…your photos could use a little kick in the stripey tights. Check out 16 Digital Photography Tips for Christmas.

Visions of doing decidedly humbuggy things with carts to those hordes of nasty shoppers? Try some Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps — couldn’t hurt!

People show off their holiday displays at Planet Christmas, from the relatively sane to the crazy nuts. There’s also a forum where those so inclined can swap tips.

Ha! I am no longer the Grinch! At least not on the outside. We have our tree up, it’s decorated, the advent calendar is out, and the stockings are waiting to be hung. The kids are pretty excited about it all, which is the important piece, really.

To go along with no longer being the Grinch, we had our Christmas pictures done two weekends ago. They weren’t supposed to be in until Dec. 21, but they came in early. And, I am almost done sending them out. Ahh…can’t wait to be done! Then, I won’t have to do it again until next year.

Cuz that’s how I feel. I’ve done most of the Christmas shopping, but that’s about as far as the Christmas “spirit” has taken me. (And why is it called “spirit”? I digress.) We are now at essentially 10 days until Christmas and what have we done for decorating? We have hung the outside lights. Yup, that’s it. No tree up, no stockings up, no presents wrapped, nothing. If I thought Sophia would let us get away with not putting the tree up, I’d definitely do it.

I want to be in the holiday spirit. I want to talk about Santa, Jesus (a little), sing carols, make cookies, hang the stockings, re-decorate the tree (after the kids pull them all off of it), etc. But, I’m just not. And I don’t know why. Perhaps it’s because I’m just plain tired these days. Perhaps because we don’t have snow (which is always a signal to be that Christmas is coming). Or maybe it’s because my parents have decided to change Christmas up a bit this year. I don’t know what it is, but I’d like it to go away. I’d like the “spirit.”

The Wagner Company of Milwaukee makes Festivus poles! Hee. Here’s how they do it.

The creator of the previously-linked annual online Advent calendar passed away late last week, alone, at age 41.

From all the remembrances, I wish I’d become better acquainted with her sites and writings. It sounds like she was a truly amazing person.

I said I was going to have my cards out by the first week of December, at least. And has that happened?

No.

I don’t even have the little half-letter written yet! The one I’m inserting in lieu of the photo for which Daniel will not cooperate.

That’s it: no TV for me until they’re squared away. Except maybe Everwood, because that show gets me all warm and fuzzy and in the mood.

Today I went to my moms to engage in an annual holiday tradition. Normally this wasn’t such a big deal, the whole tradition thing. But with changing times, families growing, and my parents aging, I’ve begun to really treasure this tradition. It’s the one thing that hasn’t changed in the way we celebrate/prepare to celebrate Christmas.

My mom and I baked Melting Moments today. (I tried finding a link to the exact kind we make, but have been unable to find one. The recipe we use is from my mom’s “Aunt” Mabel.) I don’t remember EVER having a Christmas without Melting Moments. I remember my paternal Grandma making them. (Which is kind of ironic. As I was telling my mom today, I always thought this recipe came from my mom’s side of the family. We learn something new everyday.) I remember helping my Grandma make them. As my Grandma became unable to travel, my mom and I continued to tradition of making them.

The baking of Melting Moments can/should require patience and perfectionism. You have to roll the dough into marble-sized balls, and it’s best if they are all of about the same size. My mom is not so good at this. That’s why she says she recruits me. She says I’m great at quality control and have the patience to roll them; and she’s right. I actually enjoy spending the time with my mom, making the cookies. Thus, I don’t care if it takes a long time to make them. (And I love the smaller ones; they’re much easier to eat!)

I began thinking today of how I love this tradition, how I love what it embodies to me: family, love, togetherness, and giving. I began thinking of how I want to continue this tradition. Having my mom and I make cookies together, eventually including my kids into it, then having it be something I do with my kids, and eventually do with my grandchildren. I hope that the generations to follow see that this isn’t about the cookie, it’s about family, love that has passed down through time, and a chance to enjoy one another. It would melt my heart to see that happen.

What family tradition would you like to see continue even after your time?

More Peanuts nods: the cast of Scrubs does A Charlie Brown Christmas. I love it.