The Hallmark Christmas Experience

 

Photo credit: Hallmark 

Guess what! the Hallmark Christmas Experience is coming back in 2025! It will be taking place in Kansas City, Missouri from November 28 - December 21. Look for more information coming from Hallmark in June. 

Christmas Titles in Your TBR Pile

 

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?  

Three Things to Do in February to Prepare for Next Christmas

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. 

Photo credit: YulliaKa on Freepik.com

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. 

Photo credit: Freepik.com

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. 

Would You Ever Leave Your Christmas Tree Up All Year Long?

 

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?

• Would you leave it decorated the same way as it was for Christmas?
• Would you change out the ornaments for different holidays?
• Would you move it to a new room so it didn't interfere with your daily life?

What would you do if the lights burned out?

• Would you remove the ornaments, change the lights, and redecorate the tree? 
• Would you take the tree down at that point?
• Would you put new lights on without removing the ornaments? 

Can you tell I've thought about doing this more than once? LOL! Share your thoughts in the comments.

Favorite Christmas Ornaments

 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. 

Our family vacations on the Outer Banks of North Carolina each summer. They have more than one Christmas shop on the Outer Banks, but our all-time favorite is The Christmas Shop & General Store in Manteo (pronounced "Man-ee-oh" by the locals). It has everything from Christmas decor and ornaments, home decor, gift items for humans and furry friends, local crafts and artwork, and more! It even has a year-round Halloween section on the lower level.  The General Store sells all types of yummy treats, and they have a relatively new wine shop. 

Each year, I buy one new ornament to come home with us. I think this one must be at least five or six years old and commemorates the Wright Brothers, who lived and flew planes on the Outer Banks. 

This next one is a gift to me from our youngest daughter when she visited Ocean Isle Beach (also in North Carolina) with one of her friends. It's a heavy one, so it always ends up on the lower branches. 

This little blue and white ornament is extremely special. Our oldest daughter's voice is recorded on it. She was probably about nine at the time. The short and sweet message says, "Merry Christmas, Mom!" This daughter will be getting married this spring. My how time flies!

Look for more favorite ornaments and stories coming soon. Hope you will share your favorites as well. 

How Do You Combat Christmas Blues?

 

Photo credit: pikisuperstar at Freepik

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.