Christmas In July Schedule

Here's a list of everything I plan to do this month:

1. Go through my Christmas decorations. See what I don't want or need to add. Create a decor plan.
2. Work on several holiday craft projects (homemade greeting cards, ornaments and post-it holders)
3. Purchase gifts for 4 of the people on my gift list.
4. Plan Christmas In July menu (date set for July 31st).
5. Try a new cookie recipe.
6. Do some of the housecleaning tasks from the Houseworks+Holiday plan.
   
7. Inventory holiday movies/music
8. Watch a few holiday movies. For the first week of July over at MHH we watched "Scrooged" with Bill Murray. Hilarious!
9. Put my holiday CD's in the car.
10. Create and print my Christmas Eve dinner invitations
11. Finalize holiday menus
12. Shop for stocking stuffers
13. Create grocery lists for baking/holiday menu
14. Update my blogs (started today)

Well that's all for now. I've just been over at MHH to see what everyone else is doing. Now I am going to create my July calendar with my '24 Days of Christmas' activities. Will write back soon.

Christmas In July!

Well this month over at Magical Holiday Home boards, we are celebrating Christmas In July. The first week was light because of the July 4th celebration. We were asked to tell of our most favorite/memorable Christmas. My favorite Christmas memory was when I was about 8 or 9, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends all came to our house for Christmas. I remember us kids entertaining the adults by doing dances, singing or telling jokes. It was really a wonderful time. My grandfather, father, an aunt, an uncle and a cousin have since passed away. Whenever I think of them, I always remeber the Christmas pasts that we were all together.

It was also the year I got my very first sewing machine. I was asking for a 'Sew Perfect', instead I got a Singer sewing machine. I had that machine for about 27/28 years. Never did learn how to make clothes or anything like that... just the basics.

I don't have much to report. I did get started on my Christmas cards but that's about it. The weather was too nice and I just had to be out in it after weeks of cold and/or rain. LOL The cards are coming out pretty nicely. I need to do about 10 and so far I have three done.

Now I'm focusing on June. Don't have much family/outdoor activities planned this month so maybe I will be able to focus more on Christmas planning.

For June I want to:

1. Make several more handmade Christmas cards
2. Buy gifts for four people on my list (I have to make up for May)
3. Start holiday handbag project
4. Update my address book
5. Gather holiday decorating ideas.
   

Preparing for May-Day

I'm falling behind a little in my plans but am slowly getting things done. I just picked up the remainder of supplies needed to do my craft projects. So for May's Rudy Day I will start on the homemade cards. I have 10 to make and I want them to be perfect (or as perfect as I can get them) so I need to get started early. My other goal is to shop for two more people on my gift list. I have quite a few people I give gifts to (about 30 to be exact). I know that's a lot but I love to give. One day I'll scale back. LOL!

This month Rudy Day falls during the Memorial Day weekend and I will be attending a couple of parties so I limited my to-do things to only two because I know me and I will not feel like doing much as I will be quite busy the entire holiday weekend.

Anyways I'll let you know about my accomplishments/failures on Tuesday. Hope everyone has a happy and safe Memorial Day, and remember why we have this day to celebrate in the first place. God Bless.

Happy New Year!

Wow it's been along time since my last post. My holidays were splendid! I had a great time with my family at our annual Christmas Eve dinner. Actually we had to do it after Christmas as many of my family members - including myself - had either some type of stomach virus or the flu.

I'm really getting this blogging business. I've already created two more blogs - "Celebrating Aggy" and "Hey Rudolph!" Plus I just learned today how to add a counter so that I can see how many people visit my blogs. Such fun!!! The next blog I plan to create is all about Fall. Second to Christmas, Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. There's so much to do in the Fall...decorate, Halloween, Thanksgiving.

Last time, I mentioned that at work there was a friendly wager between the bailiffs and the court clerks on whose decorations were the best. Well the winners were the bailiffs. The clerks were a little upset because they felt that since their office was much bigger and they had more decorations, they should have won. After the competition, everyone enjoyed the big luncheon. I was hoping to post the pictures today and put up a poll so that people here can tell me which they like better but I don't have the pictures on this computer to show you. I have to get them from my computer at home. Now I'm sorry I erased the memory card. I thought I put them on this computer.

Anyway, I've been doing a lot of thinking about this year's upcoming Christmas. So far I've made of list of homemade gifts I want to do for family members.

• Advent calender made using small gift boxes for my 9 year old niece
• Glass ornaments for the ladies in the accounting office
• Homemade greeting cards
• Holiday handbags made using felt
• New holiday pillows for my livingroom
• A photo calender of all the grandkids for my mom

I've written and rewritten my menu three times...finally got that done. My gift list is 97% done. I never know what to give my mom and stepdad. I have my master shopping listed started and am adding to it regularly as needed. I'm nearly finished shopping for stocking stuffers for my nieces and nephews. It's still early in the year so I'm bound to pick up more stuff. LOL Last year I printed some holiday stories good for reading and will be putting them in a binder. I would like to decorate the front cover of the book with something festive but not sure what. I may even do several books to give to the kids this year for Christmas. Over at Magical Holiday Home, 'May's Monthly Magic' is posted, so I'll be doing some of things listed there as well.

April Rudy Day

One of the things I have planned was to start my holiday craft list. I'm not really crafty so I look for easy, simple projects but that I know my family will love to receive. So I went through my tearfiles and decided that here's what I want to make this year.

I bought lots of Christmas cards after the holidays on clearance but I wanted to make some special cards for people like my mom, grandmother - other close family members. I found this ribbon card project that will be nice to do with my nieces and nephews. They can give them to their parents and grandparents. Plus it will be special because it was made by loving little hands. I love these Merry Christmas and JOY holiday cards. I've added the supplies need to my master shopping list.

A few years ago I made a calendar with pictures of all the grandkids, myself and my brother for my mom which she loved. She still has that calendar up in her office so I'm going to make her another one with updated pictures of everyone. I will also make one for my grandmother but will add all her grandkids, great grandkids, and great-great grandkids.

For a few of my co-workers I am going to make them nice ornaments. I already purchased several packs of clear glass ornaments which I found in Dollar Tree stores. I will fill them with potpourri and glue miniature poinsettias and greenery around the cap then tie with some pretty satin ribbon - ready to hang on the tree.

Baby Blanket for baby's first Christmas

For my 9 year old niece, an advent calendar made out of gift boxes.

For myself and my best friend, this lovely purse will be soooo cute to carry to a holiday party.

My livingroom sofa and chairs are white, so I thought these festive red and white pillows would look really nice on them.

I had planned to go out today to start shopping from my master shopping list but my foot is aching a little from too much walking today (mending from a bad fall) so I'll put it off for Sunday.

Tonight I'll finish my 24 Days of Christmas Activities list and try to start setting up my gift closet. I've made several purchases since the beginning of the year and they have been sitting in my livingroom in a corner in bags. Every time someone comes to visit they head straight toward them - being nosey. I have to head them off and tell them to keep out. LOL I need to get them out of site quickly.

Happy Rudy Day!

This morning I arrived to work half an hour early before anyone else so that I could have some quiet time. In my haste to get here early I forgot to grab my holiday planner. No worry, I remembered what I have planned to do. I brought in one of my Christmas cds and blast it through my computer while I ate some cereal. Once my co-workers started arriving, I turned the music off.