The Bitching Hour #6: It's beginning to look a lot like... no!

As if the crazy climate change weather isn't making it hard enough to tell what month it is, walk into virtually any store this time of year and you'll see everything ranging from Halloween to Christmas. The B Hour Girls weigh in...

Korie

  Before becoming a mom, I started my Halloween costume prep around mid-August. If I had a boyfriend or was doing a group costume with friends, they all knew what they were going to be too! I'm not by any means a "hot mess mom". I don't really like that term, because mommin' is hard enough without us shaming each other. Honestly, I like to think I've got my s*** together most of the time. But let's be real for a minute, working full time and dealing with whatever curve-ball life has thrown at me that week, October 1st sneaked up on me fast. And neither me, M, nor hubby have Halloween costumes. "No big deal" I thought to myself this weekend. There's still lots of time. We'll all just be something simple, matching and cute. Black cat, witch, vampire. Got it. There's bound to be tons of Halloween stuff in stores, right? WRONG! 

  Walking into several stores this weekend, I faced every procrastinator's Halloween nightmare. One shelf of Halloween decorations (no costumes or accoutrements!), several rows of Thanksgiving decorations and CHRISTMAS crap! Now don't get me wrong, I definitely think the winter holiday season is the most magical time of the year. I barely wait until mid-November to start playing holiday music and I wake up super early on Christmas morning to open presents. But, I mean, come on, people. It's October 1st! Not to mention, it's still 80+ degrees in Texas.You cannot tell me that everyone has their Halloween costumes ready to go! Oh and let's not forget the mix of smells of "witches brew" (what is that one even supposed to smell like?), "pumpkin spice" and "holiday cinnamon" candles. I'm still nursing the resulting headache from that assault on my senses.

  I never thought I would be this person, but I really think retailers need to focus on one holiday at a time. If for no other reason than to give those of us with hectic schedules longer than the month of September to get our Halloween costumes together! Jeesh. 

Tricia

  I used to love, love, love winter. It's changed as I've gotten older and become a nurse that didn't get snow days and got trapped at work for 5 days straight with no staff and left to work literally two 24 hour shifts...Anywho even during my years of loving winter and the holiday season I've always felt it's overly commercialized. This year they had fall decor in the beginning of August at stores near me. I started seeing Christmas decor early in September! This is just nuts! Totally corporate America trying to make extra money to have people buy more holiday crap earlier. Don't get me wrong I love to "deck my halls", listen to carols, and be jolly but having it out so dang early is totally just a marketing thing. I'd like to see some statistics on if it actually makes the stores more money. It must though because every year it seems to get earlier and earlier.