The Stocking Dilemma

Christmas is on my mind! :)

I know Thanksgiving is next week, but because of that I know Christmas is right around the corner waiting to jump at me, like it does every year. :)

So this year, especially with a new baby and knowing that everything will take longer I've started my Christmas shopping *gasp* (yes, I know there are many people who are done, like my sister) in the hopes that I'll actually get to relax and enjoy a few days before Christmas.

My goal every year is to be done shopping and baking and sending out cards early and every year I'm shopping up until a few days before Christmas (wrapping presents on Christmas Eve or after people get here on Christmas) baking like a mad woman up to the day, and the actual day I'm giving cookies out as gifts and then mailing out our Christmas cards the week of Christmas praying for some kind of Christmas miracle that our cards will get to their destinations before Christmas. Yeah.

I don't like being a last minute person, but I think I am. I know some people thrive under the pressure, but I don't know if I thrive on it. If being frazzled and stressed out count as thriving, then, yes, I thrive quite well, but I don't quite think that's it. :)

Anyway, so back to my title about the stockings. Every year we have the intention of doing stockings for St. Nick. What usually happens is 1 of 2 scenarios. Scenario 1. If we do St. Nick my husband or I (usually me) is out running around the day before hastily buying things to throw into our kids stockings, and while it gets the job done it's not super enjoyable. Scenario 2. We skip St. Nick and decide to fill stockings Christmas Eve and, well, unfortunately it's pretty much the same scenario again. Amidst all the other Christmas preparation we sort of forget about the stockings and then Dec. 23 or 24 one of us (again, usually me :) ) is running around looking for "leftovers" to fill the kids stockings, since by then it's not always easy to find what you're looking for. Can you say, "Parent, fail"?? :)

This year I decided to get a head start on stocking stuffers, so I can actually give our kids something they'll like. It's not really that bad. :) I do however want to do stockings for St. Nick because I want to give each of the kids their Hall*Mark ornament to hang on the tree and I got some cute Christmas pencils for the older boys that I'd like them to be able to use at school before Christmas break. :)

I started picking up little things kind of by accident *Yay me!* 2 or so weeks ago. I was at Target going through the $1 section and found a few cute items.

My dilemma comes in when I'm trying to figure out what kind of candy to get. Do I buy candy that I'll like too, since inevitably all the candy ends up in one central location (away from little hands), or do I buy stuff that only the kids will like, so I won't be tempted to eat it?

Since I'm the "Stocking Stuffer" I usually don't get things in my stocking so when buying candy I keep in mind that this is sort of for me too. :)

And now aside from a few little things for Lu-berry, and a couple of teethers for Baby E, I'm pretty much done with stockings *Hooray!* I decided to get candy for the kids that they'll like and candy for my husband that we'll both like. Ha! It's a win-win. Now I just need to remember some self-control since I am trying to lose weight between now and Christmas.

Yes, I know, I am crazy, but I won't fit into my Christmas-y clothes if I don't.