Every year around Halloween, I begin to think of one of my favorite children’s books: The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear. Mama Bear complained that Christmas started too early, and I must say that I agree with her – except Christmas starts earlier now than it did in 1984. She complained because Christmas started two days after Thanksgiving, yet I saw my first Christmas commercial two days before Halloween! In another 30 years, Christmas might be advertised starting around Labor Day.

I absolutely love Christmas, so when I start seeing decorations in retail stores I can’t help but get really excited. The problem with this is that by two days after Thanksgiving, I’m used to the decorations and I don’t feel that jolt of anticipation I felt when the decorations first came out. I don’t like Christmas starting early for the same reason as why we wouldn’t want to go to Disney World or Six Flags every weekend – it would just lose its special quality.

I am definitely not going to let the over-excited stores ruin Christmas for me. Of course, I can’t go crying to Best Buy and Toys ‘R’ Us for their too-early commercials, so I have devised a (nearly) foolproof plan of action to not ruin the holiday excitement.

First, I will stop listening to the radio. There are Christmas commercials playing already, and soon the Christmas songs will start. I like to use Pandora instead (yay for Broadway soundtracks!). Second, closer to Christmas, I will make a holiday music playlist, but not listen to it. I will anticipate the actual holiday without wearing it out. I like mixing music that’s holiday related with music that isn’t, like Coldplay’s “Christmas Lights” with some classics like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Last, as cheesy as it sounds, I will make sure to spend time laughing and cooking with my family once Christmas finally rolls around.