Three Things to Do in August to Prepare for Christmas

How is it August already? Didn't we just pack away last year's Christmas decorations? It sure feels like that around here anyway.

Though fall doesn't officially arrive in Massachusetts until September 22 this year, back-to-school and fall cleaning are already on our minds. Walk into your local store, and you will probably see Halloween candy. And before you know it, Christmas lights will be on the shelves!

Here are three tasks for you to tackle in August to help make the holidays less stressful.

Start Fall Cleaning

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What does fall cleaning have to do with Christmas? It lightens your load. Fall cleaning is not your regular monthly cleaning. It involves cleaning out the refrigerator, reorganizing closets so you can donate shoes and clothes you haven't worn in a while, donating books, recycling magazines, cleaning windows, and maybe even powerwashing the house. If you start by cleaning one room each week, it will be much more manageable than trying to manage a major cleanup in the middle of the holiday season. 

Host a Crafting Party

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Judging by the number of artisan fairs and farmers' markets filled with tons of handmade items, nearly all year round, you must have local crafters in your area working hard at handmade holiday gifts as well. How about hosting a crafting party? Maybe you can plan once a week, and everyone takes a turn hosting. Offer light refreshments and enjoy one another's company. The best part is that it will help you stay on track because you are dedicating regular time to your projects. 

Read at least one Christmas book 

Last month, you compiled your seasonal reading list. Now, it's time to get reading. Plan on reading at least one book a month. It will get you in the holiday mood, and it will help with fall cleaning, because once they are read, you can donate them to someone else to enjoy. 

Happy cleaning, crafting, and reading! See you again next month!

Christmas... in the News: Hallmark "Christmas in July" Movies, Australians Have Twice the Christmas Fun & White House Tree Supplier Selected

 

Welcome to this edition of Christmas... in the news. This is a review of Christmas articles and news over the last week.

How is it Sunday again? Did your week fly by? Mine sure did. Meetings, closings, and such. One of the fun things: Modern Prairie ran a Christmas in July Mystery Sale, where you choose a product category and a price range to order from. Here's what arrived:

April Cornell oven mitt that has different colors on each side.

But this is Christmas... in the news, so let's talk about that. First up is Forbes reporting on the millions of people who watched the four new Hallmark "Christmas in July" movies that ran each Saturday of the month. The numbers are astounding. Check out the article here. 

The BBC wrote an article on how Australians celebrate Christmas twice a year: in July and December. The tradition, they said, appears to have begun in a hotel in 1980, and they turned it into an annual tradition. You can read more here. 

Exciting news out of Michigan, where Pioneer shared that Korson's Tree Farms, located in Montcalm County's Sidney Township, will be supplying the 2025 White House Christmas tree. Check out the article here. 

That's it for this week. Look forward to seeing you again soon!