OMG!! Christmas is in 23 Days!!!

Well, Santa may actually be in town already (just check your local mall) but he'll be at my house (and yours!) in just 23 days and a couple of hours!! So how ready are you?

I've scheduled PANIC to begin on Saturday of this week. I don't have time for it until then. I need to post a holiday shipping deadline in my shop tomorrow, right after I post some more holiday merchandise. I'm definitely behind schedule on getting some things into the shop. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for last-minute shoppers.

If you're an online seller, have you gotten all your merchandise listed yet? Don't forget to note a shipping deadline for holiday arrivals.

Last year, I received an order five days before Christmas! (Well after my cut-off date as posted.) I emailed the buyer and told her I would do my best but could not guarantee on-time arrival at that point. (I did not offer any over-night shipping last year and have not decided to do it this year either. In most cases, overnight costs more than my products.) I then found I had trouble obtaining the appropriate garment to paint in the requested size. With no time to dye the garment, I ended up making a last-minute color substitution and was unable to take the time to get customer approval first. I sent a note along, stating I tried to find an acceptable substitution but wanted them to have something for their child to open on Christmas Day. If they did not want the alternative color, please return it - unused - and I would replace it with the originally requested color and refund any return shipping costs. Turns out they loved it anyway!

I've still got quite a few items to photograph and get listed. Most still need a finishing touch or two. The good news is, I'm behind schedule due to working on existing orders. After all, a sale's a sale! My offline sales (mostly repeat buyers) have been satisfying this season but my online business has been disappointing.

Beginning Saturday, I also need to kick it in gear as far as my own shopping list goes. We have to ship a fair number of our own outgoing gifts and, since I make most, I need to get busy, get them done, packed and mailed.

Did I mention I haven't started decorating or baking yet? The good news is, I have a reindeer collection, currently numbering a little over 500 deer. Many stay on display year-round in curio cabinets and shelves around the house. So I'm always a little decorated for the holiday! I have actually scheduled candy making day. To be precise, that's the day I have a little help. Other families gather to bake cookies together, I have the girls help with the general and easier candies for an afternoon. I then spend a number of days working on all the rest myself! Candy comes first. If I have time, then I make cookies.

These tree ornaments are some of my newest listings. They measure 5" tall and look so cute piled on my table in a mound. I was tempted to use a photo of the pile for the listings but didn't want to waste a detail shot.

I also made some that can be personalized. My mom began a tradition of giving each of the children a special ornament each year that was their very own. Although she made many beautiful ones herself, she usually bought fancy, unique glass ornaments. I still have some of those despite the tree falling over several times in the last decade or so. I've lost many beloved ornaments that way!

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!)