50 sleeps!!
- Thread starter zchristy
- Start date
I've got cards to mail, family picture to take, a bit more gift buying ... but that's going very well, wrapping, cooking & decorating.
I have so much to do yet. I need to start writing my cards, and I have not wrapped one gift yet. As far as baking goes I have a schedule for that and I share baking with my mum so that should be OK. I might grab a few cards and start writing on those tonight while I wait up for DD.
My plans are coming along nicely! I have 6 kinds of cookie dough in the freezer, my gift shopping is about 80% finished, I have my menus done and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I am buying something every week from my master grocery shopping list. I have to buy my husband's gifts. I know what I'm getting him just need to pick them up. I still have 2 people from work to get gifts for. I just can't decide on what to get them. I am looking forward to decorating in a couple of weeks. We decided we are going to start a little earlier this year and spread it out because it is a lot of work to try to do over Thanksgiving weekend. I don't think I've been this on top of things before!
I'm not baking cookies this year, instead I'm making sweet breads. So pumpkin this month and lemon poppyseed next month. When I'm making the pumpkin bread this weekend, I'm going to measure out the dry ingredients for the December bread as well.
I have a new part time employee at work and I just came right out and asked him if he'd work the shift on a Sunday, so I can take the rest of the employees out to dinner. Sounds kinda bad, but my business can never close. The last few years, we've had a potluck and a little get together at the office, but I always feel like it's one more thing I need to prep for and I just want to go OUT! So hopefully he'll go for it. He's not real spiritual, doesn't really believe in the Christianity, so I figured what the heck..wouldn't hurt to ask. If he goes for it, I'll take a deep breath and be thankful it's one less thing I have to worry about.
I have a new part time employee at work and I just came right out and asked him if he'd work the shift on a Sunday, so I can take the rest of the employees out to dinner. Sounds kinda bad, but my business can never close. The last few years, we've had a potluck and a little get together at the office, but I always feel like it's one more thing I need to prep for and I just want to go OUT! So hopefully he'll go for it. He's not real spiritual, doesn't really believe in the Christianity, so I figured what the heck..wouldn't hurt to ask. If he goes for it, I'll take a deep breath and be thankful it's one less thing I have to worry about.
I have soo much to get done. but am not fretting.... I am going to do a few cards tonight, as my nieces & nephews love helping aunt Dawn do things like that.. My kids use to do it, when they were younger. but kind of out grown that.. lol
am going to try and get some wrapping done this upcoming week. as I am unemployed now,... But its all going to come out ok... may God bless
:snowman:
am going to try and get some wrapping done this upcoming week. as I am unemployed now,... But its all going to come out ok... may God bless
:snowman:
Most of my major shopping is done, except for my 18mo old and my DH. I have ZERO ideas for both of them. I have 2 boys, so everything that I think of that the 18mo old might like, we already have (more or less). How many cars/trains/crayons do we really need? I'm worried bacause my 5yo keeps asking what Santa is going to bring his baby brother!
My biggest stress right now is getting the boys' picture taken for our cards. It needs to happen next week. We send out over 200 cards...I have a huge family (61 first cousins) so it takes forever to write them all out.
I have not decided on a theme for my Christmas boxes and need to get that done ASAP (I've done the 12 days, Christmas movies, legends/traditions, Christmas around the world, songs, favorite websites...) I can't think of anything new &/or interesting. HELP!
I've started wrapping the stocking stuffers and gifts.
I don't usually bake until December and then its a marathon session or two with my mom.
That's it on my end...how is everyone else doing?
My biggest stress right now is getting the boys' picture taken for our cards. It needs to happen next week. We send out over 200 cards...I have a huge family (61 first cousins) so it takes forever to write them all out.
I have not decided on a theme for my Christmas boxes and need to get that done ASAP (I've done the 12 days, Christmas movies, legends/traditions, Christmas around the world, songs, favorite websites...) I can't think of anything new &/or interesting. HELP!
I've started wrapping the stocking stuffers and gifts.
