Christmas Organizing
Did you know there are only 100 days left until Christmas!
Each year we all have such great intentions don’t we that this will finally be the year we have an organized, stress-free and on budget Christmas. It’s not always easy though and sometimes we need a little help. So, like last year, I want to let you know about some wonderful sites that will provide you with Christmas tips and planners along with daily doses of inspiration and motivation to keep you focused and on track starting now. There are ways to avoid the hustle and bustle and last minute preparations that are often a part of the Christmas season and these sites will show you just how to do that.
Jennifer, owner of List Plan It has just launched her new site 100 Days to Christmas and with her first post is giving away two yearly memberships to List Plan It (you might remember I did a review of her list site here).
Organized Christmas ~ the official home of the Holiday Grand Plan
I hope you find that helpful and if you know of any other Christmas planning sites please feel free to leave the link in the comments.
Thanks and Merry Christmas 🙂
Hey Laura,
With so much STUFF in our lives, here is a great alternative!
http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/alternatives/index.html
Perfect gifts for someone who has everything!
Looks like we’re thinking the same thing! I’m launching a carnival starting Oct. 6 called 12 weeks of Christmas. I am posting all the details this week!
only a hundred days until my first ever, hand made Christmas??? And I here hand making baby gifts for a totally hand made themed shower… This is a nightmare.
Ugh… I have a gazillion crafts and only a handful of days until my Homemade With Love posts, and I want to have at least one sample of each craft I’m making!
Why do I do this to myself?????
We are determined to have a simple, focused, non crazy debt inducing Christmas this year. It infuriates me to deal with the commercial and material aspects of it. I have 100 days to remind myself and my family of the real reason.
Thanks for reminding me, 100 days, I better get busy. I had the pleasure of cleaning out my 4 year old Granddaughter’s room today, if you get time check out by updated blog on How to clean a Kid’s Room.
Thanks for helping me organize…
Cassandra I think many of us feel the same way as you do. I’m definitely going to try as well to keep things toned down this year for my family so as not to distract ourselves from the real reason for the season.
Wow Jacki, such a great list! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Thanks so much for the reminder! Every year I say that I am going to have a stress free Christmas, but it never seems to work out. I will be trying again this year. Thanks for all of the links as well. I have a plan to sit down today and get started on my card list!
A couple things I do to make the holidays easier.
– keep a “group” of contacts in gmail (it’s my address book anyway) as a note to me of who I sent christmas cards to last year and who sent them to me.
– take pictures of my kids for the grandparents. I’m the one who takes the photos. It was cheaper in the long run to buy a nicer camera and learn how to use it and a few work lights than to pay to have someone do it. (I practiced for several months before daring to give my photos to family.) It’s not like my parents or my in-laws really need anything anyway. They always like photos. This is also b-day presents for them.
– I’ve talked with my parents about cutting down on the number of gifts. Last year it finally sunk in and it helped alot.
– I made extra jam this summer as a “last minute” gift for any in need.
I love the differing ideas of those of us who like to go gaga for the holidays & those of us who like to leave it simple. I think both are worthy in their own right. I love the Holiday Grand Plan, just to get my house feeling clean & decluttered!!! It’s fun to start thinking about decorations & that holiday feeling that feels so good. Thanks for this post!
Is that it?!? I’m still blown away that Christmas decorations are in stores now. I don’t even break out halloween stuff until October 1.
Thanks for the sites! Even though the thought of the holidays made me twitch uncontrollably, I bookmarked the sites for a later date!
100 days???? Your kidding? I still have flowers blooming! Thanks for the sites I love to get motivated and this might do the trick! 🙂
100 days? Aacckkk!! I thought it was getting a little chilly out!!
Thanks for reminding us 🙂 I actually can’t wait, Christmas is my favorite time of year (not weatherwise though).
I have followed CEO on Organized Home and later Organized Christmas for many years…. just like planning a menu, planning for Christmas has helped me be intentional about how we celebrate, and feel much more prepared and able to enjoy when it comes!
I got some great ideas from readers in my “Christmas in July” posts.
http://www.lifeasmom.com/search/label/Christmas%20in%20July
I needed a push to get me going on the holidays. Thank you!
Here’s some tips I use to organize for Christmas + a giveaway.
http://tinyurl.com/5e4vut
Last year I took a lot of preparation ideas from the Flylady. (www.flylady.net)
She encouraged her readers to prepare for Christmas as if preparing for a three week vacation in December by getting eveything done by the end of November so you can enjoy December.
I didn’t get started until mid-November, but I did as much as I could and I did end up enjoying my family so much more last December. And I was able to get all my ‘chores’ done before the kids were out of school!
You can download a copy of her free holiday planner here: http://www.flylady.net/pages/HolidayCruising9.asp (Scroll down to #9.)
I just said the other day it’s time to make my lists and get a journal together for this….thanks for the links….
Those are some great tips. I keep a gift list in my Outlook and therefore, I shop year round. And, I start menu planning in September. It’s going to be a great holiday season:-)
My advice is to wrap presents as you get them as this is a time saver closer to Christmas.
I just ordered our bulk lavender and nine year old daughter is making lavender sachet pillows for the ladies in our family. She saw it in a magazine and thought they would make great gifts. I agree and I can’t wait to work on them together!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Every year I want to plan ahead for Christmas and every year it sneaks up on me. Thanks for the reminder. 100 days is not so far away!
I love this post! I was determined to get a head start this year and I have found myself 1/2 done with my shopping! (I also found some great deals and saved a ton of money too!)
Thanks again for the post!
oh my Christmas already? I have no idea how this year will be since our financial situation has gotten worse now that my husband is out of work. Normally I’m thinking about halloween at this time and already have our costumes picked out. But not this year. Again lack of funds and the loss of my cat has really made me feel depressed about my favorite holiday coming up. Please pray for us that we make it through the holidays.
Ditto previous comment about flylady.net. I love her free Holiday Control Journal. I’ve used it for 3 or 4 consecutive years now, and have tailored it to fit each of our seasonal holidays (Easter, Thanksgiving for meals, decorating, etc.). Here’s the free printable Holiday Control Journal:
http://flylady.net/images/HCJ2003.pdf
If you go to this pg, you can access the same control journal in Word doc format so you can tailor it to your needs:
http://flylady.net/pages/control_journals.asp
All of this really comes together best & most coherently if you sign up for FlyLady’s free e-mail reminders through her Yahoo group. You can find the details on http://www.flylady.net.
I cannot overstate how useful the Holiday Control Journal is, and how much more useful it becomes w/ each passing year. I have a running list of who to send cards to, who sent me cards last year, what gifts I bought whom last year, what ideas I had for gifts (but didn’t buy, so I can buy this year), whose name I drew & DH drew to buy for this upcoming year, etc. Also a place to keep all my receipts as I buy things, handy in case of returns, and a chart of what I have bought so far and for whom. So easy!
I got in on a few after Christmas sales and have some gifts wrapped for next year. It feels a bit wierd, but ever so helpful as the year goes on. I cover all presents with a sheet to avoid dust.