How is it already November?

The Christmas commercials started bright and early the day after Halloween.  Actually, I saw a couple in the week BEFORE Halloween.  Really?  Do we really need that much time to think about one holiday?

As a retailer myself, and having worked for one of the largest retailers in America, I get it.  I know that the fourth quarter has a huge impact on the bottom line, and it is crucial to get customers in the door.  But how many hours do you really need to do that?

The holiday season has become so over emphasized.  The Mall of America, where we have our business, has announced they will be the first mall in the country to open at midnight on Thanksgiving.  We will not be opening that early, as I think it is ridiculous to expect any one of our crew to be at work at that time. They have turkey to digest!

Granted, we don't sell big screen tvs or bargain laptops, so we have no need to open at midnight.  The mall will have a designated time that we have to be open by, last year it was 6 am, I am guessing this year it will be earlier than that.  And Mike will head in early and man the store, while the rest of our crew arrives at a more reasonable time, when people will actually want to fly.

We have been busy putting together our own strategy for the holidays, and how we can attract customers to spend their hard earned money at our business.  Ad budgets have dwindled, and we need to get very creative to sell those gift cards.

Each year, the next several weeks are stressful and nerve wracking and I can hardly wait for January 2nd.   But we do make time for family fun, no matter what:

Each year I try to do something to find the joy in the season, and keep things in perspective.  Even if it's just sitting with a hot cup of tea while listening to my favorite holiday music and thinking about childhood celebrations, it's important to maintain my sanity.

What do you do to keep yourself grounded during the holiday season?