Christmas Preparations...

Here's why I didn't take my grocery picture with the groceries on the table like I usually do...
Needless to say, we haven't been eating our meals at the table much lately, either... :) I sure am having fun, though!

The back of the green one is exactly the same as the back of the blue one...

This is the first time I've really done anything with my Stampin' Up stuff, and it's so much fun! I just hosted a book party, and can't wait to get my new stuff!

I FINISHED my Christmas shopping today!! Woohoo!! And I have bread dough rising to make mini-loaves to take to our pastors at church tonight. That means I can mark off 3 of my "homemade" gifts from the list. I have some gifts wrapped and almost all of the rest boxed up and ready to wrap. Daniel hasn't joined me in the "wrapping gifts" part of the festive spirit, but I've been having fun. It sure is nice to be getting this stuff done "ahead" of time (yeah, right... 7 days till Christmas). All previous years it's been done at last minute. Last year when I was working, Daniel and I went shopping the week OF my family's get-together, then stayed up into the WEEEEE hours of the morning the morning of wrapping the gifts. It just isn't fun when you can't enjoy it. I am so excited to be giving the gifts we bought for each person. I love to get gifts, of course, but I have so much fun picking out things for people and wrapping them up all pretty and giving them!!

Elizabeth has been doing a countdown of the 12 days of Christmas over on her blog... I have really been having fun reading it, and wanted to do the same over here (I know, stealing her idea :P )... so this is a start!

I need to go check the mailbox, the mail-lady said there was one more package out there (when she delivered the one that wouldn't fit), so I must go fetch it. Yay! I did some of my shopping online this year and loved it! I loved the convenience, yes, but I mostly loved that I was able to find gifts for people (that we normally wouldn't be able to afford to buy!) in our price range.

I hope you're having a wonderful time preparing for Christmas!

PS - I didn't mention that the rest of the house is being neglected while I get all this stuff "done and outa the way", did I?? I promise that I will tackle the house-cleaning like a pro-football-player before Christmas.