Christmas Creep: tips on getting ready for Christmas before December

Start NOW to check off the Christmas To Do lists!

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year minus that mom's work load/chore list doubled, if not tripled.  Here are some tips to start now. which will give you more family time in December; not to mention alleviating the stress level at least a bit.

• Stock up on freezer meals now or ingredients for your favorite crock pot meals

• Buy and wrap stocking stuffers.  

• Change guest room bedding and towel and give a good deep cleaning

• If not already started, start and finish all the homemade gifts; like my annual grandma calendars gift or photo books.  

• Take the family Christmas picture and write the yearly Christmas letter (great way to do an annual family history)

• Give the family a deadline for their Christmas wish list, mine is November 15

• Make and freeze Christmas foods and treats that can be frozen. *

• Make the neighbor/friend/teacher gift list; research and decide what to give them; make ahead including adding gift tags etc.

• Calendar now all the important Christmas activities including deadline: Cookie Exchange Party, Caroling, Delivering gifts, Santa visit, Christmas Tree outing, shipping Christmas gifts, cousins Gingerbread House making party, ...

• Polish Silver

• Put up Outdoor Christmas light (before the weather turns frigid), just wait until after Thanksgiving or acceptable time for you to turn them on.

• Make any important reservations or pre-orders NOW.

• Make a menu list for the big meals and parties

• Watch the weekly sales and buy whatever is on any of your lists; don't look for just food sales, also remember your gift list and any decorations you are in need of.

• When Turkey goes on sale in November buy 2;one for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas (if you serve Turkey for Christmas).

* For example this year I made a double batch of sugar cookies.  Half the batch we used Halloween/fall cookie cutters and the other half Christmas.  We put the un-frosted Christmas cookies into the freezer, all ready to decorate in December.  Another Example I make a Praline Yams that is more like a dessert than a side but hey its the holidays right?  I again double this, one for Thanksgiving and tuck the other pan into the freezer for Christmas (Eve at our house) Dinner.

If this list is overwhelming, just do one thing everyday to prepare for Christmas.  Perhaps today all you have time for is to wash to guest room sheets.  Then every time you go grocery shopping grab one things for stocking stuffers and one extra crock pot meal.

I have the stocking stuffers but have not wrapped them yet.  I decided that my husband gets that job this year, since it was his idea in the first place to wrap them.  The nights he stays up watching his favorite shows I am going to bring out those stuffers.

Good luck and here's to a sane and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Litlle girls hairstyles: The Triple Braid Pony with a Bow

Last week I went out of town and left dad in charge.  I won't lie it was a wonderful break.

Yesterday when I dropped my sweetie off at school my friend told me a funny story.  She said one of the teachers asked her if I was out of town.  My friend said "Yes" and asked how the teacher knew.  The teacher said that my sweetie's hair was the give away.  I was reassured that she was clean and her hair combed but it did not have the flair it usually did.  It made both my husband and me laugh.

Here is a style I did after a week of not doing my sweetie's hair...

Here is how I did it...

First I had to tame the mane with water and detangler.

Then you make a part on one of the far sides.  I chose her right because of her self given hair cut she did on the left side of her head.  The rubber bands need to be closest to the spot where the hair is the shortest. 

Then you need to make a part from the side part all along the top of the head down to the back of the ear.

I grabbed all the hair not in the portion I  parted off and  pulled it into a temporary pony.  To keep it out of the way.

Next I divided the parted portion into three sections.  The section on top being the largest.  Each section is neatly combed into a pony and rubber band.

.

Each pony is then braided to the very end of the hair.  It is especially important to braid the hair near the ear as far as you possibly can.

With the three braids out of the way take the temporary pony out and comb the hair into an offset pony.  It is not on the side of the head.  It is on the back but to the far side of the back of the head.  I hope that makes sense.  Add the three braids and rubber band them all into one pony tail.  It looks like I needed to braid the second braid longer... oops!  At this point I remove the rubberbands that were holding the braids in place.  Obviously I did not remove the second braid rubberband.

Now it is time to make the bow.  I used only long strands of hair.  I left the braided ends out since they are short.  I also grabbed strands from the top of the pony.

I twist the two strands, one in each hand twisting away from me.  I was not able to hold each strand and take the picture but you can see the hair that I had twisted.

I twist them until they make loops.  Then I grab the ends and add them to the original pony

I rubber band them in just under the bow as pictured.

I think it is such a cute pony tail.  My sweetie has naturally curly hair (I'm so jealous, mine is straighter than the straightest 70s style) and so it automatically curls right up.  I think it would be cute straight or with curls though.