Too early to think about Christmas shopping?
Did I just say Christmas?
Yes, (lol) I did.
I know, I know, it's just hitting summer but every single year I make an oath to start my shopping earlier the next year when I'm up to me eyeballs in Christmas madness in the malls and every year I seem to have the same problem. I wait until December to get the bulk of it done.
I'm not suggesting you begin your shopping today but keep your eye out for some sales, throw some stuff in a closet and add to it whenever you see something extra or have a bit of extra cash so you don't find yourself in late November and December having a mad dash. From a financial perspective it's better to do it bit-by-bit too.
Are you still paying off credit card debt from last Christmas?
Tsk, tsk...stop blushing, you're totally normal so don't worry about it but why not change this behaviour?

This blog was sponsored by: www.gourmetgiftbaskets.com.
For Christmas gifts they are a GREAT ace in your pocket.
You can make a gift basket for anyone in your life from a spouse or dear friend right down to a business acquaintance. Gourmetgiftbaskets.com offers countless varieties and themes of baskets and if you want something that you don't see listed, contact their customer service department as they're more than happy to talk about custom orders.
They've provided me with this tidbit of Christmas trivia for your reading pleasure:
How did today's red suited roly-poly Santa Claus come to be in North America?
Through a long chain of events and evolution dating back to the 16th century!

Bishop St. Nicholas was introduced to New York in 1809 by John Pintard who founded the New York historical society. Then, Washington Irving joined the society and wrote the satirical fiction, Knickerbocker's History of New York, with many references to a jolly St. Nicholas character who wasn't a saintly bishop but a jolly elf-like man more akin to Dutch folklore.
Alexander Anderson was commissioned to craft the American image of St. Nick and popularity grew.
In 1823, a Christmas poem which later became the famed The Night Before Christmas classic was published.
A family tradition of ours is to read that very poem every Christmas eve.