Deck the halls and falalalala

Holiday Checklist:

1. Deck the halls (outside): Done.
I've since given up on my plan to run lights and pine garland up the posts and across the entrance, due to not having an exterior light on the outside of the house. The boy says we can do it over the summer, but I dunno. I think I've moved past this idea.

2. Deck the halls (inside): Done. Oh wait. I have to switch my village over from fall to winter. I have a Dept. 56 village (Season's Bay which allows you to change the accessories to match the seasons, not the house) that Dept. 56 decided to retire right as it was about to get to big for my allotted spaces. Perfect.
3. Clean the house top-bottom: Done, except for a few nit-picky things I need to finish up this weekend. Ultimately, this is fall cleaning, that takes so darn long (love big old houses, hate cleaning them) it actually works out so that my house is shiny and clean for the holidays.

4. Shopping: Almost done. I have finished the shopping for the kids, cept for one gift and some stocking suffers, the boy is taken care of, and all we have left is extended family (well, all *I* have left) and we plan to make that a family outing this weekend. Probably tomorrow as my son's best friends music group will be playing at our local shopping haunt. Oh, and all the gifts so far, are wrapped. I'm on the ball this year.

5. Baking: About half done. I will spend the next two weekends baking (well, not all weekend) and then I will be finished. Already this year has been much less stressful than other years. I have been enjoying it all very much. Considering all the OTHER stress in my life, to not have it here, as Martha would say, Is a good thing!