever. At all.
I make a few types of cookies when I feel motivated and have the time.

Lisa Sack said...

WOW you got Michael to agree to putting a tree up! that is amazing!

Kate said...

Our Christmas tends to start in October, when we make the Christmas Cakes. We make cakes for others too, so it takes quite a while, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. We have to have the Christmas music and we always have to dance, otherwise the mixture doesn't turn out right. (Seriously, it doesn't. One time we forgot to dance and the mixture went really wrong)

Our tree goes at some point during the first week in December. That's an all-day job too. We have well over ten of those big plastic boxes, all filled with decorations and a tree that looks like it can't possibly hold them all. But it does. By the time we're finished, there's not a single branch that doesn't have decorations on it, inside the tree, at the front, round the back, everywhere.

Shopping, I tend to do throughout the year. I think of something and buy it then and there, so I'm not left doing it all at the last minute. I also wrap as I go along. I keep a file on the computer so I can keep track of what I've got for who.

We don't have exterior lights. I don't like them very much. There's the "wow" factor, certainly, but I prefer be standing outside and able to see a lit-up Christmas tree through someone's window. There's something warm and inviting about it.

And cooking.... where do I start? :) There's the Christmas Cakes, the Christmas puddings, the sausage roles, the mince pies, the chocolate date slice, the cheese straws and whatever else might take our fancy. We've never done cookies before, but that's going to be our project this year; those star-shaped cookies that you layer up into a Christmas tree. We always have to try something new. Ages ago, we decided to try making truffles. Up until then, we'd always bought all our Christmas chocolates but now we make just as many.

The cooking is my favourite thing, I think. Christmas really does start in the kitchen for us.