Ho-Ho-Ho

Clutter, clutter.... everywhere.

Elle has up a lovely post about enjoying the season. Go read it, I'll wait.

Ok, are you back?

Now you can go read what my darling apartment therapy has to say.

Now... for my thoughts. In an orderly, numbered list. I like to have a plan.

1. The gifts. I keep a running list (in excel, of course) of gift ideas. For me, for family, or just in general. Then, in October or so, I set the budget. The budget, this year, she is slim. Slim and sexy and wearing a little black dress... that's our budget.

2. The cards. This year we are skipping the usual holiday form letter. Just a photo card. From Costco. I ordered it online and bought the stamps there when I picked up the photos. I do the labels on the computer (don't tell Martha... tacky, tacky...) from an (you guessed it) excel spreadsheet.

3. The shopping. I try to shop all year. I follow the budget advice of several frugal websites. I hit cvs the weekend after T-day and got some good stuff for the stockings. I try. I try. My big and brilliant goal is this: Don't go in a store more than once in December. Sounds so simple, doesn't it? (Ok, I confess... there is an exception.... I MUST go to Costco more than once in a month. Must. But I've only been once so far.)

4. The decor. This year we went simple. And we tried to "take down" as much as we "put up" for decorations. The result is a lovely decorated home that doesn't make me want to scream for lack of empty surfaces. Trips to the potty at night are no longer an obstacle course of wooden sleighs and santa-men. It looks great. And my hope is I can take this stuff down after the holidays and NOT PUT BACK anything else. Wish me luck.

5. The packages. I don't mail any gifts. At all. And I've been wrapping & tagging as I go so I'm in pretty good shape. And I have a decent stash of gift bags for Hot's last minute wrapping fest.

6. The food. I make fudge. It is what I do. Everyone gets fudge. It's easy. I also do a little caramel corn. Maybe caramels if I'm feeling crazy... but mostly just fudge. And for pot luck stuff I make spinach salad or shrimp dip. Maybe some fruit dip. But nothing fancy. And I buy Yellowtail Shiraz in the big bottle at Costco for unplanned festivities. What's not to love about that?

7. The parties. Skipped. We each have a work party. Hot's was cancelled due to the extreme cold we are having and mine will be snacks & drinks from 6-8 on Friday. Simple.

8. The inspiration. Every year I save the December issues of whatever glorious decorating magazines I have. Then for the holidays I get them all out of the decorations box and flip through them. It's fun for me. I also collect all of the holiday and winter-themed books we have and put them on the empty shelf on the book case. The kids love reading them before bed.

9. The fun. We sled. A lot. Down the driveway for beginners. Down the big hill for the brave. Behind the 4-wheeler for the adventurous. Even if this year's Christmas Eve HIGH temp is predicted to be a balmy -9F. Yes... the high. (The low? -43F.... PLUS WINDCHILL.) We make snowmen and play fox-n-geese. We make snow forts and snow angels. We eat snow with maple syrup for dessert. We drink a lot of hot chocolate (with real whip cream) and eat a lot of popcorn and fudge. My kids are little so just making a pan of fudge is cause for an all-out celebration. We made a gingerbread house from a kit (clearance from last year) and it was a blast. Kae recommends frosting graham crackers on the outside of a small creamer carton and decorating it. I'm already planning to make mine a gingerbread outhouse.