As of today, we are 64 days away from our Christmas in July celebration, 186 days until Halloween and ONLY 241 days until Christmas.  Now I am starting to feel like we’re getting closer to the most wonderful time of the year.

With Easter behind us, we are done with “gift holidays” until the fall.  I have been asking and observing how lovers of the Christmas season have been “feeling Christmas” in the springtime…

Recently, I delivered some gourmet cookies to a friend and she (also a lover of Christmas) had her life-size Santa in her dining room but it was very festive since Santa was wearing “bunny ears”.   Another friend was sharing the Christmas spirit by placing ONLY the green and red jelly beans in candy bowls for visitors; she also left out a carrot & carrot juice for the Easter Bunny!  Traditionally, my family goes out to eat for Easter, but I still make a festive dinner after the holiday; I made a spiral honey ham, macaroni & cheese, fresh string beans and candied sweet potatoes…  it smelled of Christmas all day!  Cooking foods with cinnamon, nutmeg and other holiday seasonings will definitely have you thinking about the most wonderful time of the year.  In fact, a neighbor of mine made these decorative Easter baskets that were loaded with Starlight Mints, Candy Canes, Hot Cocoa, and Christmas DVD’s.  I would even add a CD, like my favorite, The Michael Buble Christmas album.

As the Christmas season approaches, I am planning and preparing in every way…  I always make a list of the movies to buy or rent, as I mentioned in “Preparing for the Holidays“, but I also list all of the Christmas movies or movies being released during the season.  I must say that I am very upset that there aren’t any family Christmas movies on the schedule (except for an animated film); I miss the days of good wholesome movies such as “The Santa Claus”,  “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” or “Miracle on 34th Street”. 

I was just watching “Deck the Halls” last week and it makes me laugh every time!  I especially love watching these movies to see the decorations like “Christmas with the Kranks“.   So I will do what I always do to fill the void, I will watch my Christmas DVD’s over and over again!

Here is a list of what’s being released this season…

Planning for the holidays is my favorite thing to do; it isn’t what I do when I have “‘spare time”… it’s my passion, so I make the time.  Preparation and planning is important.  I have learned each year that it takes me more time to take down and put up decorations; more time to setup storage… and each year I want to do more… enjoy more… so I have to try to stay ahead just a little more.  So any little things that I can do – which also makes the season longer (that I love) I will try and share with you.

My home is a home “ready for the holidays”; whenever I buy something, I ask myself “would that look good at Christmas?”   I buy furniture that would be attractive with decorations or village displays; and I always choose colors that are complimentary … my couches are green… so are my kitchen chairs!

This year, I had to finish up some interior painting.  So, I bought some silver glitter and added it to the paint.  I used Olympic paint from Lowe’s; the glitter blends in very well… you have to add a little very slowly as you’re stirring the paint.  In the foyer, I painted one wall white/glitter… when the light is on it looks like snow; I can just imagine how it will look when the lit garland mirrors off the wall.  So, I went a little further and I painted the dining room… 3 walls silver/grey and 1 wall Navajo white; all with silver glitter in the paint.  I could have easily painted every room with glitter, but I didn’t.  However, for a nice touch I painted the inner door ways with the white/glitter; now, when I put up decorations (including the glitzy Halloween dressings) they will glow even more!  It’s a simple thing to jazz up the walls or entrance ways all year long and still be thinking about Christmas décor.