The weekend before Thanksgiving and I am bombarded with Christmas everywhere. The Hallmark channel is going full swing, the Christmas music channel is going on Sirius XM and there are Christmas trees everywhere!! Heck, I even made a wreath at a party last week! And then there is the snow, which puts people in a holiday mood. That and being a little grumpy!

I am struggling with trying to decide what I want to make as little “love gifts” for people. I have started some gifts and as usual I am second guessing myself. I have no idea if they will think they are stupid or not. I have been down the Pinterest rabbit hole and see all kinds of things that are gorgeous, pinning patterns, svg files for the Cricut, reading all the supplies and in general, getting myself all worked up!

I told myself. Stop! Before I buy any more stuff and more tools to make things, I need to do an inventory of what supplies I have. I discovered during a rummage, of easy to get to bins, some things I had long forgotten I had. They are brand new and very useable. I am going to use up what I have first and really discipline myself to not buy anything until I use up what I have. Heck, I need to see what I have in my crafty bins that are not easy to access! May be some crafty gold in them!

I love Pinterest, ideas on social media and freebies but it is a double sided problem for me. I found some found some ideas that do in fact use items I have. I will try a test run. The flipside of it is I have found many more projects I want to make that require the purchase of fancy tools, presses, inks, glues, vinyl etc. And they look soooo cute!

I feel so much pressure to be all excited about Christmas today. To have a tree up already and to be planning menus. Maybe parties and have my social calendar full. I have several events for work that include gift giving, food making and command charitable donating. I am just not feeling it. And I certainly don’t like being told I HAVE to be part of a gift exchange and donate to charities that aren’t my choice.

I was beginning to wonder if I was being a Grinch or Scrooge already in this holiday season. I decided I wasn’t. If I want to attend these parties when it gets closer, I will. They can’t make them mandatory. If I have a gift I will exchange it. If I have a few extra dollars you can believe I sure will donate it. In fact, I would much rather donate that gift exchanges. Or decorating contests or buying an ugly sweater to wear to a party that no one will eat the food etc, etc, etc. I am not being a Grinch. I am just not ready for Christmas season yet, I am still in a Thanksgiving mindset. December is on it’s way.

I have been working on some gifts and getting my Christmas quilts for customers done. I am getting mentally prepared for the season. I am just not ready to get full on Christmas. And I have decided that I am going to take it at my own pace!!!

How are you holding up under the ever increasing pressure for the Holidays and especially Christmas?

Vicki