One of my favorite things about Christmas in July is the lack of commercialism. However, according to a recent article in the International Business Times, businesses are trying to turn the whole idea into a commercialized venture. I noticed the new trend for myself when several tempting emails about toy sales from Toys “R” Us arrived in my inbox.
For someone like me, who likes to finish Christmas shopping well ahead of schedule, it is nice to be able to take advantage of additional sales in July. But the candy canes, cards and bell ringing, Santa hat wearing Salvation Army workers? …read more

Every year, I think I’ll stay on track and will be able to get all of my scrapbooking pages done in a timely fashion after the holidays. Every year, I end up having them sit in a pile until well after the new year begins. So, this year, I’m doing something a little different. I’m putting together layouts without photos in them and will be able to put the photos in and add some journaling as soon as the pictures are developed.
The key to doing this sort of layout is to create generic spreads that will look great with a …read more

If you like to make natural Christmas decorations, July is the perfect time to start. Many of your materials will be readily available, either in your yard or in stores. Gathering the supplies now will cut down on expenses closer to Christmas. Here are a few things I like to look for over the summer months:

Pinecones – You can simply hot glue a ribbon to one end and apply some white paint to make them look snowy or you can do all sorts of elaborate things with them.
Flowers – Strawflowers and other things that dry easily, like lavender blossoms, are …read more

Looks like I am not the only one doing Christmas in July. I just got a newsletter from Joann Fabric stores filled with great ideas for projects and gifts for the winter holidays. I especially liked some of the adorable card ideas, although I’m not sure I’d be willing to buy a Cricut Cutting Machine just to make holiday cards for my friends and family!
Luckily, I can make something very similar to this lovely little Christmas Cheer card by using a chipboard “C” and a scrapbooking flower or snowflake instead of buying the Cricut and cartridges that were used to …read more

One of the most important things about Christmas is the caring and sharing that goes on. However, it can be really tough to give to all the charities you want to give to all at once, especially when you are also spending money on gifts, food and fun for the holidays. This year, I decided to start preparing for Christmas charity drives early. Really early. I began in February.
I kept a close eye on the after holiday sales and was able to pick up hats, scarves and gloves for as much as ninety percent off. I chose classic styles that …read more

Do you have a photo you took that would mean something to someone? A favorite flower, a view of the sunset over the water from his or her pier, a nice shot of a family pet? If so, you have the makings of a very nice Christmas gift. (And if not, what are you waiting for? Grab your camera and start shooting!)
Enlarge your photo to a standard size. 8×10 is the size I went for when I was printing photos of a sunset view for a Christmas gift last year. Then, buy a nice frame and a mat at the …read more

You know what makes Grandma happy. An adorable photo of the grandkids beaming away. But, you’re a little bored with giving her the same gift every year and you gave her a photo mug for Mother’s Day. What you need is a more interesting way to let her show off the newest photo of the grandkids. How about Snapily?
Snapily turns several photos into a moving print so that you can have the kids show off their princess curtsies or their spectacular karate kick on a photo print, a Christmas card, or a notebook. I think the possibilities are endless. What …read more

It can be pretty tough to find the right Christmas gift for a teen. So, when Altec asked me to try out the Orbit MP3 speaker, which retails for $39.95, I said I’d be happy to do so. The Orbit is a very sleek little speaker that is impressively powerful for its small size.
Although it is marketed as an MP3 player speaker, I hooked mine up to my laptop and enjoyed watching Benny & Joon on Hulu. (One of my all time favorite movies.) I usually have trouble listening to movies on my laptop, but, with the speaker, this one …read more

It is July 1st, which means heat and humidity. It is the perfect time to remember cooler weather, so I thought I’d spend the month talking about Christmas. That’s right. Christmas in July!
Before you start thinking I’m out-commercializing commercialism, take a few moments to think about how you felt fighting through crowds of shoppers to look for just the right gift at the last second. You probably were really frustrated and stressed and then overpaid for the gift you finally bought. Did you think about making your own gifts or at least getting your shopping done earlier last year? Then …read more

QuiltingAndPatchwork.com
Since this is the last day of July and the end of the Christmas in July theme I’ve been participating in, I’ll mention a few quilting books that have possible projects for your holiday gift giving and decorating.  One also is an Elm Creek Quilts novel.
                        
Enjoy!
(Amazon images)
Sandy Mitchell also has been featuring Christmas in July throughout the month at All Holiday Cafe.
(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen