If your boyfriend already thinks you're overreacting, I suggest you don't read this. I'm lucky to have a boyfriend who lets me do my own thing, and believe me, I loose, floppy Well… Merry Christmas! So, maybe this will give you some ideas, but I wouldn't want to be the reason you guys start arguing!
So, the girl who loves Christmas a little too much—well, that’s me. I’m the kind of girl who celebrates “Campers’ Christmas” on July 24—it helps me pass the time, you know? I listen to a little Michael Bublé song and give my kids a tiny present, and they have no idea what’s going on.
Sometimes I suspect that my friends are hesitant to invite me to their party Halloween, because I dress up as Santa Claus or an elf. And then, at 12:01 a.m., I scream—I mean, sing: “IT'S STARTING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS!" The DJ can tell from the look on my face that he has no choice and that he's FORCED to play that famous song.
Are you starting to get a sense of what kind of person I am? Wait, you haven't read anything yet!
We're not waiting until December 1. There's no way we're going to spend a whole month (the most depressing month of the year, no less!) without a little (or a lot of) magic.
So, by November, I’ve already been working on my gifts for a while, and I’m treating myself to some music. I usually don’t put up decorations until December—I’m too afraid I’ll get sick of them, and I definitely don’t want that to happen; it would be sacrilege!
However, this year, that fine principle is going to take a back seat for a while! It's going to be the Winter Wonderland in my house—no exceptions!
- Starting in October, I go to every store that puts out Christmas stuff. Do I even need to mention that I buy something new every time? I think it’s almost a crime to leave new holiday items on the store shelves, and since I’m a law-abiding citizen… (I know he doesn’t believe me, but I always tell my boyfriend, “It just fell into my cart.”)
- In mid-November, my cup and glass cabinet gets a makeover: anything that isn't Christmas-themed is replaced with items featuring Christmas trees, reindeer, stars, sparkles, Santa Claus, nutcrackers, and so on. No two cups, glasses, or bowls are alike!
- Since last year, I've managed to negotiate having two Christmas trees in the house: one per floor.
- We're going to cut down our Christmas tree in the field: I want every little corner of the house to smell wonderful! However, since we're doing this early in the month, the scent starts to fade after a few weeks, and that's when I bring out my pine-scented "air freshener" sticks. That's what they're for—you hang them near the trunk, and it smells just like a real Christmas tree!
- Every year, I add Christmas ornaments to that tree. I buy one for each child and write their name and the year underneath it. Their tree won't be bare when they move into their own apartments!
- They also have their own little lit-up tree in their room, where they can hang all the decorations they make at daycare (and the real tree isn’t buried under that darn salt dough!). Well, yeah, I said it. It’s a win-win for everyone!
- Ideally, I like my Christmas tree to look different every year. So I have 3 or 4 sets of decorations, and who knows—maybe there’ll be a fifth.e who's coming home this year. (It's much more satisfying now that I have two Christmas trees, meh!)
- I made our own Advent calendar using a pretty branch and little fabric pouches filled with small treats and activity ideas. Exit The picture frame in the kitchen—it's the calendar taking its place!
- My next project will be a porcelain Christmas village—once the kids are old enough not to want to destroy it (By the way, if you have one for sale, I’d love to buy it… Brand-new ones cost an arm and a leg!)
What about you? What are you waiting for to bring some magic into your life? How are you going to do it? I can't wait to find out—maybe you'll give me some more ideas! 😉
Happy November, everyone!