Christmas Special: A Timeline for Your Christmas Dinner

Creating a Timeline for Your Christmas Dinner Will Make it Easier and Stress-free During This Busy Time of Year

A Timeline for Your Christmas Dinner

Creating a timeline for your Christmas Dinner will make it easier and stress-free during this busy time of year. If your make brunch instead of dinner or have your dinner on Christmas Eve just move adjust the timeline ahead slightly to suit your specific needs.

Late November
Invite all of your guests. Even if they “know” to come each year it’s nice to invite/remind them. You’ll want to do this several weeks out because people plan early for the big day.

If the dinner is a potluck, keep a list of who is bringing what for the feast. (Tip: in the event they can't come at the last minute have a similar dish you can substitute if necessary.)

Determine any specific dietary needs for your guests and plan for this.

Make lists – a grocery list split into nonperishable and perishable items, decorating, house/yard cleaning and food preparation. Create a menu list and timetable for when to do what on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (this will eliminate forgetting to serve the vegetables, etc.)

If you’re serving a fresh turkey or a honey baked ham, order it now.

Take your shopping lists and check the weekly newspapers for specials and note what products are on sale on what store on each list. You can buy the nonperishable items on your regular shopping trips. By mid-December you’ll have most of that shopping completed.

Late November/Early December

Decide what table linens, china, crystal and serving pieces you’ll be using. (Tip: You can also do this when you take out the linens, dishes, etc. for your Thanksgiving Dinner if you’re also hosting that holiday.) Send your table linens out for cleaning or pressing if necessary, or, launder and iron them at home. Buy any necessary items. (Tip – Use plastic cups for cocktails, & Christmas themed paper plates for appetizers & dessert.)

Create any decorations you want to make. Pull out of storage any of your other Christmas decorations and lights. If you’re planning to use a floral centerpiece, order it now and see if they’ll deliver it. (Tip: Try to use your centerpiece and other decorations more than once if you’re hosting other parties.)

Decorate your home and outside. You might also want to put lights outside in your backyard also. I have the little white twinkle lights around the square columns in my patio and I light them whenever I entertain (even indoors) because they look very festive.

Buy your tree and decorate it. You may be a family that prefers to do a day or two before the actual holiday, or, even on Christmas Eve. I do it as soon as I get home from my Thanksgiving Holiday – I LOVE the holidays. It also stays up through “little Christmas,” January 6th.)


Mid December

Finish shopping for all your nonperishable items, including, film, batteries, candles, wine, soda, etc.

Complete your decorations and major house cleaning. Make sure your back and front yards are presentable

Clear your refrigerator out so you’ll have room for the extra groceries.

Create any favors, place cards and similar items. Wrap any gifts you’ll give to your dinner guests.

Order any fancy desserts or anything else you need for your dinner table.

Bake and freeze or store any dishes that can be prepared ahead.


The Week Before Christmas or Early Christmas Week

Purchase your perishable food items, trying to avoid going to the grocery store on Christmas Eve. (Tip – I’ve always found Tuesday and Wednesday early evenings the best time to shop for groceries.)

Verify any dishes your guests are bringing if it's a potluck

Again, bake and freeze or store any dishes that can be prepared ahead.

Dec. 23rd

Clean your produce, bake the pies and cakes and similar items. Actually, these this day is the best for cooking anything that keeps until Christmas Day

Clean your house

Thaw the turkey, if necessary

December 24th

Pick up any last minute items (the fresh turkey, bakery items, Prepare any other dishes that will keep until the next day
Set your table & bar area, buffet, dessert serving areas, etc

Chill the wine, champagne, sparkling cider, etc.
Do any last minute household chores (Tip: check the guest bathrooms to be sure they’re “good to go” and that your guest closet looks nice and has room for your guests coats and jackets.)

Christmas morning
Get the turkey roasting (or BBQ, frying in oil, etc) to fit your day’s timetable

Double check your table setting and add the necessary items

Cut the bread and cover and place on the table (or rolls, etc.)

Prepare your appetizers if you’re serving them

Prepare the remaining dishes you’ll need for the day

Clean up wrapping paper, etc. if you opened gifts at your home

Do any last minute dusting, etc. if necessary

Leave enough time for yourself to get dressed, do your hair & make up


Have a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Trees and Decorations in Lake Charles, Louisiana

Lake Charles, Louisiana has several establishments where a customer can purchase their Christmas decorations. These decorations range from the perfect Christmas tree, to holiday towels for the bathroom and anything in-between. A few of these establishments are Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Stine’s and Greengate Garden Center.

