3 Holiday Preparations To Do This Week

I just checked the calendar and Christmas is 5 weeks from now! I don’t know about you but I’m making lists and lists and lists and checking them twice so that I will get everything done but I also want to take time to savor the season. I have 3 items that can be done this week.

My daughter and I spent yesterday afternoon packing and wrapping shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. We’ve done this for many years and look forward to seeing how much we can pack into a shoebox every year. One of us claims to be a professional shoebox packer. You can guess which one it is! (wink wink)

The professional packer uses the layer system for packing.

All of the flat items go in first: coloring books, notebook, sticker book, crayons, tissues, a bar of soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, a small mirror, a small flashlight, extra batteries.

The next layer included a small hairbrush, small tubs of play dough, sunglasses, hairclips, hairclips, and did I mention hairclips, and small candies.

The next layer was a small teddy bear, pens and pencils, more candy, and additional hair ties.

The soft items went on top: a couple of washcloths, a hat, and pair of socks, and a pair of gloves. If you are not familiar with Operation Christmas Child you can click on the link to find out all about it but the nutshell is that you fill an empty shoebox with small gifts, print a label for the box and take it to a collection center. You can even get a bar code so that you can follow your box to see where it is delivered. National collection week is this week. You can find your nearest collection center on the website.  This is such a wonderful project and I encourage you to participate this week.

The next item on my list for this week is writing my gift list. I don’t like to be scrambling around at the last minute trying to get everything together. Last year I posted about a book that is a great gift for the men on your list and I want to mention it again.

My husband got the book last year and I cannot tell you how much we enjoyed it. I say “we” because as we were watching TV at night he was reading his book, had many pauses for a good belly laugh, then said “I have to read this to you.” The book is filled with humorous and heart warming stories by a true Southern outdoorsman. Click on the photo above to purchase this great book.

Third on my list is Christmas dinnerware. I have had many readers and friends comment “one day I am going to buy that dinnerware for myself. Time slipped up on me and I didn’t get it this year.” I am referring to the dinnerware that I designed and had produced that tells the Christmas story. Disclaimer: I do not do self promotion. It just is not me. (For grammar freaks I know that should be “it just is not I” but in the south me sounds better here.)  So if you are one of those procrastinators who doesn’t like spending for yourself, today is your gentle reminder to place your order. Most orders ship next day so you have time to get it and enjoy it between now and Christmas. You can click on the picture below to go to the page for purchases.

I hope that you have a great week and get lots of things checked off your list!

P.S. I love a bargain and if you missed Marty’s Thanksgiving table that she purchased from Goodwill you must click here to see it!

I was not compensated in any form for any of the above promotions. All opinions are my own.

I am linking to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, to Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life, to The Scoop at Worthing Court, and to Grace at Home at Imparting Grace.