I have been busily engaged in doing…too many projects!  Here I had a drawing for a cookbook that I was supposed to let run until Sunday night and announce on Monday morning and it is already WEDNESDAY and I still haven’t announced it!  The winner is:

Jordan said on Nov 25, 2011 Yummy! I will be trying this soon, thanks for the Recipe. 

Jordan…If you send me your address, I will get it to Rhodes and they will get a recipe book out in the mail.  Congratulations and a big “thank you” to Rhodes for the prize!

With that said, onto the rest of the day and the new month about to arrive!

We have just one day left in November.  I know that I have posted some Christmas ideas already, but the bulk of projects are reserved for the month of December.  My ambitious goal is to post every day.  I have no idea how many I will actually come through with.  Some days might get away from me.  Most of the ideas will be easy, others are a little more time consuming, especially the ones that involve baking.  I actually enjoy the madness that comes with a 2-day baking spree.   

So much to do and so little time to do it.  I have to remind myself of what is most important.  This season can be a time of great stress for the everyday over-achiever…trying to fit one more thing into an already crazy busy schedule can throw you over the edge, and I have no time to be digging myself out of the dark abyss that holiday preparations can become.  This year, I will keep things as simple as possible.  We’re doing the baking early so our goodies will be delivered before everyone is burned out by too many sweets all at once.  I will try to leave a little time for a visit with the neighbors or friends we are dropping cookies off to.  Time spent baking shows you care, but time spent with a visit shows you love them. 

When I was a little girl, there was just one chance to watch the Christmas specials.  If you missed it, you were out of luck until the next year.  Now with DVD’s and re-runs, if you don’t own them (and I own most of these) you can probably find them on Netflix or at the library.  I want to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life”, “Miracle on 34th Street”(1947), “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, “A Christmas Carol” (1951), “Scrooge” (1970…the musical with Albert Finney) and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” all before Christmas since those are traditional from my childhood.   These movies teach a great lesson about being generous and how we should remember that our efforts to be kind do matter.  The one movie my kids think is my all-time favorite Christmas movie (but it isn’t really) “A Christmas Story” is one that I usually leave until last because they play it all night Christmas Eve, so if I run out of time before, I can catch it then.

I am still making cards, but my daughter said I should make some other projects…I guess it’s time to get out of the card rut I’ve been in.  Do labels and tags count as something different, Meg?  I came across a bag of wool sweaters that I had felted…tossed into a washer with hot water, then dried in the dryer on high ON PURPOSE to shrink them up for projects.  I’ve been making some flowers with those – now I need to figure out a finished project to put them on!  I also found a cute project with buttons and fabric that I might have to try.  Then there’s always packaging and making it fun.  I’d better get busy!

It is time to welcome my old “friends”…that’s what I call my holiday decorations.  It is difficult to say “good-bye” and tuck them into a box, not to be seen for 11 months, but it is always a happy reunion when I unpack them and put them out for their month-long visit.  Welcome home!