I remember shopping in Target a few weeks ago and they were setting up the Christmas lights along the wall behind the Halloween section. Here’s the thing with the retailers though- (I spent about 15 years in retail, so I feel their pain!)- it’s really the CUSTOMERS who dictate when the stores start putting merchandise out. Each year it seemed as if the Christmas merchandise was showing up earlier and earlier…..and each year you would hear a customer say “Christmas….ALREADY?” Yet the person walking in behind them would be excited, walk over and inevitably pick something up (and purchase it!).

It’s going to be an interesting shopping season to say the least. I’m personally avoiding all the negative news about the economy. Not that I’m burrying my head in the sand- but life is hard enough without having a constant bombardment of miserable news. My goal though is to get my kids out there a little more- by doing things for other people and not getting so caught up in “what they get”. I’ll keep you posted!