Back in October I realized that I could officially blame my work for the absence of Halloween and harvest decorations in my home.

I feel badly for my daughter who loves dressing up for Halloween, yet has a mom who can’t seem to get her act together to "dress up" the house for the fall season.

For me, the timing is all off (it couldn’t be me!). If I only applied my same early energy and excitement for the Christmas holiday season to fall and Halloween, I’d stay right on schedule. But that would mean thinking, planning, decorating around the Labor Day weekend. With pumpkins still on the vines at that point, it’s just not going to happen.

But the festive Christmas and winter holiday season—that’s a schedule I can get excited about, and early. And after reviewing our special Holiday Happenings feature on page 24, I would recommend that every family start making plans now and get ready to dress up, bundle up, and be "up!" for November and all the happenings.

We include other celebrations in this issue too, namely our annual Birthday Party guide, which starts on page 16. I hope you enjoy Stephanie Worrell’s feature, "A Birthday Party Reality Check." I have to admit, our daughter’s first birthday party was your basic over-the-top celebration that rivaled only her parents’ wedding reception. All sorts of rationales went into it: excited about only child, family in town, still new to Boise—chance to invite and entertain new acquaintances… the list went on for this first extravaganza.

Suffice to say, subsequent birthday parties haven’t been at the same level of grandeur, and notably, expense. That’s why our annual feature and party guide is so great—lots of ideas for a great time, at home or elsewhere, with or without the extravaganza.

Celebrations continue in November with Thanksgiving (I still have time to get those decorations up!). Michelle Ann Anderson shares some favorite family baking recipes for the "get out the mixing bowls" season.

This month our Family Day Trip column highlights the Warhawk Air Museum. Not only do we highlight the Museum and its offerings for families, groups, and classrooms, but we especially want to note its annual Pancake Breakfast, part of the Museum’s salute to our veterans of the armed forces and our nation’s men and women in uniform.

I start to watch Irving Berlin’s White Christmas early in November. Two song-and-dance men (Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) team up after World War II, and in the final scene they host a Christmas production at an inn run by their old army general. This film gets me ready for the season, from Veterans Day to a "white Christmas" in Boise.