I forewarned promised you last week we’d be talkin’ the big “C” word, didn’t I? 😉 This week I’m gonna talk about beginning to plan for Christmas/Holidays and my game plan. (I’ll include my normal To Do list at the bottom, too.)
You do not have to talk about the holidays in your lists this week. It’s okay, you can heckle me and call me nuts for planning so early (don’t worry, I won’t tell you I’ve been buying gifts for months).
First, I want to share with you a cute website I found to help organize your Christmas. I like what they offer. Not all of what I found applies to me, however, I do like their organization style.
Another resource to use is FlyLady with her Holiday Control Journal . Very useful lists to help organize Christmas. Do you have any good holiday organization resources? I’d love to hear what methods you use, too!
Here’s my Christmas Game Plan, Part 1 – Begin Creating Your Holiday Notebook
- Create a notebook for the holidays, and leave the first page blank (just in case you have spies at home!)
- On the next page, begin to write (or copy from Flylady’s Holiday Control Journal) your plans for the holiday. If you’re traveling, it’s on this page you’ll write particulars (when, where, who, how long, how much) and begin pricing if you haven’t already.
- On the next page, begin to write names of people you’d like to send cards to. You’ll add addresses later. Be sure to write in pencil, and skip a line to allow room for addresses. Use as many pages as you need, leaving room to come back and jot down more if you need it.
- On the next page, begin jotting down things you may want to cook for the holidays, to include cookies, breads, pies, and more. Leave enough room for recipes (to jot them down with ingredients) so you can concoct shopping lists and work out a baking budget.
- For the next page, begin to write (or copy) the names of your loved ones you’ll be purchasing presents for on one page after the next, jotting down ideas in pencil next to their names in a list.
- Now, put the notebook away, some place hidden!
- Give each of your family members and loved ones a sheet of paper and ask they complete, at their convenience (the sooner the better) a wishlist of what they’d like for the holidays.
- Once you receive their wishlists, add them to your super-secret hidden notebook, jotting down their wishes, for research later.
What I like to do, with my notebook, is research prices, keeping in mind (already) what they’d like, if I can afford it, keeping an eye out for upcoming sales, perusing both online and in stores, etc. Gives me plenty of time to get the best deal. I also get ideas on variations to give – she wants this shoe, but this looks similar and is cheaper, I should get it!
Starting the notebook early helps to ensure you aren’t stressing towards the end. This notebook is by no means finished, but creating it now gives you something to turn to when you see a gift idea, or see a great sale. It’s a place you can start jotting ideas down in, something you can bring with you when you go shopping, just in case something on your list is on sale while you’re out shopping.
My regular To Do list this week:
Continue to clean out the shed, since closet is done.√
Photograph things to sell, and donate items, too.
Grocery shopping/coupons/list√√√
Continue to use new Shark cleaners√
Clean out FLIP so I can vlog, it’s been a while!
*Back yard. Fix it. Cuz it’s ugly. (if it ever stops raining, argh!)
Finish decorating for Halloween/Fall√
Finish taking kids soccer pictures (again, if it ever stops raining!)√√
Finish paying bills√
Continue to game plan Halloween costumes√√Staying on my diet every day*√√√√
Work out every day*√√*No gain, no loss, still at exact same weight as last week – 140. Struggling to get back into working out mojo since Type-A Mom. *sigh*
Today’s motivation – get ready for Autumn! It’s here, and the cooler weather is calling for warmer clothing. Get your closets ready, and fling open those storage units and closets and begin pouring through their winter stuff. Is it all the proper size? Do they have warm shoes? Do their coats still fit? You might be able to find things at a good price now before the super-duper cold hits, or find things from other parents who are in the same predicament as you are, and perhaps swap or get from them. Don’t forget to check yard sales, thrift stores, consignment shops, Freecycle and Craigslist, too.
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Would you like to join us this week for To-Do Tuesday? Start with just a few things. Don’t over-do it your first couple of times. You’ll grow to become a list-a-holic later, start small now, though, k?
Just so you know, you can join us at anytime, it doesn’t have to be on Tuesdays – the list will go up every Tuesday for you to link to, but you can make your list and link to us at any point in the week!
Remember, with “To-Do Tuesday“, we’re attacking our to-do lists each week, blogging about our lists and what we’ve got going on, and sharing it with each other to help keep each other accountable. Everyone should come back here to link up in the MckLinky as the central “To-Do Tuesday Hub” so we can visit who’s participating and offer encouragement to each other throughout the week. Don’t forget to add the “To-Do Tuesday” button to your post, linking back to this post!
Let’s continue to cross items off our list as we go and help support each other in completing our lists! Don’t forget my useful HTML tutorial on how to effectively “cross-out” or √ “check off” your items on your to-do list!
Joining us? Please add your link below (to your To Do Tuesday post, and not the main page of your blog)
Participants for Week 36
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