The Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today [...]]]> Christmas dinner, whether enjoyed on Christmas Eve or on Christmas day, is a time to gather together as family and friends to put aside all of the distractions of the holidays and concentrate on what is important. Good food happens to be an excellent way to do just that.

The Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to begin preparations of the side dishes in order to save time on the day of the dinner. Cut all the onions, carrots, and celery that you need. Prepare your cranberry salad today and allow it to properly setup. Assemble that vegetable casserole and then refrigerate until the time is right.

The Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to create your grocery list from the recipes of the dishes you plan to prepare [...]]]> Going to the grocery store without a list, especially for an important holiday meal is always a bad idea. But, going early before things start to run out is a very good one.

The Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to create your grocery list from the recipes of the dishes you plan to prepare for your Christmas meal. Be sure to include every ingredient that you will need. You don’t want to be stuck with the yams for your sweet potato pie!

This week’s drawing is for 3 lucky winners to win 1 of 3 of ListPlanIt‘s ePlanners: Personal ePlanner (perfect for personal goal-setting in the New Year), Planner ePlanner (lots of time management pages to get yourself organized), and Home ePlanner (for motivation to get those home projects done this winter). To enter for your chance to win. . .

1) leave a comment on this post,

2) tell your friends & followers about 100 Days to Christmas on Facebook or Twitter(so easy to do when you use the Share This button at the bottom of this post) and leave a comment here linking to your profile,

3) subscribe to 100 Days to Christmas‘ RSS feed using a reader or by email and leave a comment here,

4) blog about 100 Days to Christmas then leave a comment here linking to your post.

5) contribute as a member of the 100 Days to Christmas community

One of each of these per day please. You have until December 13 at 6 pm EST to enter. wrapping done as possible. For some added fun, call some of the girls over and make it a Gift Wrap Party! Some can wrap and some can accessorize. Be sure to label each present.

This week’s drawing is for 3 lucky winners to win 1 of 3 of ListPlanIt‘s ePlanners: Personal ePlanner (perfect for personal goal-setting in the New Year), Planner ePlanner (lots of time management pages to get yourself organized), and Home ePlanner (for motivation to get those home projects done this winter). To enter for your chance to win. . .

1) leave a comment on this post,

2) tell your friends & followers about 100 Days to Christmas on Facebook or Twitter(so easy to do when you use the Share This button at the bottom of this post) and leave a comment here linking to your profile,

3) subscribe to 100 Days to Christmas‘ RSS feed using a reader or by email and leave a comment here,

4) blog about 100 Days to Christmas then leave a comment here linking to your post.

5) contribute as a member of the 100 Days to Christmas community

One of each of these per day please. You have until December 13 at 6 pm EST to enter.

The Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to bake your pie or pies. You still will have plenty to do for tomorrow, so get the pies done today. [...]]]> Pie, glorious pie. I love a Thanksgiving meal, but I dream of the pie that follows. Have you decided what type of pie to make for Thanksgiving?

The Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to bake your pie or pies. You still will have plenty to do for tomorrow, so get the pies done today. I make my own butter crust and then both a pumpkin pie and a pecan pie. Don’t forget real whipped cream! (But should be saved for tomorrow.)

*For a little pie-baking inspiration, check out List Mama’s List of Traditional Thanksgiving Pies.

This week’s drawing is for a $25 gift certificate to Name Bubbles – Name Bubbles personalized waterproof press-and-stick labels for kids and adults are the perfect choice for labeling all your family’s holiday gifts. Whether they’re destined for a hand-knit sweater from Grandma or that new game player from Dad, Name Bubbles are durable laminated vinyl labels that stay firmly affixed to your most important items, even through the toughest daily use — including trips through the washing machine and dryer, microwave, and dishwasher. With Name Bubbles you’ll always know which item belongs to whom, long after the holiday decorations have been put back in the attic; plus, they’re easy to customize and purchase online at http://www.NameBubbles.com. To enter for your chance to win. . .

1) leave a comment on this post,

2) tell your friends & followers about 100 Days to Christmas on Facebook or Twitter(so easy to do when you use the Share This button at the bottom of this post) and leave a comment here linking to your profile,

3) subscribe to 100 Days to Christmas‘ RSS feed using a reader or by email and leave a comment here,

4) blog about 100 Days to Christmas then leave a comment here linking to your post.

5) contribute as a member of the 100 Days to Christmas community

One of each of these per day please. You have until November 29 at 6 pm EST to enter.

