Here it comes....

I can't believe it's already December! This past month has gone by so fast I don't even remember it. Since it's almost the season, I thought I would dedicate this post to getting ready for Christmas, for those who like to get a start on it early in December, like me.

Shopping:

I will start with the absolute worst part of Christmas first. I know not everyone agrees with me, but I hate shopping. The only part I like about shopping is being done. And by that I mean being home with everything unpacked and put away. Shopping is worse at Christmas, obviously, so here are some tips to keep your sanity.

1. Coffee. Drink it. If you don't drink it, then start. Begin early in the day and keep going until after noon, and then guzzle water after that. Trust me. It helps with alertness, energy and patience. A lot with patience.

2. Pick a day. Try to find care for your children and get all your shopping done in that day. 12 hours in one day is painful, I know, but it's far better than spreading it out over many days. If you do that, it suddenly turns into 40 hours.

3. Make a budget. Do a rough estimate of how many people you have to buy for and what you'll spend on each. Mine includes presents for family, tins and baking ingredients for friends and neighbours, decorations and a tree, etc. Don't forget to budget for wrapping paper, gift bags, labels and tape.

3. Make a list. Correction. Lists. First make a list of all the lists you need to make, such as People To Buy For, Budget For Each Person, Cards To Send, Addresses To Send To, etc. Then get down to each individual list. When you are finished, make another list by order of priority. Then double and triple check it. I always carry a pen with me when I'm shopping so I can check off what's done, or keep a tally of what I've spent so far. It sounds like a lot of work, but it means you won't miss anything and you can't really overspend without knowing it.

4. Try to go shopping at a time when people won't be out in crazy herds. Like in August.

5. Put on a brave face. This is cliche for a reason. It' works. If you keep your chin up and remember people are usually rude at this time of year, you will be better off for it. Just keep going for as long as you can, and if you need to stop, then stop. Hopefully you aren't doing this all on Christmas Eve, because I don't know what advice to give you if you are.

Decorating:

This is the fun part of Christmas, assuming you can get to your decorations, which for me is debatable. After climbing over 12 months worth of storage I managed to find most of our stuff, but it's worth it. If you have kids (and who would read a mom blog if they didn't?), give them each a bag and tell them to go wild. Okay, that was a joke. That wouldn't work in our house. I told J to be careful and we ended up with all our drawers and closets garlanded shut. It did look pretty though.

Brainstorm with your kids as you take stuff out of the bags. What goes on the tree, what can go on the walls, what needs to be displayed and what can go in the kids bedrooms? Then go to it. A helpful hint: don't give anyone the Scotch tape. I keep it attached to my belt loop with a Carboner, just in case. Hey, the price of tape goes way up in December.

Baking:

This is another fun part of Christmas. At least I think so. For those who aren't the baker types, you can skip this part. First, I make a list of all the people I am going to send something to and then I make a list of easy but delicious and aesthetically appealing recipes to try. I keep it to three or four, maximum. When the kids are in bed, I have a baking marathon. I usually save this until the week before Christmas so I can give them out right away.

Two notes: Those braver than I can enlist the help of their children with the baking. And if you want to give out homemade gifts but are the type to burn water, look up some easy gifts in a jar. You can make homemade hot chocolate or a basic, dry cookie recipe and give those out, with little notes telling what to add to finish the recipe. That way you will appear crafty and domestic, while not actually  putting anything in the oven.

Charity:

I saved the most important for last. No matter how much our kids love presents, I am a firm believer that Christmas is more about being nice to one another, donating what we can afford and giving our time when we can manage it. It's essential to show our children how to care about other people, including strangers, and make them aware that not everyone is so lucky. It's also a great way to teach them about not judging people for what social position they're in, and give our kids a sense of purpose and pride ebcause they made someone's day better.

There are several ways to help out at this, and any other, time of year. Make a list of good ones and let each family member pick a cause to help out. Or choose one as a family. If you don't have much money, figure out where you can give your time. There are also several places that accept donations of used toys and clothing. Local community centres usually have a used toy and clothing drive at this time of year, and most malls have the Toy Drive for new toy donations. There are also several churches that take money and food donations to help with their Christmas dinners. You can also sponsor a whole family for Christmas, or if you are feeling more exotic, choose an international charity. Volunteer with your kids anywhere, at a soup kitchen sorting food and clothes or an animal shelter. Hey, our furry friends need holiday cheer too. Or you can give your child a handful of coins for that Salvation Army guy with the bell that seems to be everywhere.

While we are in the mood to give, don't forget about poor Santa at the mall. Yes, he loves his job but it must be a pretty long December, witting around for days on end. He might appreciate a coffee or gift card that he can use when he's on his way back to the North Pole....