The Adventures of the Reese's Pieces Gang

When do you Decorate for Christmas? We usually try to decorate for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. Sometimes we start on Thanksgiving evening. Usually I dread decorating only because we have so many little hands. Several years ago when I was an avid Flylady follower I changed how we decorate and prepare for the holidays. It has taken a few years for me to tweek the system but this year I think we finally did it!!

I usually try to have all my Thanksgiving meal shopping done by the beginning of November, this time it was the week before which worked out fine. I put the Turkey (24 pounds) in the fridge when I brought it home from the store (6 days before Thanksgiving). The week of Thanksgiving I prepared all my side dishes and pies with the exception of the 9 layer salad. The day of Thanksgiving was so calm as we prepared a nice "brunch" of Ham & Cheese Omlet roll, fresh hashbrowns, and Thomas's GF/CF Crunchy Coffee Cake. When we were done with brunch I stuffed the bird and got it in the oven for its 4 1/2 hours of cooking. We then enjoyed a lazy day as a family until shortly before meal time when we took out the bird & finalized the meal prep by making gravy, cooking the rolls, and carving the turkey.

We enjoyed a time of reading Psalms of thanks before praying and partaking of our Thanksgiving Dinner. It was really a lovely day.

Yesterday after my black Friday shopping and a nap we got out all the Christmas decorations and decorated the house in less than 2 hours. It was the first time ever that I was relaxed and really had fun decorating with the kids. While our leftover dinner was warming I fluffed our fake tree so we could decorate it. The kids decorated it after dinner. Phil hung Christmas lights in each of the kids rooms. We've wanted to do this each year and simply never got around to it. This year I love the way our home is decorated. I put out only the things that I loved and that are for the most part "kid safe". I have a few of my favorite breakables up very high.

So, we are all decorated for Christmas, and all the gifts are wrapped. I have to yet wrap and mail the gifts to my nieces Summer & Ashlee, shop for our Christmas Dinner meal, and do my Christmas baking. I'm primarily doing all gluten free cookies and have a couple friends who also have children alergic to wheat that I am baking for too.

If you always have a hectic holiday season I'd really encourage you to check out www.flylady.net. Click on and read her Holiday planner. I made one years ago and still pull it out each year. It helps me to keep the holidays calm which gives us the ability to focus on the true meaning of the Holidays. Thanksgiving is for the purpose of giving Thanks to GOD for all His mighty provisions. Christmas is for the purpose of celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and the wonderful Gift He has given us.... Eternal Life.

I hope you you will enjoy Celebrating this season of our Saviors birth!