What the?

Is it just me, or do stores seem to be bringing their holiday merchandise out earlier every year?  My friend, Cristy, said on her Facebook last week that she saw Halloween stuff out at Costco.  Is it really necessary to be shopping for Halloween stuff in July?  Shouldn't the kiddies be back to school before we start thinking about trick-or-treating?

Well, I was at Costco today and I indeed saw Halloween stuff.  However, before I got to the Halloween stuff some packages of very cute gift tags caught my eye.  I slowed my "on a mission to get in and out of Costco as quickly as possible" pace so I could check these adorable tags out.  And then I realized what I was looking at ... the gift tags were in the shape of snow flakes and Snowmen and Santas and pine trees ... CHRISTMAS MERCHANDISE!!!

Now, depending on how long you've known me, you may or may not know that I absolutely L-O-V-E Christmas and everything about it.  However, even I think that selling Christmas merchandise starting in the first week of August is ridonculous.  I realize we are in Canada and some people think it is perpetually winter here, but it is like 27 degrees celcius (about 81 degrees Farhrenheit) outside today!  That does not really inspire thoughts Christmas for me.

If this trend continues they'll just stop calling it "seasonal" merchandise and have it available year-round!