I've been cataloging my book collections recently, which led me to dip into my TBR pile. It is rather extensive, spanning hundreds of hardcovers, softcovers, and digital books.
Out of the hundreds of titles I own, 39 of my Kindle books have Christmas in the title and 29 printed books have Christmas in the title. I truly enjoy seasonal fiction.
How about you? Do you like books set during Christmas? Do you have a favorite Christmas title?
It's time to think about what we can do in February to help prepare for next Christmas. Tackling holiday preparations a bit at a time helps to make them more enjoyable.
Take advantage of end of winter sales
Believe it or not, spring fashions are already available in stores and online. That means winter is on its way out and prices are likely reduced. Picking up scarves, mittens/gloves, and even fuzzy socks for stocking stuffers and gifts now instead of waiting for fall can save you money.
Update your Christmas cards list
Though not everyone still sends cards, if you are a person that does, it is a good idea to go through all the Christmas cards you received in December and update your list. This is the reason I keep the envelopes with the cards we receive. It allows me to check if anyone's address has changed over the last year. If you keep your list electronically, you can easily add to it as the year proceeds.
Make a list of holiday dessert recipes and start trying them out
I have dozens of cookbooks here. There is even one that only has Christmas cookie recipes. What I've found through the years, however, is that by the time November rolls around, I don't want to scour what to make for dessert, so we have the same things every year. That's not horrible, because we like them, but part of the joy of owning so many cookbooks is to try new things. By putting together a list of dessert recipes now, you can try some out and discover what you want to add to your holiday dessert tray this Christmas.
These three tips are just another way to take the stress out of the holidays.
Because of our little critters, we have never done it, but if you could, would you leave your Christmas tree up all year long? If you would, what would you do with it?
All of us have our favorite ornaments that make it onto the tree each year. Here are some of mine and the memories or milestones behind them.
After Paul and I married, we welcomed two girls into our home. While Aunt Myra was living, she would send special gifts to commemorate family milestones. These were gifts from her to our girls to celebrate their first Christmases.
It is February 2nd, and all my Christmas decorations are finally down and put away until next year. Feeling super productive this year because I did what I've been saying I'll do for the last three years: go through everything and reorganize it. Finally broke down and bought storage bags for the Christmas trees. This made it easier to haul them into the basement and saved us storage space as well.
But like every year, once the trees are packed away, it looks kind of dark and gloomy around here at night. I kept one three-foot tree upstairs and a tabletop tree and decorated them for Valentine's Day.
It can be hard when all the lights come down to go back to the regular way everything looks the rest of the year. Homes & Gardens has an article with tips to beat the Christmas blues. You can read it here.
How do I beat the Christmas blues? I keep lights in my office all year long and play Christmas music whenever I'm in the mood.
With five animals, there is never a dull moment around here... especially around the holidays. Here are some shots that I captured this year.
Being a lover of all things Christmas and as someone who has been reviewing products since 2007, I am looking to help you spread the word about your seasonal book, family-friendly movie, home decorating, or cooking/baking products.
Here is a short list of what I'm most interested in, but I'm open to other inquiries:
Books
I've been cataloging my book collections recently, which led me to dip into my TBR pile. It is rather extensive, spanning hundreds of ...
