Day-can you believe it? 18!

Half over. Already. Time is flying by. Check out the banner above this post if you don't believe me. That tells you exactly when Christmas will be here. And don't fool yourself, it will be here before you know it!

Although it may seem a little nutty, July really is a great time to get things done for Christmas. For one thing, and for me the main thing, is that it's easier on the budget to spread spending out over a few months rather than a few weeks, or in the case of my brothers and other men I know, a few days. Now that's nutty! Anywho...if you know what you want to get someone, you can be watching for sales, and sometimes you stumble upon a stellar Christmas gift that you hadn't even thought of. It can be purchased, wrapped and tagged and safely tucked away in your closet for giving at the Yuletide. How cool is that!

My goal this year is to be done with all my shopping for gifts by November 1. This has been my goal for several years now, and I've never actually accomplished that goal, but here's hoping that this is the year! I usually wait until fall to get the boys' big stuff, simply because they change their minds about a dozen times and I want the "latest updated list" when I start shopping. If I've done the bulk of my shopping early, when they throw a ringer in-like when the visit Santa at the mall a week before Christmas and tell him they really, really, really only want XXX or YYY, and this is the first you've heard of it-you still have a little jingle in your pocket to get it. Hopefully!

Also, by having menus made out for holiday meals and making a "non-perishables" shopping list, I can pick things up as I'm doing my regular shopping. I set aside a big laundry basket in the pantry for these things, with little sticky notes all over them saying things like "for Thanksgiving at Mom's" or "Christmas Eve dinner" or "Halloween chili makings" or things like that. I keep a running list of what I've purchased so that I know, the week before Halloween for example, I need to pick up the ground beef for the chili and the candy for the trick or treaters, but everything else is done, in the bag...well, basket. See how that works!

Another great reason to plan ahead is so that if you have an unexpected emergency just before Christmas, you are still ok. One year I had surgery on both feet, two weeks apart. By the way, I highly DON'T recommend that. Anyway I had shopped early and was prepared with gifts for everyone, and didn't have to brave the crowds with casts on both feet. Another year I had a baby on December 19, but we won't go into that! I was unprepared for lots of things that year! LOL! But, it taught me to be ready for those little unexpected happenings. (Yes, I knew that the baby, who turned out to be Jacob, was coming. I just thought he was coming AFTER Christmas....turned out he wanted to celebrate, too!)

So, hopefully, that explains a little of this Christmas craziness in the middle of July!

What are YOU doing to get ready for Christmas in July?

Merry, Merry!
Cathy