October Rudy Day

[luludou]

Don't forget the OC rudolph plan for October!
http://organizedchristmas.com/rudolph-club/october


Ooops! we're in september!
Here's the september OC rudolph plan
http://organizedchristmas.com/rudolph-club/september

 

[SparkleNana]

Have you been seeing signs of Halloween?

This weekend, several houses in my neighborhood decorated for Halloween! To me -- any and all decorations are great. But these houses must be inhabited by Martha Stewart! They had beautiful, elegant, tasteful decorations arranged around their front entrances! Believe me --- NOBODY would DARE say "It's too early" for these decorations!

So -- I took that as the OK for me to put out decorations! In fact, I would have put decorations out on October 1st -- if I hadn't had the (mild) flu!

At the local CVS -- Halloween things are already marked 25% or 33% off. And -- I saw Christmas things put out in the aisles today!

I am watching for sales on candy. I have just seen them "full price" so far.

You know, Halloween is on Saturday today. And our October Rudolph Day is --- what? Sunday? That sure looks like a Rudy Day Weekend in October for me! How about you?

 

[SparkleNana]

Hey --- I apologize! My last post was a lot about Halloween. And -- this is the RUDY DAY THREAD!

This is a tricky month --- as my last post showed! Many of us LOVE Halloween! Love it! But -- the day after Halloween -- November 1st --- is sort of the start of the "speeding-train" that rushes us right to Christmas Day!

Time begins to go fast on September 1st. But September is a turtle crawl compared to November!

AND --- as I keep pointing out to you -- I have HAD the flu. (Still weak - maybe 35% of strength back.) The flu can throw a huge roadblock up stopping your Christmas prep!!!!

SO - October really should be FULL of Christmas Prep. But.... we LOVE Halloween. So.....

What do you think?

 

[Cathymac]

I'm so glad to hear (read?) that I'm not the only one who struggles with the Halloween/Christmas issues. I am smack in the middle of getting ready for the Boo!Bash3, but Christmas is a-coming no matter if we have a big party on October 24 or not. So, in the midst of all of the pumpkins and ghosts, I AM thinking about silver bells and sugarplums!

I'm thinking that on October Rudy day, I'll have the party behind me and can turn my attention to Christmas, at least for that one day, until time to start preparing for Thanksgiving!! LOL!!

 

[printersdevil]

I agree on the speeding time toward Christmas. I am so into the final plans and the start of transforming my house decor to Halloween, that I haven't had time (or money) to think about Christmas. I really have to get moving. We have the two little ones with us this year, so I have some serious planning and prep to do.

Sparklenana, I hope you are feeling better.

 

[jackfrosty]

Printersdevil-What wonderful fun you are making for the little ones!
SparkleNana-feel better!
I'm hoping to finish the Halloween planning and organizing this week so I can put a greater focus on the Joy of Christmas!

 

[auntieclaus]

Yep, Halloween is fast approaching, but things will really speed up now! If you have time, pop on by my blog!

 

[AuntJamelle]

I'm very excited for Halloween this year!!! I'm looking forward to decorating our campsite and I've been stocking up on candy too!

I also have picked up some cute Halloween paper plates and napkins to take camping with us - just for fun!

I hope we get lots of trick-or-treaters at our site! It is supposed to be crazy busy at this campground on Halloween so it should be fun!

This Rudy Day I want to finish Christmas Cards! If I work on them here and there in the evenings all month long, I should be able to do a final push on that date! I've got a good start already!

 

[ChristmasPir8]

I want to fix up my Christmas notebook. I had a different one I used last year that was portable and I like it ok to keep w/ me but now i have a 3 ring binder to keep from yr to yr. It's very plain so I want to better organize the pages and cricut stuff for the front cover and tabs.

 

[MamaCat]

Something happen?

Did I miss something when the boards were down awhile back & then came back? Seems like most of the posts are several weeks old--did we move to new site or something? Usually the site is hopping--especially the closer we get to the holidays!

 

[SparkleNana]

Hi MamaCat -- welll.......... I , for one, am not "hopping" yet! I want to....... and maybe tomorrow will be the day I really begin to be hopping! "Tomorrow...... tomorrrow........ I love you, tomorrow............"

Real life has just been getting in the darn way! Perhaps.... it is that way for everyone!

I HAVE begun to put up the "outside" Halloween decorations. I decorate the bushes on the walkway on the side of our house. I think this adds to the "holiday magic".

Last year - a woman that I thought was a HORRIBLE curmudgeon -- told me that she LOVED the Halloween decorations!!!!
And - another woman - that I had never met - told me at a party that -- "You really make a difference with those Halloween decorations".

So I am DEFINITELY keeping up with them. For the past several days, I have added new decorations each day. Tomorrow - the old decorations come down from the attic! And the decorations continue!

You know -- the whole world is changing rapidly! With the world-wide recession! With the world-wide internet! 24-hour world-wide TV. We are all just holding on for the ride! And of course --- US - our MMH Family -- we are holding on to the magic!

So -- enjoy the ride! We are all in this together!

 

[aggy]

So true SparkleNana. I was in the kitchen earlier today when I turned to walk out I glanced at the calendar. Do you realize this month is nearly half over. I suddenly felt like I was going to start freaking out as I was thinking about all that I still need to do.

 

[SparkleNana]

Aggy - Yes! We need to be sprinkled with Magic Christmas Dust -- or SOMETHING! It is extremely frustrating to use Baby Steps!

