Feels like a gorgeous fall Saturday! Yard WINTER prep & the start of Christmas planning!!

[@moniquefuselier7711]

Today's video was so relatable--planning for holidays, getting things done in the yard, stopping what you're doing to attend to your family. Hope Ivon is feeling better and that Robin made good progress on the bathroom.

[@MsArtistwannabe]

Hi Karen. I remember when you pruned your rhododendron last year. I’m pretty sure that’s why it didn’t bloom for you. You may want to feed it with some Hollytone plant food. It’s great for acid loving plants. This is the right time of year to do it. Usually twice a year. Late fall and spring,

[@sharonwengler3225]

Just an idea for Thanksgiving or that weekend, make some holiday cookies together. You could then package them up and send to your other kids and there families. Or put them in pretty containers from the dollar store and the girls can give them as gifts. I loved to make stained glass cookies they were fun and beautiful. I love your movie theme idea, so much fun! Also for the 3 girls at home how about giving them on Thanksgiving advent calendars. No matter what you do it will be special because you are together.💕

[@ThisMainerMom]

Great idea! Thanks for sharing! 😃

[@CULady]

Thanks for sharing your ideas about thanksgiving 🍽️. Our family travels for thanksgiving. However our Christmas is what is a little smaller then it use to be since 3 of our 4 parents have passed away. We always did Christmas Eve with both sides of our family. My goal this holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year is to be present and enjoy my family! Thank you Karen for sharing your heart ❤️. God bless

[@ThisMainerMom]

That is a GREAT goal!! ♥️

[@saltandpepper9389]

I love your Thanksgiving plans! It will be so much fun and special for sure ❤

[@ThisMainerMom]

Thank you!

[@bethstratton3391]

Hey Karen, I am glad you are deep mulching your rhododendron’s before any frost. Did you know, in the UK it is illegal to grow certain varieties of them, plus it is also illegal to allow them to spread from your gardens into the wild as they can kill native species of wild plants and trees. Anyway, it was nice to see you start planning for Thanksgiving/Christmas, as you know we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK, but in my house Christmas lasts from Christmas Eve through to the day after New Years. It’s usually a time for cosying up and being together, because it’s pretty cold and it stars to get dark so early. We have two big Christmas dinners, one on Christmas Day just Roger and I, and then one on Boxing Day with Roger’s sister and my best friends. The time in between then and New Year is for watching movies/KZbin, playing games, making and eating Christmas snack food, reading, taking short walks, going to see the big Christmas store shop window displays in the posh shopping areas of central London and having cake and coffee afterwards, going to some museums I like to visit (in early December), visiting friends and chatting with friends on the telephone who live abroad. We usually go out to lunch or dinner at least once or twice as well. As for gift buying, as there are only my two brothers and their wives left in my immediate family now and we all have a no gift buying rule, but we do send cards. I do buy gifts for Roger’s sister, my best friends, my god children, a few extended family members and three of our neighbours. We buy any groceries that can be stored for Christmas at the end of November and perishable food three days before the day itself. We usually eat more or less the same things, because we are traditional and know what we like, so shopping list writing is really easy. I decorate the house, including the tree, in the week before Christmas; that way I can take my time doing a little bit each day. It is traditional not to take the tree down until the afternoon of the 5th January ready for twelfth night, but I start taking down the other decorations the day after New Year’s Day. Sitting down to watch a NewYear’s Eve concert and then the London fireworks at midnight rounds out the celebrations.

[@Joy-zp5lv]

Doing my nails while watching you. One of my Sunday selfcare activities. Wow - that are many gifts. I was working in my yard for the last three days. Still not finished. 🙄 I divided some plants and bought a few new ones and planted them in all the gaps. We´ll see if my borders finally are full and lush next year. 😅

[@ThisMainerMom]

Oh I bet the gardens will be gorgeous!! 😍

[@em......]

I'm a bit jealous (not in a bad way) of your big family. There will only be three or four of us for Xmas this year. But we are going to make it special. ❤❤ it is Sunday here in Australia, I've done 3 loads of laundry and a lot of snuggling with my cats. It is a very warm spring day. (ick)

[@SandraOgrodnik-wm4ph]

Thinking of the holidays with family: do you and your husband have parents living and siblings? Do you ever celebrate with them for the holidays or birthdays?

