It’s somewhat hypocritical for me to post this since my family wants to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving, but Keri Smith has a list of 10 things to do instead of shopping on Buy Nothing Day, November 23.

Every year, people complain about how Christmas is commercialized and has lost its meaning. I like the idea of consuming less so there is less distraction while we get back to why we have Christmas in the first place.

Personally, I’m making more gifts this year and cutting back on the number of gifts I give. Most of it is simply that I have less money, what with having a mortgage and all. But when I wrote a list of things to make, I was surprised by how many things I was capable of making that people might not mind getting as a present from me. I just wish I had gotten around to making my own vanilla in time for Christmas gifts. Oh well…

We’re moved into the house. It took four good friends, two solid days, and lots and lots of boxes, bags, and milk cartons, but here we are.

It’s strange to break your life down and move it to a new place. It made me think a lot about why I have so much stuff. Even though I took three trips to the goodwill after the garage sale, as I unpack, I keep putting things in a goodwill box again. No one needs this many mugs or books or clothes. My rule now: If I haven’t used it in a year and it isn’t, say, my wedding dress, I’m getting rid of it. I feel like I’m drowning in my possessions, and that’s exactly how I don’t want to feel.

On a happier note, I derive a lot of joy from every little thing that is pulling the house together. You really don’t admire the plates on electrical outlets until you live without them for awhile. And I picked a green paint for my office, one that I’m 87% sure will work with the new floors and my design idea. Such a relief. Also, we bought a chandelier for the dining room. Light! At last!

So yeah, things are coming together. We have a lot to do. There are boxes to unpack, rooms to paint, and bathrooms to remodel. But I like this house. I’m thankful for it. And hey, just in time for Thanksgiving.

Our move-in date is this Saturday. I just keep telling myself that we are almost at the finish line. It will be nice to have ONE home again next week. And a home I own, too.

The kind of thing I have been doing: Removing wood paneling from the wall.

See, the living room started out looking like this:

Wood paneling and blue carpet. It looks like the 1970s threw up in the room. So you do the following:

1. Remove the paneling.

2. Put in the mysteriously missing insulation.

3. Sheetrock, patch, texture, and paint the wall a nice off-white.

And voila! You get:

I am starting to feel like I can live in this house now.

Given the quality of most TV shows these days, I’m not sure Hollywood writers deserve more money. Ha ha. Just kidding. Here’s an interesting little video from the very excellent writers of The Office about the writer’s strike. Hey I’m sympathetic. After I cancel TV when we move next week, I will be watching The Office exclusively online, and yes, they deserve a cut of those advertisements that I won’t be clicking on.