Lights, Camera, Wrapping Paper-ACTION

Yes, the Christmas Season is officially here.  My goodness, I was just eating leftover turkey when I looked over at the family and every person in the room was on some type of devise, depending upon their age looking at sales.  Cyber Sales, Cyber Sales.  When I ran into Rite Aid before Thanksgiving for some laundry soap on sale, I noticed all their Christmas items were 50% off.  What is with that?

I thought to myself, why bother to shop early, wait until about 2 weeks before Christmas and every store in the universe will be having a 75% sale.

Here at Windmill Farm, we are so old fashioned, we love getting and making hand made gifts.  I love to bake and give baked cookies to my neighbors and our wonderful mail lady Tami.  I love the challenge of coming up with a perfect gift, after giving it lots of thought.  

I love decorating the house for the holidays, I love the smell of a fresh tree in the house, even though I know I will have lots of needles to clean up later.  I love keeping all the lamps off at night and only having the Christmas lights on in every room.  I love driving around and seeing decorated houses.  I love making each gift look special using fresh greens, pine cones, some knitted/crocheted ornament on top; this year's work from Frank, cut out paper houses.  

I love the pressure to try and get all the projects we started, done in time.  And I particularly love people stopping by to say hello and  look forward to having our family here to stay for this festive season.  

Nothing more wonderful and magical than seeing the kids get excited early morning Christmas.

So in a blink, I think I almost missed Christmas if I read all my Amazon and Target and Walmart special emails.  But in Frank's and my world, we love and cherish each and every day until December 25th.  No matter how many Black Fridays, or Super Savings (if you order by midnight) I see or hear about, enjoy the moment.  Get your head out of your smartphone looking at all these ideas to make things that are on Pinterest and Instagram.  Quit looking at other people's photo styled houses that are decorated perfectly for Christmas.

Sit, read to your kids; have them help you wrap gifts; have them help you bake something, ANYTHING even if it comes already to go in a box or tube of cookies.  Proudly display all that cute school made holiday art the kids made. Go visit a someone in a rest home.  

Bring a tray of cookies to the wonderful Police agencies in your town.  Don't forget your local fire fighters too, remember they will be working when you are snug in your bed and away from their family.  Thank some soldiers for their service.  Be nice on the road driving.  Take your time and chat with people while you are in line buying gifts, smile, have fun.  

And yes, I will say it, Thank God for all our blessings, take time for devotion even if it means saying prayers with your children, together.  Have everyone shut their smart phones, tablets, Kindles, computers off for at least a couple hours each evening and talk about - yes the holidays!!!  Those are the memories of Christmas.  Hurry up though, or you will miss all the REAL MAGIC right in your front room, not on your smart phone screen and not from Amazon.

Lights, Cameras, Cookie Sheets, Wrapping Paper-here Frank and I come!