Better rush down to the Hyde Park Shaw's before all the Halloween candy is gone

No it doesn't mean summer is almost over. It's July 20. Technically there are two months of summer left, or, if you want to go by when people go back to school, at least a month and a half left. It means the merchants and corporations want you to think "summer is almost over" so you will spend money. Obviously they are succeeding.

got an email from a store today advertising a Preferred Customer Sneak Peak of their Christmas decorations. And yes I'm a sucker who looked at all of it.

I found back to school stuff out in stores starting Fourth of July weekend, and a bag of Brach's Autumn Mix out on July 6.

I'll allow the Back To School stuff given that retailers are running on a national calendar, and some parts of the country go back in mid-August. I can take solace that people in warm states are trying to find lightweight spring clothes in January and all the stores have are wool sweaters and fleece jackets.

Tons of Halloween stuff just dropped in Michaels/AC Moore/etc. As somebody planning a fall wedding it's been pretty great for picking up cheap decorations :)

In some parts of the country, school starts as early as August 10. School seems to start in August in most places. Is the northeast the only area where school starts after Labor Day?