Christmas Present Project Countdown

Well this has been a trying evening. It's always fun to come home to an email from your child's teacher informing you that he has not been taking his homework home. Apparently Darian continues to think that it's better to come home and play rather than do homework. I don't think he's liking the results of our awareness of the situation. He has returned to grounded status after a near month of freedom and I have become a proud owner of a slightly used Nintendo DS. Ah, the fun we have...

I spent the remainder of my evening trying to relax and refocus. I settled on the couch with some knitting and managed to finish off a Christmas present while watching episodes of The Big Bang Theory. 

Speaking of Christmas presents, I mentioned the other day my lunacy in deciding to make homemade gifts for the majority of our family and friends. I did a count today and we're looking at a grand total of thirty projects - not including the quilt I'm helping Katherine make. Since I can't share the projects themselves until after Christmas, I thought I would at least share my progress. So I made...the 2011 Christmas Present Project Countdown. Isn't it cute?

As I finish each project, I will place a check mark across one of the presents. As of today I have 39 days to finish all of these projects (that will put me finished on Christmas Eve). With any luck, I'll be done a little early.

I have started and finished a couple of projects and I have a nice pile in the works. The fabric store run is planned for Saturday and I have been piling up my coupons to get the best deal I can. I'm super excited to get my fabric. Seriously. I'm giddy.

In keeping with my 2011 resolutions, some of these projects will be ones I have never tried before. I'm learning a few new skills along the way that I will share after the gifts have been opened. I'm excited to try them.

Tomorrow I will be talking about one new skill that I learned last month, knitting. I'll be sharing my first projects with you and telling you the secret that my friend Jennifer told me...it has made knitting super easy. (You can find her awesome projects over at Two Frogs and a Grasshopper. She's super talented.) Thanks Jen!

So...I'm going to go read and try to keep on top of that resolution while I'm ahead. I'm going to be starting Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult. Yes...another Jodi Picoult. Don't judge.  But, before I go, here is what the project countdown looks like as of this evening...

Whew! I admit...that looks a little daunting...