*** Holiday Planning 2023 ***

[Nancy]

Saw a flat tree that is on a wall and another that goes on a corner.
On our walk some folks are getting Christmas decor up.

[blessedw2]

I need this morning than ever!!!!

d harriet have fun at you dsdil !!!!
hi d Nancy I have seen those flat trees on line

sweet d harmony I am thinking of you!

[Nancy]

I brought up the two bags of lights for using later on this week or holiday season.

[Harriet]

Hi, blessed.

Yes, it is always so interesting to hear from Harmony about Christmas doin's.

So happy to be this far along with cards. Dd25 really did a good job so far with sketch and tonight we chose a caption plus a Carol for inside. Can't wait to see her color version. I suppose we'll go to the same local folks who did them before. I don't think I'll need envelopes, I have so many from past years. The last possible year we will include a child of ours in sending cards. All with households of their own next year.

The tree being on the way is just enough of a nudge to stay busy and be ready for it.

A few decisions on modest homemade gifts. Not too much, because the season should not be full of distracting deadlines or disappointment if everything doesn't get done!

[Nancy]

I am not going to wait until 12-1 for my decor. Most years I try to.
My table top tree is already decorated only takes 5 min. to put up.
What I do not get up then can go up on the weekend creche lights for it I do enjoy doing it usually hoping leaves will be down soon I will move my outside fall stuff when they are down.
Friends wanted to get together last weekend but I was feeling puny & not done with my writing project.
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This week last week of Nov. I dusted off the china hutch and buffet and have lights on it to arrange better later took the stuff off that is not
going to be part of the decor, cmas mugs in the kitchen window for now till I decide on them. I have a basket of lites plugged them in to test as I did with the others as well. So it has begun. I have tins for decor to put out as well.
Some for snacks or to go containers.

Plaques to go up in a week or so.
I put away a couple of fall items in the shed this afternoon before it go dark.
I will put on the Christmas music as I do this is lifts my mood and I need that this week with the fog we've had.
I moved a few things out of the main part of the house decor items.
Rinsed off the creche' barn made of shingles.

[Nancy]

I rounded up 3 boxes to go as donations for a homeless family that found a place and has needs.

[Nancy]

Simplifying Cmas:
I realize after talking with my dsis in our maturity we had simplified. We no longer do cookies or sweet breads b/c of dietary allergies & restrictions and the grands have out grown that activity as well as the gingerbread house. I let go of the cmas cookies container and nice metal cookie cutters this weekend.
We still do the things we love like trees mine is a table top one mostly for the lite. Gifts opening is at the kids these days.

I have a wreath I put out front this year. Luv that. I have a scene with trees angels and white lites on the china hutch in the dining room. I also have a creche' with a barn and lites I made with my gma at ceramics when I was a kid it is a nice one.

I have three of signs the say let it snow & one that says Merry Christmas that I made. [ One goes outside.]
At the beginning of the pandemic in July my youngest dgd helped me to go through the holiday totes and we decluttered items decor etc. that I did not luv or use.

I have been adding Christmas & snowman design cups this year I"ll be putting cash and candy in them for gifts. I gathered them all year found some at the $1.00 General store. They have gift bags too, I use bags for gifts not wrapping presents is a win as kids get older they do not care! I've been sewing them and have quite a collection of fabric bags, I keep in a big popcorn tin!
I am still re-thinking the cups idea was going to do the cake in a mug then decided against it, the candy idea if iffy, maybe hot cocoa & candy cane like snow man soup idea I've seen.

[One year tried amz. gift cards but stuff was delayed in shipping so that was a fail.] We went to family gifts as well most recently.
This year I brought up things one at a time in Nov. when I did my daily walk around in the basement & I will reverse that in Jan. sure beat luggin toes up the stairs.

My sis & I both commented that the cmas quilts mom made us have not been in use the past few years. ....
I only do like 3 Christmas cards
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Even at church I noticed they did not have a tree decorated on the stage this year like they did last year.
Also no cookies or donuts to tempt me.
It was a relief.

[Harriet]

Fun to think you have signs you painted yourself to have for decor, Nancy. I'm also doing scenes in the china hutch, although it's just a hutch now since I don't keep my dmother's china there anymore.

I did the second shelf in our cobbled-together nativity of little animals we've gathered over the years and a sand dollar painting of the Baby Jesus. Stary and Angel ornaments tied up above and a cheap, flat basket turned on its side makes a backdrop. The other shelves are various very old decor from my dmother, dfirstmil and my early years of marriage. Surely all vintage, lol, but not valuable. The top shelf was too high to put little things because you'd have to be tall to see them. One thing about a china hutch, anything you put in the middle is harder to see, too.

The whole LR is a disorganized space right now with boxes around. But I can see how it will come together.

Wish I had an update on card, but no. My dd25 is a very good artist but her follow-through is slow.