Since Carrie, over at Life on a Back Road, has issued a 30-day Christmas Countdown Challenge, I feel compelled to participate! It sounds like fun and a good way to make sure some preparations for the season-- spiritual as well as physical -- take place each day. I hope others will participate as well.
I'd like to highly recommend the site OrganizedChristmas.com. -- the forums in particular. The craft forum issues crafting challenges every week, all year long, which have really helped to keep Christmas crafting on my radar screen. Not to say I'm done -- or anywhere close to done! -- but it has definitely made a difference. They have forums for organizing, for bargains, for gift baskets, for decorating, for cooking -- you name it. It's a great resource.
So what have I done toward Carrie's challenge? Well, last night I went grocery shopping. On my list were some items to start my Christmas baking; for one, an orange, for my favorite Pepparkakor recipe that includes the rind and juice thereof. I found this recipe years ago in a Country Woman magazine, and the lady who shared the recipe said these were the cookies she always baked first, to make her house really smell like Christmas! And they really do. I'll share the recipe if anyone is interested.
I also purchased some milk chocolate chips (another 95¢ bargain) and a can of milk chocolate frosting, to try out a new recipe for Cranberry Nut Fudge.
Yesterday -- and for a short time this morning -- I spent some time sorting through my stash of Christmas fabric and choosing some to make some small sewn gifts from.
Most of today, I've been way too busy with other things to do much toward Christmas. But, according to Carrie's guidelines, what I did do still counts: I listened to Christmas CDs all day while doing other tasks, and I sipped on holiday tea, both "Candy Cane Lane" and "Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride".
How about it? Anyone else game for this challenge?
I am game..I will give it a try! Today I put away my fall decorations. I usually do that the day after Thanksgiving, but I went shopping and wore myself out.
ReplyDeleteThen on Saturday we went to San Diego to see my brother, that's two hours away. That took care of Saturday.
So, today after I put my fall things away,I put on a CD of Christmas music and I wrapped presents for my four grand daughters. (Because my little one, Rachel, found some presents the other day in the spare bedroom, she's two.!!!)
My husband is home this week for vacation, so we will see how much I accomplish!
Oh, and I finished Christmas Cookbooks for my daughter and daughter in law and gave them on Thanksgiving. That has been a big project and it is behind me. They loved them. Maybe I will take a picture and post it on my recipe blog this week.
That's about it from my neck of the woods...I will check back in later!
Blessings, Patty
Yay, Patty, good for you!
ReplyDeleteMy fall decorations are still out. My hubby is hosting a men's prayer meeting here tonight (a monthly event -- the guys take turns hosting it) and I didn't want the house to be bare of seasonal decor. I don't have time to put the fall ones away and get the Christmas ones out all today. I'll work on that later in the week.
Yes, please do post about the Christmas cookbooks on your recipe blog! I would love to see them. I did something similar 2 years ago. I included tons of Christmas memories along with the recipes and had so much fun doing them.
I think you did really well to accomplish so much toward Christmas in just the one day that you had. Keep up the good work!
God bless,
Mrs.T