You have probably heard the rhyme that helps children remember how many days are in each month. “Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November” (the rest have 31, except February).
Well, that makes it very clear that there isn’t much time left! It seems like the minute summer ends and Labor Day passes, the holidays loom before us. We are already half way through September, and that means it’s only about 6 weeks until Halloween, 10 weeks until Thanksgiving, and a little over 14 weeks until Christmas. If you count weekends, there are exactly 99 shopping days left until Christmas Eve!
That may sound like plenty of time for some people, those of you who are so conscientious that you have already started shopping or at least making lists, but I’m not one of those people. For me, the 99 day thing was a real eye opener.
So, for everyone else that’s like me, it’s time to put together a plan. This is a good time to start planning for Halloween or Harvest Day. If you’re making costumes, this is a good time to get started so you won’t be rushed (I’m telling myself this too!).
It’s not a bad idea to start working on lists for other holidays in advance as well. I usually try to start collecting a few small things each week so I’m not hit for the whole cost of holidays all at once. Just keep a good list, and store the items where you can find them, so you don’t end up buying duplicates closer to the actual date.
Holidays are meant to be enjoyed, so every little bit we can do to make the preparations less stressful is good. This year, I plan to be ready in advance instead of rushing around at the last minute. I vow not to be in the grocery store the day before Thanksgiving and I vow not to be doing any last minute shopping on Christmas Eve.
Who’s with me?