Wal-mart has several locations throughout the city. One such location is 3415 Highway 14 E., which can be seen from Loop210. At this location, one can find holiday décor such as stockings, Christmas trees, inflatables, Christmas bouquets, lawn décor and Santa suits. Decorations such as figurines, glass platters, mugs, snack stacks, snow globes, music boxes, cardholders, photo albums and personalized decorations can also be purchased here. Wal-mart also has wreaths, ornaments, tree skirts, and Christmas music and gift baskets. For more information, call 377-477-7799 or visit www.walmart.com.

Kmart, located at 4070 Ryan Street, can also outfit a complete home for the Christmas holidays. Customers here will find home decorations such as tree toppers, garland, wreaths, tree skirts, stocking hangers, stockings, snow globes, decorative trees, novelty and stuffed animals, Christmas village pieces, electronics and animation pieces, holiday pillows and throws and holiday bath items. Kmart also has yard decorations such as lighted sculptures, lighted trees, lighted candy canes, inflatable characters, holographic decoration and projections as all sorts of lights. For more information, call 377-477-9665 or visit www.kmart.com.

Target, located at 1720 Prien Lake Road, offers its customers Christmas trees, some of which are pre-lit, décor classics, trim the tree items such as ornaments, tree toppers, tree skirts, garland and ribbon. Target also offers Trim the Home items such as stockings and hangers, wreaths and garland, decorative accents, snow globes, nativities, licensed décor, wall décor, Christmas cards and ribbon. Customers here will also find holiday food gifts, themed candles, creative candlelight, Holiday Velvet Décor and Holiday Chenille. For more information, call 377-474-2391 or visit www.target.com.

Home Depot, located at 3200 E. Prien Lake Road, is another location, which has a variety of Christmas decorations available to its customers. These decorations include fresh cut Christmas trees with stands, artificial trees that range from 4’ to 15’, inflatable yard decorations, fresh cut garland, gift bags, pre-lit garland, lights, animated figurines, snow globes, 3-D yard ornaments, grapevine deer as well as wreaths and mistletoe. For more information, call 337-475-9998 or visit www.homedepot.com.

Lowe’s, located at 2800 Derek Drive also carries Christmas decorations. Customers here will find themed Christmas trees, string lights, illuminated garland, pre-lit trees, wreaths, inflatable outdoor décor, holographics, fiber optic figurines, animated figurines and other decorations such as acrylic snowmen, 3-D decorations and more. Tree stands, tabletop décor, poinsettias and wreath storage bags are also available here. For more information, call 337-474-8220 or visit www.lowes.com.

Stine Lumber Yard and Garden Center, located at 1313 Country Club Road also has Christmas trees, fresh cut and artificial as well as ornaments, outdoor décor, wreaths, poinsettias and more. For more information, call 337-477-7512 or visit www.stinelumber.com.

Greengate Garden Center, located at 4226 Lake Street is one more location where shopping for that perfect Christmas décor can be accomplished. Here customers will find Christmas trees and more. For more information, call 337-477-6080 or visit www.ggate.com.

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Christmas Special: How Not to Cut Down a Christmas Tree

The festive holiday season is upon us. Streets and stores are decorated with festive holiday lights and ornaments. Homes across the world are decorated with strings of lights, ornaments, giant snow globes, lighted reindeer, Santa Claus and Christmas trees.

Christmas trees come in a number of forms these days. The live evergreen tree is the classic holiday favorite. There are trees to fit every taste, Frasier Fir, Balsam, Scotch Pine, long needles, short needles, tall, short, skinny, fat and even artificial trees in unnatural colors. There are all kinds of Christmas Trees. Cutting down a fresh tree at a tree farm has an old fashioned, romantic association.

Cutting down a Christmas tree at a tree farm can make a wonderful family outing, involving everyone in the choice of the tree and the of action bringing it home. Tree farms signify a type of commitment to the tree not found in a pre-cut tree lot, garden nurseries or at home stores.

This is the story about why cutting down your own Christmas Tree may not be for everybody.

