We put up our Christmas tree today! You might think today was early but really, I’ve been asking Brian if we could get it out since before Halloween. There is something about a brilliantly lit tree in the living room that makes me want to stay home more often. The kitties were pretty excited; they love laying underneath, staring at the branches. They didn’t try to climb it last year but Squints is pretty adventurous now that he’s gotten older.

As soon as the Christmas tree arrives in our house, my excitement for Thanksgiving and Christmas just grows. This year, like every year it seems, money is tight and we’re carefully sticking to our gift budget by bargain hunting (don’t forget the clearance aisle), homemaking gifts for those who will appreciate it and plain creativity. The gifts we’ve gotten for Kellie, my youngest sister, is a good example of all of those. I found a tutorial online to make curly barrettes out of ribbon laying around the house. I made three sets: teal, sheer purple and cream, and pink and white checked. She is also getting toys bought on the after-Halloween clearance aisle. One of them, a Halloween Mr. Potato Head that she enjoys playing with at our house, I had a coupon for $2 off so I only paid $1.50 for a toy I know she’ll love.