2 Months ’til Christmas!

Hey everyone!

Well THAT month absolutely flew by! Seems I was just posting LAST month’s “Coundown” update yesterday!

We’re well into fall now and you can really begin to feel the “Holiday Season” taking hold.

Halloween is next week, Thanksgiving is next month, and then the BIG DAY will be here the following month!

Let’s get to it.

How many shopping days left?

Just 60!

Holiday Meals Planning

Now is the time to get organized if you’re going to be hosting dinner (or dinners!) at your house this year.

Be sure to plan on paper. With so many details and so many parts to a complete, successful meal, something will surely fall through the cracks if you just try to wing it by the seat of your pans.

Write it all down: Food and accessories shopping lists, to whom will you delegate side dishes, timing, scheduling and invitations.

Check that you have everything you need to set your table. Is the table cloth clean? Are your serving dishes in good condition? Do you need to polish the silver or remove wax from last year’s candle holders?

Shop now for staple items now, before Thanksgiving: flour, sugar, pumpkin, cranberry sauce, butter, spices, pie crust, chicken/vegetable stock and broth, for starters.

Finally, locate and organize all the recipes you will need. Put them in one place, like in a folder that you will store in an easily accessible location.

Review them, create your meal plan, and add items from those recipes to your shopping list.

Finally, mark your calendar (online, phone app, agenda/planner book, physical calendar) the day or days you will do your food shopping, pre-prep, and actual preparation.

Deals Tip

With Halloween just around the corner (next week!), Halloween-related clearance sales will follow immediately… a good time to snap up little accessories and candy you can re-purpose for Christmas.

Continue to be on the lookout for holiday home décor items, especially from crafts stores.

Finally, remember that Black Friday hits next month on November 29. Stores and online shops are already gearing up and prepping consumers for the big buying-frenzy day.

As always, this day promises major deals on TVs, smart-home gear, phones, games and a myriad of other hot holiday gifts of all types.

Get organized to get the jump on Black Friday specials. Online coupon and sales sites often list Black Friday specials before the big day.

Craft Activity

Are you making gifts, cards, and decorations this year?

Keep doing a little each day.

Otherwise, you will fall behind and never get them completed in time.

Holiday Letter: Update Your Notes

Keep adding to it! Notable events, achievements, and memories from the last 30 days should be jotted down.

You’re getting down to the wire now; a month from now or so you’ll be ready to write your letter to include with your holiday cards.

Santa Status

Tucked away in his secret office, Santa’s been burning the midnight oil reading letters and other mail from everyone across the globe.

He’s finalizing his list and beginning the early stages of his route.

Sure, he’s got two months, but he’s no slacker; he plans meticulously and gives himself enough time (hey, there’s a great tip for the rest of us!).