Christmas & Dust Bunnies

(© Amreta's Graphic Corner)

I know. It's only October. Also, down here in Australia we don't have snow over Christmas so it seems a little pointless to put a couple of jolly ol' snowman up. But nothing says "Make your Christmas list already!" like snowpeople in October. Chop chop folks :)

Even though the insanity of the retailers sees Christmas decorations go up near the end of September, I've always considered my birthday in early October to be the beginning of the Christmas season. I mean, I hightly doubt my birth was divine or anything, but it does co-incide with the super-charging of the instore Christmas displays. Coincidence? I think not. (LOL) If you ask Hubs though, he'll tell you the Christmas season begins on December 4, the day after his birthday (and the day we put up our tree). I think growing up with a December birthday bothered him, LOL. Me, I would have loved it! Our daughter was born on December 19 and would you believe I was actually gunning for her to arrive late on Christmas Day? I know. I'm sick!

On my Mum's Day Off (MDO) yesterday, I had the opportunity to drown myself in the displays. I think my age dropped about 20 years (which, if you've been playing along, would make me eight) and I started to get super-excited. I'm such a nerd, LOL. I love Christmas. With a passion. So wandering the aisles of the major department stores - two of which are famous for their Christmas displays where I am - was pure heaven for me.

It's no secret that consumer spending skyrockets at this time of the year. Or that there's a very real and disturbing focus on the commercialisation of the season. These are very sad reflections on our communities, for sure. But I can't help but get caught up in the magic just the same :)

Here in my city they have a major Christmas Pageant each year in early or mid November (plenty of folks here say that's when the season begins but - ahem - they've obviously never heard my theory, LOL) It probably pales in comparision to some of the big parades in the States but we're quite proud of our event. Every year we tell ourselves we'll take the kids along and every year we decide to stay at home and watch the pageant on TV. And when we see the crowds, and the fact that only four-people-deep on each side of the road actually see anything, we're always glad we did :P

I was a little smarter with the Christmas shopping this year - I already have a hefty chunk of it done and want to be completely finished by the end of November. I've been stocking up on items for the kids when they've come on sale and squirrelling them away in our wardrobe.

It was really interesting on the bus to the shopping centre yesterday. I often see older women in my travels on public transport and I'm always struck by the lovely way they dress. Tailored suits, brooches, neatly 'done' hair. Quite a few of these women have bypassed the slimness of their youth and yet they still look awesome. And then at the next stop a couple of teenage girls get on, jeans slung low, 'muffin top' hanging, hair looking like it hasn't been washed in a week and enough makeup to keep Estee Lauder in business trowelled on their faces, and you begin to wonder. Who is more beautiful? I'm not usually so judgemental but I can't help notice such stark differences. The cutest times are those when an elderly man and woman hop on the bus together. There is one particular couple I see often, and gosh I smile whenever I see the husband helping his wife up onto the bus, directing her with a hand in the small of her back. He first escorts her to her seat and then validates both of the tickets himself. They spend the rest of the trip holding hands and giggling. How cool is that?

My plans for today are mammoth. Hubs is in the city today having a DDO (Dad's Day Off, LOL) and following up on some errands for a training course he's involved with next week. I will be diving into the junk depository that is our master bedroom. Do you remember the last time you moved, how once the furniture and other items were taken out you had to deep clean the room to within an inch of it's life? Or yours? That's the level I have to go for today. I won't finish it, but I'm hoping I can clean a corner today, and work on the rest over the weekend. As our bedroom never gets seen by outsiders, its far too easy to skip over it in favour of the areas guests might actually gaze on.

And to finish up, here's a picture of some canisters I bought with some of my birthday money. Cause I know you're just dying to see them :P


You have no idea how hyper-focussed I am on the fact that the lines down the bottom are all different on each one, LOL. I originally wanted the old-fashioned enamel ones but at $18 a pop, it was a bit ridiculous. These were under $9 ea.

Have a lovely day. And start/finish your Christmas lists!

***Update - 3 hours later***

Owwwwwch. Plus, kerchoo! I've vacuumed up more dust bunnies in our bedroom than I'd care to admit publicly, stacked the laundry basket to overflowing (that's just one basket of many in this house!), found whole containers of lost toys, and realised exactly how bad I've let it get. The floors are all picked up. Tomorrow's job is to clear all the surfaces, clear out the walk-in-robe and wash the bed linen, and Sunday I'll be cleaning out the drawers and re-arranging things in the robe so that its geared more toward storage. Then when the main bedroom is all purdy, I have the spare bedroom to contend with. There's a lot of decluttering on the cards in order to turn the spare room into Boofah's bedroom and I've given myself until Christmas to get him in there. Then the next project is the outdoor patio area, LOL. Our family room has two big double doors that open out onto this area, and at present it houses a rusty old barbecue, a multitude of never-played with broken toys, the bikes the kids never ride, and about three autumns' worth of leaves. I'd love to put a little bistro set out there.....sigh....

Cheers,
Lizzie