Overwhelmed?

I have been. I've made all sorts of crazy threats this evening, including to kidnap my family and move to a cabin in the mountains and become a hermit family. If you feel the same way then maybe a couple quick Christmas tips will help you out like they have helped me this weekend.

1. I don't remember who gave us the cut glass cake plate with glass dome for our wedding, but I have used it more this week for parties than I have used it in our married life. I discovered that everything from sausage balls to cheese ball and crackers looks more appealing on a pedestal. Even the ordinary looks nicer on glass. Great for parties.

2. Being unorganized as I am I hadn't bought any Christmas cards, and being the cheapskate I am I could hardly justify the expense--besides, I didn't have time. So I took some blue cardstock (the only color I had that was remotely Christmasy), cut each piece in half with my olfa cutter and folded it into card size. Then I found a clean sponge under the sink and cut it into a triangle. I found some green craft paint in the kids' school box, dipped the sponge in the paint, and stamped a green triangle on each card, assembly-line style. Then I made a little cross on top with silver glitter glue (although a sequin, sparkly bead, or glitter would have worked just as well)--voila, a Christmas tree! Then I wrote "Merry Christmas" inside and signed our names. I have to confess that I can't take credit for this idea. I read if somewhere, I think in a review of a card-making book--but I'm not sure. It just stuck in my brain.

3. In the new issue of Notes from Toad Hall that came yesterday (too lazy to link, I will provide that in another post sometime), Margie Haack suggested giving granola as a Christmas gift. Brilliant. I made a batch of chunky peanut butter granola this morning and asked Billy to pick up some M&M's, peanuts, and pretzels. When he came home with 3 big bags of M&M's, 2 bags of pretzels and a big canister of nuts, I thought he had way over-bought. (I also added a box of raisins.) God knew better though. I had way under-planned, and this super colossal batch of Peanut Butter Granola Trail Mix measured out just right for all the kids' Sunday School, Awana, and Choir teacher gifts. Whew! Billy had bought just right.

Now it's late and I still have a lot to do to get ready for tomorrow. Good night!