And It's On: GoooooOOO CHRISTMAS!

I cannot believe it's December 2. Mainly, this is because I now have license to full on finish my shopping, as well as to decorate my house in the red and green and silver and pine obnoxiousness that I have been envisioning since we moved in.

You see, this year, we have a fireplace. I now have matching stockings for our family (VERY critical) and I get to buy those cute silver thingees that sit on the mantel to hang the stockings from. (A nickel to anyone who knows their official name?) I see a festive trip to the Target Christmas crap aisle in my future.

I also now feel fully licensed to indulge my impulse to rush out and buy a tree this week. And to begin "gently urging" my husband to put up lights. (I actually got butterflies in my stomach last night contemplating this: we get to develop a NEW lighting scheme. What we did on Suffolk was always kinda, eh.)

Anyway, I'm thinking this isn't too early because I've seen trees through windows, lights on houses, wreaths on porches, all around my neighborhood and on our drive home from Warrensburg from Thanksgiving. Even though my husband thinks me, and they, are all nuts. I suspect his preference would be stringing lights up around the 22nd and having Santa help take them down on the 25th.

In addition, although I have about half my shopping done, this reminds me, GAH, I have about half left. Which seemed so manageable until I now factor in work getting busier the next couple weeks, including a 3 day biz trip (sigh: guess that stupid wood knocking doesn't work after all). And that my LeBaige family Christmas will be early on the 20th.

We may be in a recession, but my Capital One card will not know that as I work its little butt off next few weeks.

True Spirit of the Holidays: Online Shopping

I just placed an online PB Kids order I've contemplated for weeks. One item was a slam dunk - needed a fourth matching stocking for baby Rachel. We bought three for us and Matthew last year and I did it because I knew the collection would continue to be around. Rachel and I are both two kinds of whimsical reindeers, to Daddy's skiing Santa and Matthew's train. Clearly fuzzy mammals win out as the cutest (stick with me, baby girl).

After much debate, I also ponied up for the cute monogrammed, coordinating duffle bags. I realize it might be "not necessary" given I could find perfectly functional and probably even cute ones at say, Target. But they wouldn't be as nice quality most likely and they also certainly wouldn't have their cute little names stitched on them. God knows if you put an R or M on anything these days, I'll buy it.

As luck has it one was like 50% off and so that balanced out the other one being a bit pricey and so I feel I've done my job as a cost conscious consumer (and made husband a tad less Christmas crazy).

I realize that "spending money on children's non-mandatory holiday stuff" order shouldn't qualify as holiday spirit. But dammit if I don't feel festive (and happy I can cross one thing off my ever expanding To Do list).

Happy Turkey Day, all!