I don't usually bake until December and then its a marathon session or two with my mom.
That's it on my end...how is everyone else doing?
I have most of my shopping done except for my boys and dh. Me and my husband plan on going Friday to finish everyone's but the boys. I always do that on black Friday. But I am always done shopping the 1st. week-end in December. I love the last minute shopping, and my kids are 21 and 22 so i don't have to look for that hot toy item of the year. I will not do my baking til the 2cd. week of December. I think I may do my Christmas cards this week and get that out of the way. I have alot to do but have also got alot already done.:elf:
After seeing 50 days. I'm feeling some kind of way. Not sure what.
Gift list is getting shorter by the week. I may be finished before my deadline. I too can't wait to start decorating. Christmas cards are all done and ready to go in the mail December 1st. Next week I'll be shopping for baking ingredients so I can get started on making my cookie dough.
Snickerdoodle how do you have your dough stored in the freezer? This will be my first time making cookie dough in advance.
Oh and I'll be looking for another microwave as mine's has decided not to work any longer. What perfect timing.
Better get dressed. I'm going to hit a couple of stores today. Hope I find something good.
Gift list is getting shorter by the week. I may be finished before my deadline. I too can't wait to start decorating. Christmas cards are all done and ready to go in the mail December 1st. Next week I'll be shopping for baking ingredients so I can get started on making my cookie dough.
Snickerdoodle how do you have your dough stored in the freezer? This will be my first time making cookie dough in advance.
Oh and I'll be looking for another microwave as mine's has decided not to work any longer. What perfect timing.
Better get dressed. I'm going to hit a couple of stores today. Hope I find something good.
I am getting a little further ahead every day. I have a baking day scheduled for this coming Thursday where my mum and I will get quite a bit crossed off the list. Wrapped DH gifts yesterday so that is done. As far as the gift buying goes I think I am about set. I need to buy Gift cards for the 4 nieces and nephews and that is it. Have gotten everything off the kids wish list so that makes me feel good.
A few more wrapping days, and then I can start decorating. Looking good so far, but then we should be after so much preparation.
A few more wrapping days, and then I can start decorating. Looking good so far, but then we should be after so much preparation.
Aggy, I just mix up the dough and form the cookies as if I were going to bake them. I put them in the freezer for a couple of hours on a cookie sheet to kind of flash freeze them. Then I take them out of the freezer and put them into the gallon size Ziploc Freezer bags in a single layer and put them back in the freezer. If they are in a single layer you can stack the bags in the freezer. Then in Dec. I can bake them as needed to either have at home or take places. I still need to do gingerbreadmen and sugar cookies and cookies from the cookie press. I will have them all cut out and ready to bake and just use the above process. I read about this method probably 20 years ago in a book about freezing and I have been doing it ever since. I have them like this all year around. That way they are freshly baked and no one could ever tell they were frozen. I have never frozen fudge but I am going to try it this year just to see how it is.
We are getting there in this house. I have over 75% of the gifts organised at this stage, and I am working on the final crafting one this week again.
I have organised the cleaning company to come in and thoroughly clean the house once the builders are finished in about 3 weeks - I will finalise the date once they can tell me more clearly an end date. But we are actually on top of the clutter for once ourselves!!
I won't decorate either until builders are gone and house cleaned. But I have all the decorations easy to access in the storage unit (there is loads of junk there that I need to get rid of later too - car boot sales in January are the plan).
I started my cards on Wednesday. I think i have enough, and I have made some. I can make some more if I need to pretty quickly.
I am using up stuff in the freezer and storecupboards to do a large shop up North in December. I just used up the last of 2009's cookie dough logs 2 weeks ago for a school bake sale, but I don't really have room to replenish yet. I won't have to make as much this year though. And I want to make some sweets too, but they will be later into December as well.
The only thing I am worried about is the social calendar. DH has a bit of travelling to do in Dec (he put some on hold in Nov for the builders) and we don't have dates for school events or the "Santa Train" yet, although the kiddies party at work is booked now. Neither of us have lunches arranged at work, but that will get done at some stage and hopefully won't clash.
