December is here!

I'm so happy that the holidays are here! I wasn't really eagerly anticipating them because they actually snuck up on me this year, but I'm happy they're here nonetheless. I love the holidays-- friends, family, great food, Chirstmas decoratations, shopping, gift giving. It's all so much fun. Here's a quick run down of what I'm doing and how I'm preparing.

• Our tree is up and we have lights on the house. This year I have our traditional tree, which is a hand me down tree from my mom. My aunt Joyce bought it end of season from a specialty shop years ago. It's a five foot tree that looks supre full and realistic. Since I'm allergic to pine, this forever green tree is the closest I'll get to the real thing. We've also put up a small three foot table top tree with all my Wizard of Oz ornaments. I've amassed quite the collection of Dorothies, Scarecrows, Tinmen, Lions, Totos, and witches. They took over our tree last year, so this year they get their own, be it sparsely covered, tree. More Wizard of Oz ornaments welcome *hint-hint* We've took our normal decor off the ledge above the front door and replaced it with seasonal items, and we've bought garland to do up there, we just need to borrow a ladder to place it up there properly. We hung icicle lights outside on the porch and got a little light up penguin that is sitting on the porch pot. We put bows on the porch columns and one on the EVANS solar light spindell thing. In all, the house if very festive and pretty. It's amazing how much Christmas decor can make a home feel that much more "homey."
• I'm mulling around what holiday baking I'd like to do. I'll do the usual fantasy fudge and almond shortbread thumbprints. Last year I did spritz cookies, but they weren't such a hit on the tray I brought to work. I think they're good, especially with coffee or a glass of milk, plus the recipe makes a ton so they're good filler as it were. So maybe I'll do them, maybe I won't. Kroger has the same large rolls of Pillsbury dough for $2.50 again this year. I hate shortcutting like that, but at that price you can't beat the convenience. I'll buy the gingerbread and make gingersnaps again and probably the peanut butter to make kiss cookies. Justin will want chocolate chip cookies, so I'll make some of those, but keep them at home. Every year I plan to make buckeyes, but I never do. Maybe this year will be the year I finally do it. Mom gave me a quick and dirty buckeye recipe that I might do to simplify.
• Grandma and I did a little craft project while I was home a few weeks ago. I'd love to share what I did, but I'm afraid some of the recipients will read this and it will spoil the gift. I had fun beading with Grandma and the final product turned out probably better than I thought. I plan on giving them to my small group and people at the office.
• Justin and I are almost done with our shopping. We have a few gifts here and there to buy and we need to nail down what we're getting a few people, but for the most part shopping is done.
• I've brought my Christmas cards to work to get them signed. I will address them over the next few days and hope to get to the post office for stamps so I can get them mailed this weekend.
• Also this weekend, my mom and dad are coming down to celebrate my birthday. See, my birthday is part of the holiday season as well, so I get an extra special bonus! Justin's company has a large surplus store with restaurant equipment and smallwares. We get a discount normally, but this weekend we get an extra discount as a holiday gift. I love kitchen things as does my mom, so that's how we plan to spend Saturday. I have things to pick up in preparation for:
• Hosting Christmas Eve dinner! I'm all about starting new traditions now that I'm married, so this year I had the idea of doing a meal with Justin's family and it was decided that Chrstimas Eve was the best time. Justin's family is very into the opening of presents on Christmas morning, so we'll keep that tradition the same, but on Christmas Eve, they usually just watch a movie and eat cheese, crackers, and summer sausage. This year, they will come to our house and dine on prime rib (one of Justin's favorite things) and LOTS of side dishes. It's not a meal unless you have more side dishes than the number of guests. That's the Hickey/Cowley rule. I guess it might be the Ray Hickey Method of holiday meals LOL! I've never done a prime rib before, but I've done some reading and I'm confident that I can make a good one.
• I also want to persuade everyone to go to our church's late night Christmas Eve service. I loved going to church on Christmas Eve as a kid and lighting the candles and singing Silent Night. Plus, it puts the holiday back into perpective at least temporarily. Chirstmas after all is about the birth of Christ and God's gift to us. Even if I go by myself, I'm going. And when we have kids, I will take them.
• We currently have no plans for New Year, and I'm okay with that. If we get invited to a party, we'll go. If we go to a friends' house, we'll go. If we go over to my in-laws we'll go. I'm not hosting anything and I don't mind if what I do is small.

That's my December in a nut shell. We've been invited to some holiday parties that I'd like to attend if it fits into our schedule. And I'm sure invitations to this that and the other will crop up throughout the month. This time if year is one that I don't mind being busy!