Preparing for Christmas

So the official start to the Christmas season is here.  Thanksgiving has passed.  Ours was lovely, by the way.  Most all of the extended family got to meet Greta and proceeded to pass her around, while my cousins tirelessly played with Gus.  It was great.  Did I mention there was pie?

Anyway, so now with the start of Black Friday we have moved into Christmas.  The radio stations have started playing their holiday tunes, including one that plays it non-stop from now until Christmas.  It's actually pretty great because it's on whenever you want it, and I have to admit that we have it playing most days just as background noise.  From what I can tell, tv channels have already started airing holiday movies and specials.  I decided last Friday movie night that all of our Friday movie nights now until Christmas will be holiday movies.  We have Love Actually and A Christmas Story but I need a few more suggestions.  I've already heard Home Alone, Elf, and Scrooged- any others you can think of?  It also depends on what the library has, but at least I'll have something to look for.

Christmas doesn't actually officially start in our house until December 1.  That is when I am allowed to put the tree up and get out the decorations.  I would start Thanksgiving night but hubs thinks if they're up for too long then it's just not as special.  So, ok, whatever.  Gus is super duper excited to put up the tree, so that will be a fun project for the two of us.  I got the hubs a great ornament from eruckman on Etsy because he has been tirelessly busting his butt around here this year, especially with the storm and the new baby most recently:

His says Best Dad in the middle and the kids' names are along the bottom.  It is fabulous (and her other stuff is equally awesome so you should go check out her shop!) and the hubs really liked it.  It's quite his style.

I've also been plotting out my Christmas baking.  I tend to make cookies, breads, etc. to give to neighbors and such, and this year I think I am going to do cookie plates.  I always make traditional Scottish shortbread for my dad, and I also plan to do peanut butter balls, jam thumbprints, and these beauties from Pinterest:

via Baked Perfection

Don't they look great?  I think that will be a Pinterest Thursday project, and the shortbread and peanut butter balls are going to be blog guest-posts, so you'll be able to try out all of my treats!  I'm going to start making them ahead whenever I can find the time (ha!) and freezing them, which is supposed to work well with cookies.  And Gus loves to help in the kitchen, so that will be fun for him.

So that just leaves putting in an order to Santa Claus for a few things that still need to be gotten.

via me!

Have you started your holiday prep yet?  Do you have special traditions you're looking forward to?  When do you put up your tree?