37 Days and Counting - Christmas is rushing this way!

And the count rolls on -- 37 days and counting (fast).

I'm not ready. I keep fighting the urge to hit the "panic button" already. (There'll be plenty of time for that later.) Maybe someone could come up with an "Easy" button like that big office supply box store offers. That way we could avoid the panic and just sit back and enjoy the season.

The week before Thanksgiving is significant because it's my week to prepare for the holiday prep rush. Would that be more accurately referred to as Pre-Preparing?

I give a lot of homemade candy and baked goods as gifts so my kitchen needs to be ready for production line candy making and baking. I need the proper supplies and need to be able to locate all the dishes, pans, utensils, etc. quickly and easily. I spent today organizing my cabinets for smoother operation. A long as I was at it, I changed the shelf paper, too. I began my shopping list for candy supplies. Tomorrow, I need to inventory the baking supplies and review the recipes so I can round out that grocery list. I need to organize the refrigerator so I have at least two open shelves with enough room to cool candy.

Also, in preparation for the holiday rush and confusion, I try to stockpile some quick dinners that can simply be whipped out and thrown in the oven. Normally, I have some containers of jambalaya, gumbo, crab soup, pulled pork and stuffed shells on hand in the freezer. But stock of these is a little low at the moment. This, I need to work on this week. I also need to lay in supplies of the ingredients for some quick dips and other finger foods as we often have small impromptu get-togethers with our friends or get invited out at the last minute. I hate to go to someone's home empty-handed. Looks like I'll be spending some time in the grocery stores in the next few days.

I have some heavy-duty cleaning to do before I start decorating the house. I usually wash all my drapes before hanging my garlands, wreaths and such. I really wanted to whip up some new curtains for my living room but, realistically, it doesn't look like a good move. (This has been on my "To Do" list since this time last year.)

Every year, I swear I'll get those Christmas cards addressed "early" and get them in the mail before the last possible day. (Yes, I HAVE mailed some on Christmas Eve. Heck, I've even thrown some in the box on the 26th! ) Growing up, I wanted to be just like one of my aunts. She always spent the Thanksgiving holiday addressing her cards and mailed them the following Monday. To do that, I need to dig out at least one box of Christmas stuff to determine how many cards I have left from last year and what I need to pick up. (I already have my doubts about accomplishing this before then!)

I did hope to be almost overwhelmed with sales by now. That just isn't happening. I'm getting a nice flow of sales - mostly offline, but nothing overwhelming. I don't know whether to worry that they'll all come at the same time and definitely cause panic or if I should just accept this leisurely pace and just be grateful to have the opportunity to get our personal holiday needs taken care. (I do lean toward wanting the sales, though!)

The biggest problem with pre-Christmas planning is the fact that our lives don't stand still in the meantime to let us do all those things. We still have things like birthdays, appointments, Fall yard work, church and business obligations and other pulls on our daily schedules. Many of us travel or entertain through the Thanksgiving weekend. We simply squeeze Christmas preps in around these.

Like tomorrow, I plan to get outside and rake (again) and, hopefully, clean up the last of the flower beds. Then, I'll come in and throw some fresh paint on my yard reindeer. You know the kind - they're cut from plywood and pack up flat for storage. Mine are simply painted white but their paint has gotten a bit weather worn over the last few seasons. They definitely need some sprucing up. I also need to find them some spiffy new bows. I like the large red plastic ones usually available in the Dollar Store.

Hope your pre-holiday prep plans are going smoothly. (FYI - 37 days = only 5 weekends!)