It's Always Time To (Christmas) Shop!

Friends always comment on how organized I am. Around  September or October I will hear "I bet you already have your Christmas shopping done, right?" I will answer with "Yes, and wrapped, too!" They know me. What they don't know is that I start my Christmas shopping for the next year as soon as Christmas is over. I plan my Christmas theme so I can get the the decorations on sale. I buy size up clothing for all the grandangels. I plan my wrapping paper colors and buy them on clearance. 

So - here we are January 19th and what have I bought so far?
A  white Christmas tree so I can put my black one upstairs next year.
All denim and burlap and red ornaments for the white tree.
A big wreath that I can decorate myself.
My wrapping paper theme next year will be puppy dogs - so I have 6 cute rolls of Christmas wrap and bags with dogs on them. Too cute.
Denim and Burlap decorations for the mantel/hearth.
Christmas paper plates, cups, napkins. 

I will have 8 GrandAngels that will range in ages of 1 year to 17 years next Christmas.
I cleaned up on long sleeve shirts at Old Navy last week so 3 of them already have several gifts.
I have hit great clearance sales at Marshalls, Kohl's, Hobby Lobby, Burlington Coat Factory and Palais Royal, to name a few.
I have even found a couple of items for the hubs already. This gives me plenty of time to get some of their "wish" gifts, too.

I would stress like crazy if I waited until December to shop. I even have a couple of friends who wait until the last week! 
I stay away from Black Friday - I am usually completely done by then. 

I am never really out of the Christmas shopping mode - which is kind of fun, I think.

What is really fun is when I get ready to wrap - and I pull everything out of the spare closet or attic and most of the time it is a surprise for ME because I have forgotten what I bought early on. I love it.