Christmas Countdown

Christmas is less than 3 weeks away.  Three weeks, folks!  As much of a planner as I am, I am not prepared for this Christmas at all.  Josh and I picked out our tree on Sunday and plan to decorate it today, and I got most of our decorations up Sunday while watching a marathon of Who The *&$% Did I Marry? on Netflix (so festive, right?!), but that is about as far as I've gotten with our holiday preparations.  Normally I would have most, if not all, of my shopping done by this time but I don't even think I've completed half of it. Enter holiday stress eating!

 Like Santa, I like making lists.  In fact, I live by my lists and rely on them to keep me straight.  Even if I go out of town to my parents' for a weekend, I make a list of items to pack or sure as sh*t I will forget something.  And so every year I make a list of what to get each member of my family (and Josh's family as well).  Over the years we've also started a group email thread for everyone to include a few items from their wishlist.  This is probably the first time I've been stumped about what to ask for--is that a sign that I'm a legit grown up now?!  I've got my shopping list ready but I haven't had much time to cross everyone off yet so I'm feeling the pressure and hoping to be done in the next week.  Oh the pressure!

On top of preparing for the holidays, Josh and I are moving into a new place the weekend after Christmas since our current home goes on the market in January.  Where are we moving, you ask?  No freakin clue!  Enter more holiday stress eating.  We were initially hoping to buy a house this year but decided we should save up more over the next year in order to have a better down payment and competitive edge if need be.  We're hoping to have our new residence locked down in the next week because not knowing where you're going to live is kind of a big deal in my book!  Plus, there's all the logistics of forwarding your mail, utilities, packing, and the actual move itself...in just over three weeks.  Again with the three weeks, folks!

In the lead up to Christmas, I'm trying to stay in the moment and in the spirit as much as possible.  The older I get, the more it seems like time just flies by so I'm trying to soak it all in and enjoy every moment possible.  In the meantime, I've rounded up a few recipes to try and a few quick DIY projects I'm hoping to complete so all my pinning doesn't go to waste!  Now that November has passed (where the heck did that time go?), I'm shifting from all recipes pumpkin to all things mint and chocolatey.  Nothing puts me more in the mood than dark chocolate and candy canes, even more so if they are part of a cookie/cupcake/whoopie pie!  Check back in throughout the month to see some of my holiday festivities!

If you have any great holiday recipes, traditions, or projects, I'd love to hear about them!