We were newlyweds and our first married Christmas was fast approaching. I had told my husband that I would like to get a fresh cut tree for Christmas. I meant really fresh cut, the kind you cut down yourself. There was a tree farm a little over an hour's drive north of us. We agreed that it would be cool to drive up to the tree farm and cut down our own tree.

That is, I thought we agreed. What really happened is that my husband verbally agreed and then did exactly what he wanted to do, which did not include cutting down a Christmas Tree.

Mid December was upon us and still no tree. When I told my husband that if he didn't want to cut down a tree, I would go do it myself, he surprised me by saying okay. He supplied me with a small dull ax, and off I went on my Christmas Tree Adventure.

My route to the tree farm was not a straight one. A detour to visit a friend and a little wine delayed my arrival at the farm in the Kettle Moraine area of Wisconsin.The sunlight was dimming when I arrived at the tree farm. There was about a half hour to cut down a tree before closing. Boldly, I trekked through the forest of Christmas Trees, not at all concerned that I was l alone in a wooded area. A tree of the right size came into view, and I decided that was the tree for me. That is when I found out that cutting down a Christmas tree is not as easy as it looks. Especially when the ax is small and dull.

Cut it down, I did, in spite of the fact that it resisted my every cut. Then came the next part, actually getting the tree to the car. Now the light was really dim, it was cold, and I just wanted to get the tree in the trunk of the car and get home. The tree was heavier then it looked as I dragged it laboriously through the snow. Eventually I got it to the car. Anxiety set in, as sounds of people leaving and "Good Nights" filled the forest.

Somehow, I hoisted the tree, which was getting bigger and heavier by the second, into the car trunk. The trunk popped wide open with the fluffy tree inside so it had to be tide it down. I took a piece of heavy twine and started to loop it through the loop in the trunk, designed for just that. That is when things took a turn for the worse.

I stuck my finger into the hole to loop the twine. When I tried to pull out my finger, I could not. My finger was stuck in the trunk, with my hand held high in the air, above my head. It was now dark. I tugged and pulled and could not get my finger out of the trunk. I was alone in the tree section that I was in, could see no one, and they could not see me. It was now dark, but I had cleverly left my car's headlights on for light. With the setting of the sun, any warmth left in the day was gone. This would be a silly way to die. I was starting to feel trapped and fearful.

Didn't the staff patrol the grounds before leaving? It didn't seem so. I could still hear vehicles starting and people calling out "Good Night" to each other. The forest started to feel ever more deserted, and I was now cold and frightened.

Panicky, I now started calling out "Help, Help". My voice sounded very small in the dense forest, and I despaired that anyone would ever hear me calling.

Finally a man appeared with a flashlight. I explained my dilemma, and he scratched his head, puzzled. Just how do you get a finger out of a trunk? I was silently praying that his solution would not involve an Ax. He went to get help, and shortly three men appeared. As they approached, my finger magically came out the loop. So they never had to actually do anything, but it was comforting to know they would have tried.

They helped me tie the tree into the trunk, I thanked them and they walked away. I got into the car and turned the ignition switch and,....nothing. The battery was dead because I had cleverly left the lights on. One man was still visible and I called him. He had to get his truck and returned to give my battery a jump to start the car.

The prize still hadn't been paid for, so I drove to the barn. The staff gathered in the cozy barn, drinking hot cocoa. When I entered the barn I was greeted with hoots of laughter, 'Is this the lady who got her finger stuck in the trunk?" I smiled and put on a brave face, but didn't find it all that hilarious. Red faced and mortified, I paid for the tree and left.

On the long, cold, dark ride home, I never seemed to warm up. It was a miserable hour's drive.. I arrived home chilled and more then a little cranky.

My darling husband was good enough to get the tree from the car to our fifth floor apartment. There was an elevator, so his contribution was nothing compared to mine.

The next day, we put the Christmas Tree up. The tree was cantankerous to the end, resisting the tree stand, being difficult to put up. My husband straightened the tree as much as he could, looked at it critically, and said "The trunk is crooked." As you can imagine, I now wanted to throw the tree at him.

We made a decision, then and there, that for the rest of our married life, all Christmas Tree decisions would be up to him.

He skipped the romance of cutting down the trees himself and always purchased fresh trees at the local tree lot. Did I mention that having your husband go the tree lot to purchase a tree and bring it home is romantic?.

Enjoy the spirit of Xmas during the holiday season.

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year



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