Thinking About Christmas

Also... thank you for the wonderful book rec's! I need to pick up a couple. :)

This post is so timely. Just like getting the foundation pages done before December so we can jump right in. Get our boxes and stuff done before hand so we can enjoy what we got during the holidays. I intend every year to dejunk the book box, etc. Who wants to do that during or after the holidays? No one, you are right!
Do the kids like the smencils? Those smelly pencils. They come in holiday fragrances too.

The last few years I've started early as well. I keep track in an Excel spreadsheet, so I can see my spending and keep links handy as I find things. I start collecting ideas as early as summertime. I'm about halfway through my shopping this year and have almost everyone accounted for for ideas. Our nieces and nephews (variously) are getting striped pjs (thanks for the inspiration!), a video game to share, and the annual tradition of a new ornament (possibly handmade this year). I keep the holidays low-key, gift-wise, and make birthdays a bigger event. We have a wide age range to shop for (6 kids), which makes it so much more fun. :D

I checked out your Pinterest board. That Lego Star Wars Death Star is awesome!!! I know two boys that would FLIP over it!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

Thanks for the post. Needed a gift for my nephews birthday which is a few weeks away so ordered the personalized book. Not sure what has kicked Christmas in to high gear for me this year, but I want to get as much done ahead of time and thinking about ways to accomplish that...like decorating small trees and keeping them in the basement until December, etc.

I always loved finding personalized pencils in my Christmas stocking. As others have posted, I have an unusual name, so there was nothing available if it wasn't special ordered. I think I'm going to order myself some to have on my desk at work!

Have definately started here. With my husbands family overseas and in a different hemisphere, I often pick up gifts quite early and have them on hand ready to post early. I have several gifts sorted; Christmas cards ready (just need to write our annual letter); have the foundation for a "year-in-review" album I do for my in'laws every year and am now looking at what crafts/gifts I wish to make. I am LOVING Pinterest!

Have you received the email that is going around about choosing Christmas gifts that are made in America or that benefit small U.S. businesses (like car repair places, barber shops, local bakeries, etc). I hope you will consider using them for your Christmas gifts. Doing so you can help our country's economic recovery instead of buying things made in China.

I have one gift already - my youngest wants underwater goggles with a camera in the goggles - it arrived last week. I have two groupon's for photos and I'm going to pick photos that each girl took last year on vacation and have them for their rooms. I am never this early in getting gifts but trying to spread the expense out so that it isn't painful in January. Gift cards are going to be helpful with teenagers. No ideas for my husband yet because he always buys what he wants, when he wants it. We always struggle to get him gifts.

Ali, I love the personalized books. I have some great-nieces and nephews that would love these and it would be a keepsake instead of a toy that would soon disappear. I plan on ordering some this week.
Thanks for the info.

I do the same thing.....plan to sort through and thin out then just want it all put away when the time comes. Hoping to go through some of it this weekend and next while the men in my life are gone hunting. We'll see if I actually do it.....kind of not ready just yet to hear Christmas music and see holiday decor. I've barely finished cleaning up from the Halloween party!!

Well over thjis side of the pond I don't have thanksgiving to distract! I'm a food way into the list of presents I plan to make. and my 3 year old is already busy threading beads for his grandmas, aunties etc to make bracelets! I've done my DD and last night I made an advent calendar... so yes, I'm having fun. It's Christmas cards that are looming large here at the moment. I want to make them with my son this year but I can't get my head around it! And I need them first...

what a awesome personal book! I want try to make it with my husband and my son :D

Personalized pencils are the best. Am going to make a paper chain today, I just love those things.

I remember personalized pencils! And books! This year I may actually pull stuff out on Black Friday and get things going, not sure. I'm hoping to do a December Daily, which will be new for me and I'm afraid I won't have much to put in it since it's just the two of us and occassionally Sarah. It would have been fun to record stuff from when they were younger -- like you are able to do, but instead of making memories we can recall memories, distill them, what we liked, what worked, what didn't. Should be fun! So far I've made a card set for beloved spouse, number 1 son and number 1 daughter; he has an extremely expensive pen for endorsing, she got an almost as expensive bag from Coach; then there is the traditional socks and underwear (which began as a coal in the stocking kind of thing when they sounded greedy one year and has turned into a much counted on gift, although Sarah reached an age where opening underwear in front of her brother and dad was no longer fun so she gets a Victoria's Secret gift card... and books.