Preparing for Christmas

  Yes I know we just got through Halloween and now are all looking forward to Thanksgiving.  Believe me I am not trying to skip over my all time favorite holiday!  It's just that this baby is due 3 days before Christmas! 

  I started a list of present ideas about a month ago.  Thanks to internet shopping, I purchased the kids presents all in one afternoon from my recliner!  And at 7 months pregnant, it was the PERFECT way to shop.  Also I've been picking up a few odds and ends on some of the mama bargain sites online as I've seen things here or there.  Can't beat good deals!  So the presents are rolling in thanks to Mr UPS and the mailman!  I'm collecting them all in a hidden corner of the basement under a sheet.  Once they are all here, I'll do the wrapping and hide them back there.  I'm also glad that last year Santa decided to not wrap his presents, so the gifts from him are just placed under the tree.  Saves mama a bit more time!  I want to get everything done before Thanksgiving.  That's when I'll have a month left til baby's due date.  I figure then I'll have time for decorating for Christmas (always do it the day after Thanksgiving), and doing our usual traditions and crafts with the kids.  I'll also have that time to finish up preparing for baby, washing up the padding on the swing, bouncer, etc.  Getting everything out of storage and ready to use!

  I like to sew pajamas for the kids and made them cute Halloween ones this year.  Here is the tutorial I used. Yesterday I finished their Christmas Eve pajamas, made out of cute gingerbread flannel that Clayton picked out. So I'll have 3 matching sets, and praying that the baby will be here in time for Christmas Eve at our house in it's matching jammies! I also want to save some money and make them ornaments this year.  Every year they get a new ornament.  I started out getting Hallmark ones, then last year got some cheaper ones at Walmart.  This year my plan is to paint their initials on clear glass balls.  I saw a cute idea on pinterest where you take scrapbook paper and curl it, putting it inside the ornaments.  So I might dig through and find some old Christmas scrapbook paper and do that and just paint their initial on it as well!  All those scrapbook supplies that have been sitting dormant for years since having my babies will get some use finally! LOL 

So that's my game plan.  I know my circumstances are different because it's like I'm running a race and the finish line is the baby's due date, but are you starting to prepare for Christmas too???