Well -- ds2 and ddil2 brought all the Halloween decorations down from the attic! Aaaahhh! It is very satisfying to see the stuffed black plastic trash bags - and the neat bankers' boxes.

Dh said "Is that ALL Halloween decorations?" I SAID ---- "I HAVE BEEN COLLECTING THEM FOR YEARS! At Clearance Sales. Don't you SEE them outside in the bushes?" Dh retreated, apologizing!

TODAY - I set out two six-feet tall, very cute ghosts on poles. One on each side of our front walkway. They have cute faces -- and bodies made of lots of gauzy material that sparkles in the sunlight! Quite divine!

Then, in the bushes, I added three fat, stuffed ghosts dressed in satin -- with "BOO" in big black letters on theirs chests. (A real find at the dollar store one year). Underneath them, stuck in the dirt, is a ceramic ghost about the same size. I like to put decorations at all heights -- so tiny children in strollers can enjoy them -- as well as tall adults hurrying by!

Also - for this year -- a fabulous Block Party is being set up on Halloween afternoon -- one street over! Bliss! I don't have to do all the work -- and I get to enjoy it! (I DID send an email to the organizer -- offering to help. But she graciously replied that I had organized block parties for many years -- and didn't have to do ANY work on this one!)

So -- I feel that Halloween is actually in good shape. I have already bought BIG bags of candy - like 200 pieces in each big bag! Lots of variety for the candy bowl. I bought four -- and I will buy more candy. You NEVER have too much candy. You can use it for Thanksgiving AND Christmas!

Tanksgiving is still up in the air -- since the divine woman who has held huge festive Thanksgiving dinners is going away this year. (Who can blame her? Exhaustion!) So -- today -- I will send a SECOND gentle email to dd -- asking about her plans. (Would she like to have a special Thanksgiving at her dmil's in another state -- since Christmas will be very chaotic for her dmil this year? Or what?)

Meanwhile, I have Plan B. Which is: delicious food here. To share with ds#2 and ddil#2 -- who both often have to work on Thanksgiving! And a relaxing day, snuggling and watching football with dh! Reading. And getting a HEAD START on decorating the Christmas Tree! Oh joy!

Well. Talk to you later.

 

[DebbiGall]

Would you believe this is the first Thanksgiving I will have at my house? And I am 54 years old? I have always wanted to do it at my house but the rest of the family has always decided where to do it; and it was never my turn. Any who last year after driving for two hours to get to my niece’s house only to find out that they had already eaten and there was nothing left to eat? DS2 and I talked about it, and decided that we would start having TK at my house since it has been years since DS1 had felt welcome with the rest of the family and refuses to join them. And we really miss having him with us.
It is hard for me to drive that far with my back so bad, and we don’t really feel welcome, so we will stat doing it at my house and making our own traditions. And since neither one of them is married yet. We will have our traditions in place when they start having kids.

 

[christmasallyear]

Would you believe this is the first Thanksgiving I will have at my house? And I am 54 years old? I have always wanted to do it at my house but the rest of the family has always decided where to do it; and it was never my turn. Any who last year after driving for two hours to get to my niece’s house only to find out that they had already eaten and there was nothing left to eat? DS2 and I talked about it, and decided that we would start having TK at my house since it has been years since DS1 had felt welcome with the rest of the family and refuses to join them. And we really miss having him with us.
It is hard for me to drive that far with my back so bad, and we don’t really feel welcome, so we will stat doing it at my house and making our own traditions. And since neither one of them is married yet. We will have our traditions in place when they start having kids.

That is terrible! You drove two hours and they insulted you like that?

I don't blame you for deciding to celebrate at home. Enjoy all the new traditions you are about to embark on!

 

[SparkleNana]

DebbieGall -- I am very very happy that you will be having a wonderful Thanksgiving at home, with your two beloved sons! Please be sure to have some special foods that each one of you chooses! Yum. And lots of leftovers to enjoy!

 

[aggy]

Good for you Debbiegall! Something like that would have made me so mad I would have told them a few things. Why waste your time and suffer with pain to spend time with those who make you feel unwelcome. Then they didn't save you a plate knowing that you were coming. If there was a specific time they could have at least told you. (Sorry for my rant).

Here's to having a true Happy Thanksgiving. Let the traditions begin!

 

[printersdevil]

Good for you Debbie and sons! You will have some great new traditions this year. Shame on your relatives for treating you this way.

 

[SparkleNana]

It is getting colder here --- which is exciting for Rudy Day! (For those in warm areas -- that might be the day to treat yourself to an extra high setting on the air conditioner!!!!)

And - plan something really easy for dinner - or for dinnerS if this becomes a Rudy Day Weekend!

There was a really good suggestion to look at the "special events" on your calendar for November and December -- and figure out how much money each one of those special events will cost. Babysitter needed? Special food and/or wine for a pot luck? Special cookies for a children's event?

 

[Winged One]

This month, Rudy day falls during our October Bank Holiday weekend, when we are travelling "home" to visit my and DH's parents.

So I have 2 specific plans:
1 - Work on my sewing of ornaments in the car on the journey there and back.

2 - Discuss with my siblings whether or not we will do a KK again this year (and properly organised too).

Otherwise, I will just keep trudging along as normal on my preps. And I have to start planning our Christmas dinner properly now that we are eating in our house and travelling the following day.