Christmas Countdown

I've been thinking that I want to plan to enjoy this Christmas season - try as much as possible to experience the season and not let the busy-ness of my life distract me to the point that I only realize the holiday is here when I am madly attempting to do all of my shopping the day before Christmas Eve. (You think I joke, but I do not.)

Okay - so this all comes because my mother finished her cards before the middle of November and has already had all of her nativities set up. A while ago.  And then on Monday she stopped by my place while I was at work and added the first bit of Christmas decor to my home. (Isn't it pretty?)

And now she has the tree up. The official "time to put the tree up" date has come in the form of my little brother's birthday (Happy Birthday Kevin!) so she is right on schedule. (It will all be down on Boxing day so she needs to get it up early enough to enjoy it.)

The next reminder also came in the form of my first Christmas card of the season.

My friend has her mom busy early creating different crocheted ornaments for her cards each year. This year is holly - so pretty!  Thanks!

So I suppose I might be ready to start to think about what I may try to pencil in to my calendar to lead up to Christmas. That's a solid commitment - to begin to think about what I may ...

I have good intentions to send Christmas cards. Or something... something to connect with friends and family and wish them well. Maybe it will be a card. That is something I'll have to think about.

And what do I want to do to make it more like Christmas.  I could have participated in the Nativity Pageant at Heritage Park in some way but that is a commitment that I just didn't think I could make this year. I could have joined the choir - another multiple day commitment. I need to get rid of some of the other commitments I've made before I start adding more. I can however plan to go and see the pageant and hear the choir.

I will put up my advent calendar. It is a definite must for me to know that Christmas is on its way.

It hung in my home growing up, made by my Grandma Puzey but it is missing some of the ornaments so I've improvised in the past. I finally bought felt and the sparkly bits last year but never got around to the maintenance task I had planned.  Last year I had my Dad and step-mom living with me so my Christmas was a busy one. There was a lot of de-cluttering and projects going on taking advantage of the help I had at hand. But this wasn't one of them. It will be this year, but this goes back to the idea that started this blog post. I read about some advent calendar ideas on another blog and one click led to another and I found this link.

http://racheldenbow.blogspot.ca/2009/12/hello-december.html

I like the idea of adding not just the ornament to each pocket on the calendar but also a small card with a Christmas activity on each one. It may be as simple as a Christmas carol or one of my Christmas books. Or it might be an idea of service or some way to connect with someone during the holidays. Do you have some suggestions of what I could write on the cards? What would be on your cards?

Tis the season...all signs point to it!

**Bonus picture: Here is my little brother and sister possibly ready to fire upon Santa should he appear down the chimney. Definitely not in the Christmas spirit kids!