It's the beginning of October and you know what that means...Christmas decorations should be appearing in Supercenters everywhere any day now! Is it just me or does anyone else notice that each year they appear earlier and earlier? Isn't there a holiday called "Thanksgiving" somewhere in between? Halloween decorations were out in mid-September. I know that because I had to explain to my five year old daughter that she didn't need a costume right then because Halloween wasn't for another month and a half.
I suppose we should be thankful for the early reminders our favorite stores give us so we can get prepared. So, instead of griping about it this year, I think I'll embrace it. You see, every year, I promise myself that I will get my Christmas shopping done early, yet every year, I fall short. I tell myself that it's because I like working under pressure. While that is very true, and works well for me in most areas of my life, take my advice: holiday shopping really shouldn't be done under pressure. "Honey, I really tried to find you your favorite cologne, but I couldn't find any. I did find this generic version that smells pretty much the same, though. Um..I'm sorry." Pathetic, right? Unfortunately, it's a true story. More unfortunately, it wasn't the only time it happened. And, even worse, each year, my holiday cards rarely make it before New Year's.
But, 2007 is a new year for me and another chance for me to redeem myself. So, here's what I'm going to do, as well as my suggestions to those of you who are just like me. There are approximately eleven weeks left before the end of the year. Yes, only eleven. I'm going to slow things down a little bit.
First, I'm going to make two lists. One list of people who I'll send holiday cards to, and one for people I'll buy gifts for.
Each week, I will commit myself to buying a couple of gifts for the people on my list. Gifts I really think they will enjoy, not whatever is left over after all the early birds got the good stuff. I will only use cash to buy gifts so I won't be paying for them with my tax return money in April.
Then, I'm going to write a newsletter sharing the highlights of the Campbell household over the past year and include it in my holiday cards. I will follow the example of my sister and mail them right after Thanksgiving. Many people will be shocked since, as I mentioned, my cards are always late. If you'd like to hold me accountable, send me your name and address and you'll get a card in the mail!
I'm also going to just enjoy one holiday at a time, not dread them. Generally, I don't mind holidays, the spirit of them, anyway. But this year, I'm not going to get caught up in all the ruckus. I'm just going to relax and stick to my plan. I will eat lots of Halloween candy, I will give thanks over turkey and a nap in November, and in December, I will only be an observer to the holiday craziness. I hope you will join me in my quest for a peaceful, enjoyable, debt-free end to 2007.
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