Christmas is 5 weeks from today. That means the Countdown moves into high gear. But do keep in mind that how you use the countdown depends on the rhythm of your life and how you like to spend Christmas Eve. I host a big party in mid-December and I like to spend Christmas Eve reading or watching movies with cocoa and cookies at hand. If you don’t entertain and your family tradition is to decorate on Christmas Eve, modify the countdown accordingly. The countdown is a suggestion, not a mandate.

• Keep working on any crafting you have yet to complete. The closer Christmas comes, the harder it will be to find large blocs of time you can dedicate to crafting.
• Keep working on your cards. You don’t want to mail them before December 1^st (and ideally not after December 15^th), but it’s more fun if you do a bit at a time.
• Make sure you have your gift lists finished so that you are ready to shop. You may even want to take advantage of some of the great early sales (especially online). Ideally, you should have at least half of your gifts bought before December 7. That includes all gifts that must be shipped.
• As you purchase them, wrap and package gifts that have a distance to travel.
• If you have some time, find and wrap the presents you’ve already bought.
• Begin finalizing your menus for Christmas entertaining as well as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.