Christmas is less than one month a way. Did you hear me? Yes, that's what I said. Christmas is less than one month away.
Dude.
While I completely appreciate the sentiments of my friend
Solitaire, who does not celebrate Christmas by purchasing gifts for loved ones, this is not my reality. Granted, this year (with me currently out of work) we will be dialing it back a notch, to say the least. One of my strategies is to give cookies to my friends and family as part of their gifts. Scott's folks got us an awesome
KitchenAid Mixer for our wedding gift (I think this was to encourage me to bake). It is truly wicked and they will certainly benefit from it (especially my
brother-in-law). Anyway, on with it! This afternoon I got my bake on. This was my second Christmas cookie baking session - today featuring Cranberry White Chocolate Shortbread. They look really yummy (if you like that buttery/sugary/chocolately goodness type of thing). I even put a little silver damask in the centre of each one to make 'em purdy. Next on my list will be Orange Spice Sugar Cookies - I bought new fancy snowflake cookie cutters and crystal blue sprinkles for them. I am also hoping to make some gingerbread - there is an email out to the one and only
Domestic Goddess regarding the best recipe for this (I'll let you know what she says!). I tried to organize a cookie exchange, but I am very selective about who I will exchange with (I'm fickle that way). So, I have a total of one, count 'em ONE person to exchange with. I'm not sure what she is making, but she was one of my bridesmaids and is an extraordinary cook so I know it will be excellent (and I will totally lie to my friends and family and take credit for her baked goods). Last on my list will be my famous Lindt Chocolate Cranberry Almond Bark with White Chocolate drizzled on top (which I have been told is better than sex - which is either a lofty complement, or does not speak well of the sex life of the person who actually admitted this?).
So, outside of actually starting to purchase Christmas gifts, the only other major task is decorating our home. I am usually a December 1st keener (
Scott mocks me for this), but this year I'll likely hold off until the weekend of the 4th/5th - at least. I am hoping that we have one more reasonable day to get the outside lights up. A few of our neighbours left theirs up all year and I bet they feel real smart right now (tacky bastards). They were those awful icicle lights that look like a string of never-ending spider legs during the daytime. And to our neighbour who put them up last weekend when it was all bright and sunny out and said to us "Hey guys you should really get your lights up today - it won't be this nice again until April!" - well, screw you. Wow, I am totally in the Christmas spirit, eh?! One last shout out to
Sharon who lost her mitt (I hate it when that happens!) and
WebGoddess Cathy who sounds like she could use a hug. To quote Cathy
"Thank god for Christmas. If it were a person, I would hug it tight".