Organized Christmas Week One Oct 26- Nov 1

In an effort to organize our Christmas's here we go.

the preparation is based over 6 weeks

week one: get organized Oct 26-Nov 1
week two: Reality check Nov 2- 8
week three: gifts and giving Nov 9-15
week four: get cooking Nov16-22
week five decorate Nov23-29
week six celebrate week Nov 20- DEC6


Each week then has tasks that are recommended to be done to avoid stress at a later date.

To do this week

1. Make the promise! During the next six weeks, spend 15 mins a day to get ready for Christmas. To make planning fun, set aside a Christmas planning centre.
2. Begin a Christmas planner in a notebook or three ring binder. If your using a clear pocket binder, print the cover and spine pages. Add lined blank pages and planner pages from www.organizedchristmas.com
3. Make or designate a holiday calender. Print the countdown plan calender and add it to your Christmas planner
4. Begin at the beginning . Review your families holiday values/traditions. record your findings on the printable holiday family values worksheet
5. Gift-buying looms! Start a master gift list. Print the master gift list form and use it to record gifts as you buy them.
6. Begin a Christmas card list. locate addresses, and consider a computerized Christmas card address list for maximum time savings, or print Christmas card list forms for your Christmas planner.
7. Complete the holiday home spruce up exercise and schedule home improvement projects.print the home spruce up worksheet to track progress.
8. Will your family travel? Make travel plans and reservations this week. Will you host house guests? Make arrangements for overnight guests.
9. Arrange for family photos for holiday gifts or Christmas cards.
10. arrange carpet cleaning now.

To buy this week

1. Christmas cards or supplies for Christmas letters
2. postage stamps.
3. supplies for your binder/planner.

So ladies this is week one lets get started!

might i also recommend that we start getting a list of what we have in our gift closets and start brainstorming the ideas for presents. also if you will be buying gift cards as presents you may want to write in your planner to spread out the buying.

A huge consideration for me every Christmas is the cost of postage . my family is spread all over this great country and i usually have to budget almost 100 dollars just for postage, and this year is no exception as the postal rates have gone through the roof again. Now most people think well why not send a gift card. I do not like gift cards for family i prefer to send parcels i picked and wrapped myself. then to send gift cards. but that is just my opinion.

But if you have to send parcels like me you may want to work that into your planner