The Holiday Season Will Be Upon Us

While Halloween is still weeks away, and Thanksgiving a month later, and last check, it is still 74 days until Christmas Eve, prepping for the season is upon me. My nephews should be hitting me up for wreaths. I  buy one from them each year-they are lovely and full of great smell. The Boy Scouts get a tidy profit directly to their own account. I'm not thrilled about buying their popcorn though. It is underwhelming flavor wise at best, and we've had some truly awful stuff. At my sister's Saturday, a boy came to her house and she bought a smallish bag of caramel corn-for $30!

YouTube is filled with Dollar Tree Christmas stock, and most of the "good" things will be sold out so if anyone has a DIY need, or just wants a bit of sprucing their existing Christmas stash, sounds like regular pop ins should be made. I'm all set in that department, as I did pick up materials over the years for some projects on clearance. DD2 is on a budget for her friend gift giving. I need to figure out where those items were placed and start setting aside some time with her, but I know I have several clear containers and Christmas stencils and sponge stick ons to make thrifty and practical gifts containing treats, hair ponies, lip and nail products-similar stuff to my advent calendar. She and her friends give token gifts-none have money other than from odd babysitting or other jobs as they are so involved with school activities, but she is in so many groups that do exchanges. Finding and organizing all will take until November I'm sure.

I'm not much of a crafter, but every now and then a project idea comes my way that even I can't mess up. I  found an idea for all the wine corks I've been saving. Actually, there's been a few ideas, but I think these these are absolutely adorable. Instead of painting the ends, I saw on Facebook ones with fabric or perhaps it was wrapping paper glued on the end and they were much cuter. I'm going to put the word out now for scraps from my sewing and quilting friends as each end needs such a tiny amount of fabric. 

I need to spend at least one of my vacation mornings sorting through gifts I have already purchased during the year, making sure as I prepare a shopping list I don't re-buy items for the same people. I think DD1 and DD2 are pretty well set, maybe a wished for item a piece still. With the goal of a trip next summer, gift giving will be lean financially,  but every one's on board. 

I know many readers are not into all the fluff and bother of the holidays due to their own belief system, personal preferences, or just tired of the ordeal. I understand and respect that. I'm a Christmas geek though, love all things leading up to it, including the corny music and sappy movies. I like bringing treats to work and when meeting up with friends. I like my home filled with red and green and tinsel and bells. While I think the stores push things way too early-Thanksgiving would be my preferred shopping start, the prepping mindset really starts for me in October.