****Holiday Planning, 2013****

[Harriet]

I ended up taking advantage of a specific cards-only 50 %-off sale that was only offered for a few hours. I just lucked into it while checking the site to learn about regular sales - strange how these online sites do business sometimes. So I feel much more thrifty about my custom-card project now. They were shipped out in less than a day so I am right on schedule or even early.

In the middle of the night (why does that sometimes happen?), a better 66-cent postage option happened in my brain. It suddenly dawned on me to use two of the 33-cent apple stamps. They will look seasonal and are small, simple, matching stamps. Since I didn't want wedding stamps, I was thinking the only choices were the 66-cent black butterfly or adding the extra postage stamp of George Washington, neither of which look the least bit seasonal.

We have a date for the large family party now and it is 11 days earlier than other gift-giving occasions. So my first gift deadline will be 8 (wow) children's gifts and 1 other gift purchased and wrapped in advance of that.

[Nancy]

Thanks for mentioning hoilday stamps, Harriet I had forgotten that. H. Does get those when he gets them this time of year.

[Ivy]

I got set up in the bunny room, all of my kitchen yarns, and Christmas-theme dishcloth patterns and a snowflake square potholder pattern. I have 1 Christmas music CD by Josh Groban in the 5-disk CD player, but I've got some from a Christian outreach charity, too, to use. Plus, I've got others by other artists, so it'll be nice to listen to something different while I work away in what will become Santa's workshop. I can also make bookmarks, Christmas cards, puppets, and finish afghans there, too. It will keep the rest of the house tidier. I was amazed to find so much kitchen P 'n' C on cones in various Christmas colors, too! I'm so happy!

I have a gluten-free cookbook on my E-Reader, which I'm going to browse through for Christmas cookies for Ddil and others to sample at Christmastime. She's on a gluten-free diet, due to health reasons, but I've wanted to try gluten-free baking for awhile now. If they turn out delicious, the grandkids and adults can partake, too.

[Nancy]

I ended up using the hose to clean the summer wreath and part of a cut coat hanger to hang it on to dry and then put it away in the basement.

[Ivy]

Have 3 rows to go on dgrson-4.5-yrs' Christmas afghan. It keeps getting larger the more I go around and keeps getting harder for me to keep happily motivated to get around and get to the end. I'm not discouraged, but I'm tired of red, black and white.

[Nancy]

I found a blue tin , and blue gift bag and I can cover a pink plate with foil for dsons Jewish family celebration gifts happy bc the stuff was here and I did not have to buy it yea!

[Ivy]

I wrote out a Thanksgiving O. M. M. list today. Now I feel more organized and less overwhelmed.

[Nancy]

Got some canned goods, stocking stuffers, gift wrap, & team ornaments today.8

[Nancy]

I saw some duck dynasty chi-pets I think I want to grow greens for the hens in the winter!

I also spotted some camo wrapping paper that was very interesting might consider that except it won't be as useful for gift cards.

[BookSaver]

I have an idea for Christmas gifts for DH, DMom, and DMIL. At the fall sewing retreat, someone brought a neck & shoulder pad that had options for heat and/or vibration. I didn't have the opportunity to try it, but several women did and loved it. I know DH would appreciate it, and I think the DMoms would like it, too. (Who wouldn't? )

I need to find the piece of paper where I wrote the name of the thing -- was it in a pocketmod or somewhere else? -- and search for it online. I saw one on a department store website but the name they called it did not ring any bells.