Holiday Preparations

In my mind, today is the official kick-off to the holiday season. It's starting with a bang due to door decorating at work (we all decorate our office doors - I use the same decorations every year because I'm "green" (read: lazy)) and the Christmas Program at Gabbie's daycare. Apparently even the babies are participating in the show. Don't worry. There will be pictures.

Saturday I'm throwing a holiday party of my very own, and so I want to have the apartment all decorated before then. It's a good thing Aaron and I have Friday off of work (to shuffle Gabbie around to different doctors' appointments), so we can use any extra time we have that day to put the tree and lights up.

Side note: does anyone know how to baby proof a Christmas tree? We're already planning on leaving the bottom few branches empty, but how about keeping it from being able to tip over? Advice? Anyone?

After that there are a couple of work parties, baking, shopping, more baking, and then the actual holiday. I've decided this year will be a retro Christmas for me. That means I'm baking the cookies my mom used to make when I was growing up, instead of trying out new recipes like usual. It means I'm using the old decorations my mom sent down to me. It also means that I'm making as many of my gifts as possible, just like I used to when I was a kid. Hopefully the construction will be a little better though. I think having a little one around is making me nostalgic for how Christmas was when I was a kid. I hope we can make it as much fun as our parents did for us.

The only new thing I'm trying this year is making caramels from scratch. I have to be me, I guess, and to not try to master one new recipe would not be me at all.