12 Fresh Cloth NapkinsHave them ironed and ready to go.
11 Catchy Christmas Carols• “White Christmas,” Otis Redding • “Christmas in Hollis,” Run-D.M.C. • “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,” the Jackson Five • “The First Snowfall,” Bing Crosby • “All I Want for Christmas,” RuPaul • “Silver and Gold,” Burl Ives • “Baby, Please Come Home,” Darlene Love • “Fireside,” Jim Brickman • “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” the Pretenders • “Santa Baby,” Eartha Kitt • “Christmas Time Is Here,” Vince Guaraldi
10 Hours for ShoppingThe average person spends that amount of time hunting for gifts, according to Consumer Reports.
9 Feet of Garland Per Foot of TreeYou need to go to great lengths indeed to jazz up a spruce of average height.
8 Care-Package ItemsHere’s what soldiers overseas most frequently request:• Letters from people like you • Nutrition bars • Ground coffee • Flavor packets for water • DVDs and CDs • AT&T global calling cards • Personal-hygiene supplies • Blank cards to send to their loved ones
7 Words to Remember“It is in giving that we receive.”— Saint Francis of Assisi
6 Rolls of Gift WrapAccording to the people at Kate’s Paperie, the paper retailer, most of us need this much to get the job done. (Choose recycled paper whenever possible.)
5 Emergency GiftsDon’t get caught short (again). Store them in a closet prewrapped for surprise guests.• Pillar Candles: unscented, ikea.com; scented, colonialcandle.com • Card Games in Tins (like Uno, Old Maid, and I Spy): amazon.com • Bud Vases: cb2.com; buy in bulk, save-on-crafts.com • Special Teas (mightyleaf.com) or Cocoa (chocolatebarnyc.com) • Paperwhite Bulbs: whiteflowerfarm.com, smithandhawken.com
4 Champagne CocktailsUpgrade a glass of bubbly with one of these options:• 1 tablespoon pomegranate juice • 1 scoop mango sorbet • 1 tablespoon grapefruit juice • 1 teaspoon Amaretto liqueurCheers!
3 Hours for WrappingYes, that’s the average time it takes, say the folks at Consumer Reports—and it’s all torn off in seconds!
2 Billion Christmas CardsIt may feel as if you’re personally sending out that many, but that’s actually the national total, according to HallmarkAnd a “
One-Horse Open Sleigh”Did you know that was the original title of “Jingle Bells”? A little fact to get your Christmas-party conversation started. Happy holidays!
This list was posted on Real Simple Magazine's website at www.realsimple.com
