Only 40 Days

Daniel is already counting as he has learned to use the calendar and is counting the days until Christmas and his birthday (more than 3 months away).

I have finished my November/December budget that includes my Christmas budget too. I have started gift lists and have a few gifts already in hand and Thanksgiving meal planning and shopping has started.

Today I am focusing on the kitchen, getting the freezers stocked for the holidays and meals planned for the next seven weeks. Yes, I am planning out meals to make it through my Christmas Break which ends on the second day of 2009. I have stocked up on some items, and I don't have any freezer room left to play. I have 15 pounds of ground beef, six pounds of chicken breasts, 15 pounds of cookie dough, three pies, frozen burritos, a lasagna, about eight frozen individual meals for Daniel's lunches or to-go lunches, and fruits and vegetables.

Daniel has also let me know that we are just twelve days out from Thanksgiving, so the back refrigerator is getting cleaned out to hold the perishable ingredients as they wait to be prepared, traditional recipe dishes as they are assembled and the leftovers afterward. I am really hoping to do it on a much simpler scale, as the kids seem to enjoy their favorites without anything new added to the traditional menu, or much creative flair.

Let the Wrapping Begin

My order for frozen cookie dough and pies came in several weeks ago and yesterday I got my Snowman aromatherapy lamp, Christmas wrap and a variety of candle scents from the Yankee Candle fundraiser our PTO did for my son's school. I also have about 5 gifts in the gift box, my Christmas letter paper purchased and all of the Christmas stuff pulled out of the storage closet and into my own closet so I can start pulling some items out as the next three weeks pass.

Giving My All

Planning for Christmas giving is this week's theme at Christmas Countdown. This is where I am usually challenged as I don't normally start shopping until after Thanksgiving and this year, even though I am prepared to shop early, I need to carefully check the budget list twice and maybe three times, before I jump in with both feet. My goal this year is to have the shopping done by December 6th and then all the wrapping done by Dec. 14th.

So with the challenge to make due with less this year, I know that some wise pre-shopping web-surfing will save me both time and money in the long run. I already know the general big items I will get. I just need to find the best prices and wait for a sale for a couple of the items.

Next on my list...find our turkey for Thanksgiving and plan the meal.