Enter the No Judgement Zone if you dare!!

So Wednesday, I decided to chuck my “day after election” comments because I knew there would be controversy, and this is just not the place for it.   Thanks for the nice comments from all of you!!

However, today, I may just find real controversy and I’m thinking, this could be big!!   So, if you decide to jump in…be prepared for comments from all directions!!

CHRISTMAS…ahhhhhh!   I love it!   I love the fun of decorating, I love the fun of Christmas music, I love the fun of shopping and I try to enjoy as many activities and events as I can!  I love being with family and friends!  To be honest, last year wasn't great, but this year, I am anxious to get things up and going for the holidays!

From the time I was little, I have fond memories of Christmas…getting to open one gift on Christmas Eve, usually pajamas from Mom & Dad, a McDonalds dinner, and waking up so early, waiting for my siblings to do the same.  After all, we couldn’t check to see if Santa had come until everyone was up, then Dad went to check…just in case he had skipped our house!

To this day, I will never know how they managed to shop and hide so much loot!   And Lord knows, I had no clue how they could afford it, until I learned about the “Christmas Club” accounts available at the bank!  

I don’t remember when the decorating began, but I’m assuming it started Thanksgiving week or just after Thanksgiving.  There was a neighborhood door decorating contest and I remember thinking our front door was nothing short of amazing!   

In our living room, we had a white flocked tree, with blue balls (get your minds out of the gutter boys!), and the famous rotating color wheel.   Stunning!!   Then, our door had silver lamay fabric and a big blue bow...our door looked like a Tiffany package!   My Dad setup a bright white spotlight in the yard to shine on the door...it was dreamy!!

The contest came and went and we didn't win the major award, but I will never forget how special we all thought our house looked.   I think that's when the bug for decorating may have kicked in.

Fast forward to my married days and we started a tradition as newlyweds, the first Friday in December would be our Christmas party.   The first year, just married 6 months, we hosted our party in a 2 bedroom apartment.  There were 30+ people there...EVERYWHERE.   We had food on TV trays in each bedroom and in the dining room.  The bar was a full bar and it was one hell of a party!   It was fantastic and we knew the tradition would continue!   

*Insert funny story!   We were poor newlyweds.   I had started a new job and my first paycheck would come on the day of the party.   I had gotten most of the food before that, but we had waited on the liquor.   Thursday (the day before the party), Greg came home from work and we drove in a snow storm to Walgreens  We were one of the very few cars on the road, but we had a mission and could not delay.   We loaded up our cart and when we tried to pay, they wouldn't take a credit card for liquor (the old days!).   So we left our cart and drove from Louisville to Jeffersonville, Indiana, in the nastiest of snow storms...literally no one on the road...and we went to Cut-Rate Liquors.  Thankfully, they did take our credit card to pay for the liquor and we headed home and finished setting up our lovely party!

Now, if you are going to have a Christmas party on the first Friday in December, you need to decorate early and that's where my "early bird" decorating came in.   We had to get our tree early so it would "fall out" before we decorated and as a result, usually, before Thanksgiving, the tree was done.

Just so you "live" tree people know...Christmas trees are cut in August and September and prepared for shipping in October.  So, unless you cut the tree yourself, your live tree can be put up anytime you want!   Just keep the water filled!!   (Fun fact from days of owning a fruit market that sold Christmas trees during December!)  I usually chuckle to myself when people say, "We would decorate early, but we get a live tree!"  

Back to my Saturday.   I opened the walk in closet in the second bedroom, which is labeled my Christmas Closet!   I started pulling out bins and instantly felt overwhelmed.   But, I was motivated, excited and ready!  

With Christmas music playing, I set out to do things systematically. It was good at first, then the overload and realization that this apartment is too small for all of the Christmas decor I have.  Cue the tears...so much emotion rushing through.   UGH!!   I wasn't really sure why, but I think it was a reminder that I'm decorating for myself...in my little, but lovely, apartment.  Alone...

Saturday was a productive day...lots of decor in place.   I only have one tree up (my bar tree) but the big tree will go up this week, in stages.  The two bedrooms will get their trees, in due time.  My goal is to be fully decorated before Thanksgiving.   That is super easy to do...

I know there is so much controversy about starting decorating early.   In my world, it is normal and it is the best way for me to truly enjoy the holidays.    I'm not rushing Christmas...I LOVE Thanksgiving even more than Christmas, but I have to be realistic.  With holiday guests, travel, and work events, my time is tight.   I love coming home and turning on the trees!   It always makes everything so much better!

Regardless of what you do, I love you and I love when you send me memes and Christmas articles on Facebook.   If you need a Christmas fix, feel free to stop by!!  xoxoxo