[@KlingonPrincess]

I am having a lovely Saturday, thank you 😊 I made croutons from stale bakery bread, packaged up my chicken broth for the freezer, and am making tabouli salad - all while watching today. I'm SO much more productive when I have you as a body double. Hope Ivon feels better soon 🌻🍄

[@ThisMainerMom]

I love that we’re body doubling!! You got a lot done! 🙌

[@helenelindholm656]

Started to buy christmas gifts already so i can focus on food,decorate and hang out and have good cozy times before christmas. Take care🍂🧡🍁

[@ThisMainerMom]

Sounds perfect! 😃

[@berniv-l6548]

Thank you for sharing all of your projects & your time,i decluttered my recipes with you, love your Christmas planner 🎉 great to make notes to keep track of everything! Can’t wait for your menu planning!💕🌾🌾

[@ThisMainerMom]

Yay!! Thanks! 😃

[@heathergruenberg3273]

I have started shopping for Christmas and (like you) I also keep a notebook of purchases and keep track of the costs!

[@pamelafreeman4548]

That recipe sounds so good! Enjoyed your visitors! ❤😊

[@kimberlylamitie2869]

😂. A Mama trait. Christmas needs to be fair. I’ve always been like that as well.

[@ThisMainerMom]

So true!! 😂

[@jeannebowes2898]

Beautiful Saturday here in MT. Tweaked the garage storage rack a bit, using some extra plastic bins for cleaning products backups. Then gave all a good sweep out. There is such a thing as thyme lawns but I do not know much about them.

[@KlingonPrincess]

@@jeannebowes2898 I was thinking of a thyme lawn too. 🌱🌱🌱

[@simplyfreedom171]

Yes, now is the time to plan for Christmas! Review decor, wrapping, mailing, guest, baking supplies. Make reservations if traveling. Buy clothjng, make appointments for photos, hair, nails, boarding for pets. Make lists for who to buy or mail gifts to. Meal plans and ingredients to buy. Buy cards, address them. Mark when to mail on calendar. It can seem like a lot, a bit one week at a time adds up!

[@ThisMainerMom]

Great list!! 🙌

[@jessicaquiroz7178]

It’s just going to be my husband and I for Thanksgiving and Xmas this year so for Thanksgiving we are going to Golden Corral and Xmas I will cook as well as New Year’s Day.

[@pam14321]

Hellooo Karen, I’ve never had a rhododendron but I know they look amazing in full flower so hopefully the ‘stacking’ of mulch will protect it from the worst of the weather. Squirrels aren’t so much of a problem here but pigeons! Well! They’re a real nuisance for sure, they’re among the dirtiest birds I know,their poop is huge and very messy,sadly one got into our greenhouse,boy did it make a mess in its panic to get out🙄🙄 I’m not well enough to deal with that yet and hubby isn’t much better so it’ll have to wait. We used to have an allotment years back,ohh the cauliflower,cabbage, potatoes etc we used to grow were delicious but I never grew stevia or mint, plot holders would share produce though so I was never short of anything😂 Those ramekins look ideal for a single pudding don’t the,even a little handle to hold it by. Anyhow, as always much love and light my friend.🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@ThisMainerMom]

I get mourning doves but they aren't messy like their pigeon cousins! I never thought what it would be like to have lots of pigeons! I love the idea of sharing fresh veggies!! 😍 I pray you are feeling healthy and energetic soon!!

[@melissakoon2097]

I've decided not to do stocking this year our oldest and family moved away a few months ago and they are coming home for Thanksgiving instead and we might go see them the day after Christmas the younger 2 sons don't like doing Christmas so not sure if we are doing anything maybe we will just take them out for a nice meal a couple days before and just go to my sister house to see my side of family ❤ . I'm going to get the living room decorated for Christmas for Thanksgiving so the grandkids get to see it❤

[@pamelafreeman4548]

Have you seen crafts with acorns? Since you have so many that might be fun!❤😊 we have gone to bringing a ladies or a mans gift..a certain price limit. Then we play a game and draw a number & pick a gift or steal from those who already got one if we want. It is fun. Then we still buy for the children. We have before went together and bought for someone needy. We really don't need anything..blessed beyond measure.❤😊

[@jeanettekvinlaug2772]

❤ Will you please consider talking to your doctor about estrogen supplement? Anxiety, depression and fatigue are normal symptoms of menopause.😊

[@flipsforfun6116]

❤

[@nbig860]

🍁🌾🍂😊

[@carolynoquinn4573]

We eventually picked names, and then just bought for the kids.

[@ThisMainerMom]

👏

[@carolynoquinn4573]

@@ThisMainerMom Otherwise you dread it and it's just a huge bill!