Christmas countdown

Things I have already done:
Mailed Christmas cards. I only ordered 20 so if you do get one, please know how important and exclusive this makes you. And maybe frame it.

Made sugar cookies from the recipe Amyjane brought into my life. (Included below in case anyone wants their world rocked. Or you can keep eating vanilla-flavored hockey puck crackers--maybe that's how you like them.)

Fed sugar cookies to Primary class on our last Sunday together. Laid down two long strips of cut-open white garbage bags on the floor to be our decorating/eating surface, and one little boy said, "I feel like I'm at a feast!"

Bought a fresh turkey at Costco because it was only 89 cents a pound. Do not know when I will cook said turkey.

Scored a roll of cheap, pretty red & white wrapping paper from Target that I'll be able to use all year, and printed out some gorgeous free gift labels:

from Brightside Prints blog

by Sass & Peril

Watched (or, just had playing while I cleaned the kitchen) Under the Greenwood Tree, While You Were Sleeping, Rudolph, and It's a Wonderful Life. (Here's my list of must-see Christmas movies.)

Read Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. I like reading a Christmas book with GH every year, this was actually last year's book. We didn't finish on account of the baby and me being a bloodless zombie and everything. It was okay, but we spent most of the time being irritated. "Why can't they listen to the carolers? Carolers are free!" and "Whatever, I would still go on the cruise, their daughter can just hike up her big-girl pants and deal with it." Next year's pick: Christmas on Mill Street. (Aaaaaand here's my list of Christmas books if you want ideas.)

Things I still need to do:
Wrap the presents.

Bring the 89-cents-per-pound turkey in from the car where I keep forgetting and leaving it.

Keep watering the tree so that it doesn't combust in the night and kill us all.

Make more sugar cookies and also some chocolate crinkles to deliver to the women I visit teach. I figure most of them don't really want a visit but who doesn't want cookies?

Finish knitting Tiny Dark Lord's sweater vest. Just need to finish the neckband, block, and weave in the ends.

Maybe possibly try to knit something quick for my sister-in-law to add to her Christmas present. (I drew her name in the sibling gift exchange.) Do not know if this will happen.

Things I will just let go if it comes to that:
Everything but the sweater. There WILL be a Christmas sweater.

Anything big still looming on your to-do lists? Or have you thrown anything off the list and enjoyed the blissful rush of freedom?

Oh! Here is that recipe. Not that you need one more thing to do--feel free to sit on this until Easter. Or next Christmas.

Marci Rickenbach's Awesome Sugar Cookies

Cookies:
1 c butter
2 c sugar
2 t vanilla
2 eggs (note: eggs are optional--they still taste great without them)
5-6 c flour
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 c sour cream

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend dry ingedients with a fork and add wet to dry. Also add sour cream. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm. Roll dough out to about 1/4 inch think and cut out shapes as desired. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
4 c powdered sugar
2 t vanilla
1/4-1/2 c butter
food coloring as desired

Mix well until blended. Frost cookies and garnish as desired.