I know, this is the second week in a row I'm harping on Christmas, and it's not even Halloween yet.
But I promise, if you get ahead of the game now, you are going to be very happy when December rolls around. Just imagine, instead of running from store to store on Dec. 23, you'll actually be able to sit by the treelight with a mug of cocoa and enjoy yourself.
It feels like we have ages until the holidays, but it's going to be here before you know it. Christmas comes on the same date every year, but somehow it manages to sneak up faster and faster every time.
It was hard to believe how busy the Boulevard Mall was this afternoon on such a beautiful Western New York day where many go to a park or hit the beaches. Maybe shoppers intended to browse and relax in free air-conditioning. This short unedited time-lapse video shows the mall before its modern makeover.Â
If you can take care of just a few of these things now, you won't be going out of your mind (or blowing out your wallet) in December.
Christmas cards. Hopefully you stocked up on greeting cards after Christmas last year when they were on sale. If so, start signing, addressing and stamping them now. The post office is expecting another busy year and recommends getting your cards out as early as possible.Â
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The average household sends out 28 cards at Christmas. At this pace, you can fill out five cards a week and still be able to send them out the day after Thanksgiving.
If you didn't make a stash of cheap cards last year, don't worry. You can get a box for $1 at Dollar Tree, usually containing about 12 cards.
Or, for something more personal, you still have time to upload a photo and have your cards printed through something like Snapfish, Shutterfly or even a chain store like Walgreens or Walmart. (Check RetailMeNot.com. There are always coupons for digital photo prints, and some shops are even holding Christmas sales right now with up to 70% off).
If you're looking for convenience (time is money!) companies such as Postable will mail your cards for you, with the price of postage already factored into each card. You can upload your own photo and pay $1.99 each for 20 or more photo postcards.Â
Start crafting. We always have the best intentions. "This year I'm going to make everyone a dozen of my famous pierogi." "This year I'm going to put together scrapbooks for all my brothers and sisters." "This year I'm not going to wait until the 11th hour and buy whatever gifts I can find at 7-Eleven."
If you start your projects now, there's a lot you can get done. Crochet your granddaughter that blanket. Make your aunt those macramé plant holders. Go to Pinterest and pick out one of the 8 million things you can make out of a pallet.
You'll be able to enjoy your work instead of furiously trying to complete it at 3 a.m. on Christmas Eve.
Start buying your "thank you" gifts now. This is something people tend to forget about or put off until the last minute: gifts for the kids' teachers, their coaches, the mail carrier, the babysitter, the bus driver, the trash collector, the newspaper delivery person.
Aside from being stressful, it ends up being a huge outlay of cash all at once.
I usually give gift cards, so it's easy to just buy a bunch at once (or over time) and set them aside. If you have kids in elementary school, check ahead with their room parent to see if they plan to collect contributions toward a class gift.