Today’s Countdown to Christmas Challenge is to decide what can be cooked or prepared today and get it done. [...]]]> Thanksgiving Day will be a day filled with family and laughter. It will be a day to create memories. Don’t spend more time than you have to in the kitchen that day. Get a head start today.

Today’s Countdown to Christmas Challenge is to decide what can be cooked or prepared today and get it done. Need vegetables cut for the stuffing? Does the cranberry sauce need time to set up? Can you prepare and refrigerate the casserole today so that it is ready to go in the oven on Thursday?

The winner of last week’s Christmas CD giveaway is: Monique of oneincomedollar.com Congratulations!

This week’s drawing is for a $25 gift certificate to Name Bubbles – Name Bubbles personalized waterproof press-and-stick labels for kids and adults are the perfect choice for labeling all your family’s holiday gifts. Whether they’re destined for a hand-knit sweater from Grandma or that new game player from Dad, Name Bubbles are durable laminated vinyl labels that stay firmly affixed to your most important items, even through the toughest daily use — including trips through the washing machine and dryer, microwave, and dishwasher. With Name Bubbles you’ll always know which item belongs to whom, long after the holiday decorations have been put back in the attic; plus, they’re easy to customize and purchase online at http://www.NameBubbles.com. To enter for your chance to win. . .

1) leave a comment on this post,

2) tell your friends & followers about 100 Days to Christmas on Facebook or Twitter(so easy to do when you use the Share This button at the bottom of this post) and leave a comment here linking to your profile,

3) subscribe to 100 Days to Christmas‘ RSS feed using a reader or by email and leave a comment here,

4) blog about 100 Days to Christmas then leave a comment here linking to your post.

5) contribute as a member of the 100 Days to Christmas community

One of each of these per day please. You have until November 29 at 6 pm EST to enter.

The Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to consider starting [...]]]> You cannot beat a hearty, healthy meal in November where all you have to do is throw all of the ingredients together in 1 pot (or crockpot). Soups and stews also make great Football fare. Make Soup Sunday a part of your fall/winter meal planning!

The Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to consider starting a new tradition of Soup on Sunday! Send out invitations to friends and family and let them know that if they like soup, they are welcome to drop in on your Soup Sunday (with some advanced warning, of course). I know many families that prepare a big pot of soup the night before Thanksgiving or Christmas when they tend to have a lot of company. It’s easy to feed a lot of people with soup. Just add some type of bread and maybe even a salad for a delicious meal!

For some inspiration, check out List Mama’s suggestions at List of My Family’s Favorite Soups/Stews at ListPlanIt’s blog.

Now that you have your Thanksgiving menu planned, you can begin to inventory your pantry to discover exactly what ingredients still [...]]]> We are officially halfway through this journey through 100 Days to Christmas! Have our baby steps helped you feel better prepared? I know I am feeling ready for Christmas! Bring it on!!

Now that you have your Thanksgiving menu planned, you can begin to inventory your pantry to discover exactly what ingredients still need to be purchased.

Today’s Countdown to Christmas Challenge is to sit down with your menu planner* and begin to create a thorough grocery list*, ingredient by ingredient, to figure out exactly what needs to be bought from the store. You don’t want to find yourself on Thanksgiving morning with no sage when your recipe clearly calls for sage! Collect this week’s ad circulars to scout out the best deals.

* ListPlanIt.com has all your needs for Meal Planning and Grocery Lists, including access to a Thanksgiving Menu Planner and Thanksgsiving Shopping List in Holidays & Occasions.

For today only, tell us about your Thanksgiving menu (whether you are cooking it or eating it) here in a comment on this post and I will send you* ListPlanIt‘s Thanksgiving Shopping List!
* will be sent in an email within 24 hours of comment.

The Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to go beyond opening a can of cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving. Indians [...]]]> This week will be all about getting ready for your Thanksgiving meal. Each day will be an opportunity to prepare yourself for the feast that lies ahead. Start early, take it slow, and enjoy the season!

The Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to go beyond opening a can of cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving. Indians introduced the Pilgrims to the taste and benefits of cranberries long ago. My Aunt Vicki has always made the Cranberry Salad* for my extended family’s get-together and though I tried hard to find a different recipe to serve my family, nothing was as good to me as Aunt Vicki’s. I am sure the Pilgrims would be very proud of the improvements made.

* Here is Aunt Vicki’s Cranberry Salad recipe available to print and use for your own Thanksgiving.