I haven't started wrapping yet either, but the gifts and wrappings are all in the storage unit for the building work, to keep the chaos to a minimum. I will be OK on that though, as I'll get DD to help one afternoon (cutting tape) and I will spend a couple of evenings after dinner doing the rest.
I have organised the cleaning company to come in and thoroughly clean the house once the builders are finished in about 3 weeks - I will finalise the date once they can tell me more clearly an end date. But we are actually on top of the clutter for once ourselves!!
I won't decorate either until builders are gone and house cleaned. But I have all the decorations easy to access in the storage unit (there is loads of junk there that I need to get rid of later too - car boot sales in January are the plan).
I started my cards on Wednesday. I think i have enough, and I have made some. I can make some more if I need to pretty quickly.
I am using up stuff in the freezer and storecupboards to do a large shop up North in December. I just used up the last of 2009's cookie dough logs 2 weeks ago for a school bake sale, but I don't really have room to replenish yet. I won't have to make as much this year though. And I want to make some sweets too, but they will be later into December as well.
The only thing I am worried about is the social calendar. DH has a bit of travelling to do in Dec (he put some on hold in Nov for the builders) and we don't have dates for school events or the "Santa Train" yet, although the kiddies party at work is booked now. Neither of us have lunches arranged at work, but that will get done at some stage and hopefully won't clash.
I haven't started wrapping yet either, but the gifts and wrappings are all in the storage unit for the building work, to keep the chaos to a minimum. I will be OK on that though, as I'll get DD to help one afternoon (cutting tape) and I will spend a couple of evenings after dinner doing the rest.
Wow! We're at 50!! I'm so excited. I still have a few things I need to take care of around the house and I am going to try to take care of it this week after work. I also have this Thursday off from work so I think I'm going to try to finish everything by then. Some of the things I need DH to help with so hopefully it will be finished this Thursday. I still need to finish off my gift shopping. I have a good part of it done and at least I know what I need to buy. I buy my electronics in November because they extend their return policy to a generous return from Nov to the end of January also, they allow price adjustments if anything goes on sale. I can't beat that... I'm behind in my baking and freezing this year as my freezer is full!!My oldest DS sent a generous gift of Omaha meats and it took up the extra room I had set aside for holiday freezing. I need to get my Christmas cards done by Thanksgiving. After that, there is very little time to get them done and out...Just writing this all down has me motivated to get it all done!!!
i LOVE reading about everyone's accomplishments.. and plans!!!! We are all one big extended-family of Christmas Magic-Makers!!!!!!
Thanks Snickerdoodle. I will try that this week. I'm off Thursday and Friday so I will have plenty of time.
Tomorrow the painters are coming by to paint the ceiling in my livingroom. I have water stains from the heavy rain we got a few months ago. Those darn squirrels. Now my apartment will really look nice for the holidays.
Tomorrow the painters are coming by to paint the ceiling in my livingroom. I have water stains from the heavy rain we got a few months ago. Those darn squirrels. Now my apartment will really look nice for the holidays.
And me!!!! My plans are coming together nicely
I've days out and shopping trips organised. Most of my gifts are sorted out. I love this time of year. The calmness before the seasonal storm!!!!!!!!
Found three more gifts that I can scratch off my list, today. Also bought all my baking ingredients.
Tommorw I need to pick up a video game for one of my nephews. It hits store shelves tomorrow: Call of Duty - Black Ops. Not sure what it's about but it seems to be a hot item. So much so that someone robbed a Game Stop store today and grabbed all of them as well as some other games and gaming systems. (Shaking my head)
Tommorw I need to pick up a video game for one of my nephews. It hits store shelves tomorrow: Call of Duty - Black Ops. Not sure what it's about but it seems to be a hot item. So much so that someone robbed a Game Stop store today and grabbed all of them as well as some other games and gaming systems. (Shaking my head)