Let's Go Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!

Everything I've written about Christmas so far seems to be me complaining about things being so busy and not having enough time, but the thing is, Christmas is much more than that! It's special, it's Jesus's birth, and sometime it's too easy to forget this.

Today, I've decided to help myself remember this by posting seven way to get into the Christmas mood!

1. Turn on that music! There is nothing like a bit of Christmas music to get yourself in 'the mood'. For me, classic carols normally does the trick. There is nothing like those old pieces like 'Away in a Manger'.

Even if you don't have any CDs, you can always call upon the trusty old internet to give you something to listen to. Some great places to go are Grooveshark and YouTube.

And if you don't know any good musicians, here are a few who I love: Peter Hollens, Taylor Davis and Piano Guys.

2. Pull out those crafty supplies. Try some Christmas craft. Make some presents, decorations, anything. There is nothing like a bit of Christmas craft to get you excited for Christmas, trust me.

My favourite Christmas crafts involve, making angel Christmas tree decorations out of tissues (yes, very sophisticated, I know), salt dough Christmas trees (anyone else done this?) and painted boxes (to be filled with chocolates as a present).

3. Put on your baker's hat. Everyone likes Christmas food, but not all of it has to be bought. Why not try making some of your own this year?

I love going online and finding new recipes. Just one thing though, has anyone ever had success with ginger bread? Is it just me is there no way to cook it without it going really hard or being under cooked? Why do I try to make this every year?

4. Go shopping. Yes, I'm encouraging you to go shopping and spend money! But, remember, those presents have to be bought sometime or another. Why not now?

I don't normally like shopping to tell the truth, but with Christmas presents, it's another matter. There's something nice about walking around those isles, trying to find the perfect present for someone.

Not being very crafty, I end up buying most of my presents, but I do like to try and make them really cool and something they'd really enjoy. Most of all, something different!

5. Wrap those presents. Once you've got all your presents, there's nothing to stop you from wrapping them up. Getting it out of the way earlier rather than later makes sure you're not doing on Christmas Eve like me.

If you want to be really adventurous (and crafty), why don't you even try to make your own wrapping paper. This gives you two things to do in one!

6. Decorate the house. Every house needs some kind of decoration. Why don't you put that tree up? Is that wreath just dying to be on the door? Come on, put some effort into how your house looks at Christmas.

I'm not normally very good at this. I don't have the eye for this sort of this, but it's lot's of fun to do, so long as you don't leave it till the last moment (yes, I'm always doing that).

7. Sing those carols. Let's start and finish with music. If you are a brilliant singer, or plain horrible, get those carol books out and start singing. This is sure to make you SMILE.

And if you're really brave, why don't you even try a little bit of busking? Busking is a great way of getting a few extra dollars to spend on Christmas.

But better than that, it's so much fun and it's really Christmassy!

There you have it, my seven ways to get in the Christmas spirit. I hope you try at least a few of these out.

Also, I'm looking for guest bloggers over the Christmas holidays. So if you'd be interested, or would like a little bit of free advertising, then please email me: almostcompletelymad@gmail.com. I'd also be willing to guest post back on your blog. So just give me an email!

-Kat