The secret to preparing for the holidays is to have a routine. I have to feed my holiday spirit with a few simple things in order to enjoy the busiest time of the year. Unlike a vampire, I do not feed alone in the dark, I insist that my family feed with me. Despite the protests, I'm sure they LOVE it. Tonight we will watch the
Lakeshore Holiday Parade and check out the amazing holiday decorations at the
Rahr-West Museum and it will be fun because
I SAID SO. My kids are too old to sit on Santa's lap at the museum but we still go downstairs for treats because it's time to prepare for the holidays and no one says "no" to free cookies. When we get home, I will start making the cranberry sauce (from real cranberries) that I bring to the family Thanksgiving celebration and I will listen to the soundtrack from Irving Berlin's "Holiday Inn" the entire time. The best part about that CD and movie, which I also insist we watch every year, is that it covers all of the holidays.
So on to Black Friday preparations. Make your list, check it twice, look for coupons online and in the newspaper and before you buy
ANYTHING big, stop at the Reference Desk and look it up in the
Consumer Reports Buying Guide or the magazine. This magazine will tell you which television you should buy and why. They rate cars, appliances, electronics, electric razors, cameras, MP3 players, ereaders and the list goes on and on. Of course, if you are trying to avoid camping outside a store Thanksgiving evening (or earlier!), the crush of the people rushing to get the last hot toy in the store, or simply have a strong aversion to crowds, there is always the option of Cyber Monday. The library is open from 9am to 8pm on November 28th and we have plenty of computers available.
The last thing I do in preparation to prepare for the holidays is make a list of holiday must-reads and start checking them out or putting holds on them. When you anticipate that you will be running for the next 30 days or so, you need to take time off to recharge. I like to listen to
John Grisham's Skipping Christmas in my car during the month of December. I would never skip Christmas but the idea is awfully tempting, perhaps a secret fantasy. I usually set aside my non-fiction reading (unless it is something inspiring like
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand) and check out some fiction titles as well as some holiday CDs to keep the spirits up. (We do need a little variety from Fred and Bing.) I know that
Justin Beiber has a new Christmas CD coming out and maybe that will be a good gift for the tween in my life. I think this year I'll stick with Mannheim Steamroller, Amy Grant, and some locals like the
Garth Nuestader Trio this Christmas.
Happy Thanksgiving to all from the staff at the Manitowoc Public Library. We're open until 8pm during the parade. We'd love to have you to stop by, warm up, and check something out for the holidays.
The secret to preparing for the holidays is to have a routine. I have to feed my holiday spirit with a few simple things in order to enjoy the busiest time of the year. Unlike a vampire, I do not feed alone in the dark, I insist that my family feed with me. Despite the protests, I'm sure they LOVE it. Tonight we will watch the Lakeshore Holiday Parade and check out the amazing holiday decorations at the Rahr-West Museum and it will be fun because I SAID SO. My kids are too old to sit on Santa's lap at the museum but we still go downstairs for treats because it's time to prepare for the holidays and no one says "no" to free cookies. When we get home, I will start making the cranberry sauce (from real cranberries) that I bring to the family Thanksgiving celebration and I will listen to the soundtrack from Irving Berlin's "Holiday Inn" the entire time. The best part about that CD and movie, which I also insist we watch every year, is that it covers all of the holidays.
So on to Black Friday preparations. Make your list, check it twice, look for coupons online and in the newspaper and before you buy ANYTHING big, stop at the Reference Desk and look it up in the Consumer Reports Buying Guide or the magazine. This magazine will tell you which television you should buy and why. They rate cars, appliances, electronics, electric razors, cameras, MP3 players, ereaders and the list goes on and on. Of course, if you are trying to avoid camping outside a store Thanksgiving evening (or earlier!), the crush of the people rushing to get the last hot toy in the store, or simply have a strong aversion to crowds, there is always the option of Cyber Monday. The library is open from 9am to 8pm on November 28th and we have plenty of computers available.
Happy Thanksgiving to all from the staff at the Manitowoc Public Library. We're open until 8pm during the parade. We'd love to have you to stop by, warm up, and check something out for the holidays.