Making Peace With The Holiday Creep

“Time waits for no one.” That certainly rings true during this season. This is the time of year that's been dubbed, “The Holiday Creep” - the commercial phenomenon created by retailers that accelerates the start of the holiday shopping season.

Yes, it’s that time…again. If you’ve ventured into the stores lately, you’d better watch out and you’d better not pout.

Last year, I wrote a post called, “Decking The Halls Too Soon”. It recalls how I had popped into Macy’s two weeks before Halloween to get a birthday present, and the trees were trimmed and the tunes were humming. This was not the case for those who visited Nordstrom's. Those folks encountered this sign:

This year I’m on a bit of a retail diet, and much of the hoopla will pass me by. But, according to the National Retail Federation, nearly 40 percent of Americans started their holiday shopping before Halloween, and nearly 40 percent started in November.

Instead of the Holiday Creep with its ceramic Santas and faux-pine trees, right about now couldn’t we just gear up for the season of peace? I could really get behind this. I might even break my diet, hit a few local stores, and throw up a peaceful decoration or two. It’s much more dazzling, and much less creepy, don’t you think?

Photo Credits: Desire To Inspire, Nordstroms

Random Halloween Sightings

Halloween comes and goes without much hoopla in an empty nest deep in the woods. Trick or Treaters that spook the living daylights out of my dogs haven't ventured up my driveway in years. My own little zombies (below) are all grown up and have flown the nest (as they should). There is a glimmer of regret about not being able to enjoy Halloween vicariously through my babes.

Do not shed a tear for me – Halloween may not be my holiday anymore, and the kids only mildly resemble grown-up versions of those little zombies, but I still enjoy the holiday. Even if you have given up participating in the kitchier side of Halloween (parents do the strangest things), one does not have to relinquish all the treats.

Here’s an adult-sized dose of Halloween eye-candy:

Pumpkin Pillow

Eerie White Pumpkins

Knitted Skull

Halloween Spoon Garden Markers

Don't forget a Black CFL.

Happy Halloween!

Main image: Devils Thorn via Garden Design

Glamping Makes Many Happy Campers

Blending the terms of glamour and camping, Glamping brings nature closer to tepid campers.

I've engaged in many years of highly enjoyable camping, backpacking and adventure trips. But, now I'm done with camping. Actually, I've been through with camping ever since I spent four soggy, cold days stranded on a tiny island with my family of four. Now when we venture far from the econest, I do my due diligence and research the eco-friendliness of the accommodations down to the mattresses. No camp grounds enter my search engine anymore. Even these snazzy solar tents couldn't get me to sleep on the ground. I know, it sounds kind of wimpy. But, like I said, "I'm done with camping." So, not much coaxing or conniving could get me to snuggle back into a sleeping bag, even if my kids traveled back in time and were the cutest four year olds again (which they were a long time ago). Until now…CLICK HERE FOR MORE