Every year, I try to do a little Christmas prep because when I started teaching full time, all of my wonderful Christmas and holiday plans just flew out the window.  I was the crazy Christmas lady with 27 Christmas trees, and I was able to keep that up for about two years into my teaching job…and then it just fell by the wayside as so many things do because during the school year I. AM. TIRED.

This is week one of Christmas in July 2016, and I am pumped!!!  I found a Christmas gift already for someone on my list, and I know she will love it.  This year, I am going to be SMART, and I’m wrapping gifts as I purchase them.  There will be no sneaky peekers in this house this year.  So HAHA!!!  Take that, Teddy (I know you still sneak up here to peek; your sister told on you!).

I have one definite idea for my daughter in law, Morgan, for Christmas, and I think she will love it.  I’m debating on getting the same thing for my oldest daughter, Janeesa, because I think she would also love it.  I also know what I’m getting for my Mom for Christmas, and she will love it.  I’ve had it planned to get for her since this past Christmas!  If I’d known it existed before December 25th, she’d have gotten that last year instead of what I got her because it’s an awesome gift (and VERY useful).  Knowing two (possibly three) major gifts is a huge holiday stress reliever.

Something I’m really excited about is the fact that I’m going to have an actual dining room by September, and it will play heavily into my Christmas planning.  Sahara is moving bedrooms, and then her old room will become my craft room (I’m downsizing and only keeping a handful of crafting, scrapbooking, and sewing items), and then the old craft room will become the dining room.  The huge table will fit in there.  I already know from doing the wedding prep for Teddy and Morgan two years ago that my huge table holds a LOT of items, and it is perfect for what I’m planning to do this year – TREES AND WREATHS!!!  My idea is that once I have the dining room in place, I’m going to get out all of my Christmas bins and sort them around the table.  Then I’m going to get out all of my little trees (four feet and under) and set them up on the table, and then I can spend just fifteen minutes every evening decorating the themed trees like I used to do.  Once one is completed, a trash bag will go over top of it, and I will put a sticky note on it with where the tree goes in the house.  My grand plan is to have a matching door wreath for each room, but that may or may not happen depending on what I have in my deco bins (I’m not sure I have enough stuff for both trees and matching wreaths).

The great thing is that the four foot tall trees are small enough to be easily carried through the doorways in the house so placing them should only take me about thirty minutes tops.  My plan is to have every tree placed and every room decorated the day before Thanksgiving, and the dining room will then get decorated for Thanksgiving Dinner quite simply and quickly that morning with a wreath, a few small deco items, and a small Thanksgiving tree that I have already decorated and stored inside a trash bag (man, those things rate right up there with duct tape and WD40 for versatility around the house).

My long term plan includes cleaning out the attic room and replacing its flooring next summer, and then all of my four foot trees will be stored in there, permanently decorated and ready to set out every year.  That is a big big BIG dream though….oh, to have one huge room for just my Christmas items for storage!!!  Mayyyyyybeeeeeeeee…….one day…….that may be next year’s Christmas in July 2017 planning.  LOL

So what are YOUR Christmas in July 2016 plans?  It’s not too early to start!  There are only 171 days left until December 25, 2016!  Also, don’t you think Martha would be proud of us for doing some early planning?

PS  If you’re somewhat of a Christmas fanatic like I am, then grab yourself a mug of hot chocolate and settle into your favorite comfy chair; you can find and read all of my Christmas posts by clicking here.