Christmas In July

Is anyone else as excited about Christmas in July as I am?? I'm currently obsessed with all the Hallmark Christmas movies on T.V.  I LOVE everything about Christmas!!

Now I can go in several directions in talking about this holiday. The first, being a Believer, is my excitement about celebrating the birth of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I don't want to overshadow the true meaning of Christmas with some of my my secular traditions. But I do have many traditions instilled.
One of my favorite things to do around the holidays is decorate. I don't throw up decorations and a tree in one day.  I love to draw up a plan of which decorations go where and pretty much decorate every flat surface. Pinterest is one of my favorite go-to places to find decorating ideas and crafts to make. This year I want to add more Christmas inspired artwork, ornaments, and throw pillows. 
The advantage of getting the holiday bug in July is that you can start shopping early for supplies when they are on Sale or at least spread spending over a month. That's right, this girl starts the day after Thanksgiving! I'll share more posts on the specific crafts in the upcoming months.
Another benefit to planning for Christmas now is setting aside funds to use for the holidays. Do you throw a holiday party? Have a long gift list? Donate extra to your church or favorite cause? Now is the time, if you haven't already started, to set funds aside with each paycheck or find ways to earn extra income.

My last Chrstmas in July thought is planning to help a child or family in need this upcoming season. Call a local shelter for women and children or non-profit that helps vets.  These places can use extra help too. What items do they recommend? You can grab things at the dollar store (toiletries) or on sale anywhere over these months.

You can be sure I'll have more Holidays posts coming soon!