Holiday Planning
We control Christmas OR Christmas controls us! By learning to simplify Christmas through holiday planning THIS holiday season can be both peaceful and joyful.
I was invited once again to do a Studio 5 TV segment. This one was titled Overcome the Overwhelm: Tips to Simplify Christmas. I shared some great tips for Holiday Planning including some clutter-free gift ideas to make this holiday season easy to manage.
The three tips I shared for better holiday planning were:
- Make a list of ALL your holiday plans, activities and events, THEN PRIORITIZE your list.
- Schedule your “Must Do’s” on your December Calendar. Then add in pencil your “Might Do’s”. (see below to print your own calendar pages)
- Simplify EVERYTHING you’ve kept on your calendar.
My complete Holiday Planning Kit is available for purchase and the pages are listed below. But for now, receive a FREE copy of my holiday planner to see where you can improve. This is a PDF page and will print just as it is shown.
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- Christmas Holiday Planner (cover page)
- Holiday VALUES Analyzer
- Holiday Priorities List
- December Calendar
- Holiday Family Traditions
- Holiday Decor Inventory
- Gift List Planner
- Gift Closet Inventory
- Holiday Meal Planner
- AFTER the Holidays Analyzer
We had 75 entries in our drawing and I am pleased to announce that Heather McDonald of Pleasant Grove is the LUCKY WINNER of the Smith’s Food Stores $100 gift card.
If you decide you want the gift of peace and order in your life, contact us. We offer gift certificates so you can suggest to your family that what you want for Christmas this year is to get your home organized. Happy Holidays!
22 Responses to “Holiday Planning”
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December 2nd, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Our “must do” holiday tradition is trekking up in the mountains to cut a Christmas tree. It truly wouldn’t be our Christmas without that special pine smell filling the house! and the time spent together choosing the tree is so cherished.
December 2nd, 2009 at 12:59 pm
I love these ideas and love the fact that my holidays can, and will, be organized and enjoyable. One of our favorite “must do’s” is our annual Christmas tree evening. The Monday after Thanksgiving is our “tree night”. We have pot of soup, trek out to get the tree, then come home to place it in it’s special nook, then have hot choc. and doughnuts. The children get to hang their own ornaments that they’ve been given throughout the years. We love It!!!
December 2nd, 2009 at 1:15 pm
We have never lived by extended family and have had to establish traditions that are all our own. Each year we modify and add or take away things based on how they are working with our family. We also ask friends and family what they do that might appeal to our family. One thing that we try to do every year is go through our toys with our kids and take to the DI all that we can do without. We then focus on another family, sometimes more than one, and do special little secret Santa things to make their holidays happier. Mainly try to get the kids to think about what others’ needs are and what they can do, no matter how small, to make a difference.
Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Rachel Milne
December 2nd, 2009 at 1:20 pm
One of my must dos is a Christmas cooking day with my mom and sisters.
December 2nd, 2009 at 2:28 pm
The one must do holiday tradition we have is getting new pj’s on Christmas eve. My grandma used to make them for my family (7 kids!) and now I make them for my kids-they absolutely love it and always start asking about it in November.
December 2nd, 2009 at 2:31 pm
One of our Must Do Holiday traditions is to go see the lights at Temple Square
December 2nd, 2009 at 4:02 pm
We always go to Temple Square, then to The Spaghetti Factory at Trolley Square
December 2nd, 2009 at 4:28 pm
One “must do” for our family is for my husband to read the Christmas story from Luke for our whole family at our family party (the family party is also a “must do”).
Mostly I want the free organizing guide you mentioned on Studio 5.
December 2nd, 2009 at 5:19 pm
My family goes every year to see the Christmas lights at Temple Square. It is one of those traditions that reminds me of being a kid and going there with my parents. It brings back those wonderful times and I want to give that to my kids.
December 2nd, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Every December we read a new Christmas story and go on a drive to see the lights.
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:34 pm
Our first MUST do of the season is the tradition of how we decorate our Christmas trees!!!
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:57 am
For years we have cut down our Christmas Tree, but always struggled with the terrible mess it left us. Now we still cut the tree, but use it to decorate the front porch, and use the artificial tree inside.
December 3rd, 2009 at 1:28 pm
A must do for me at Christmas time is I make a calendar to send to my family members of my children. I love making it and then my family that lives far away can see how my kids have grown over the year.
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:03 pm
My number one must do is to have a Christmas Eve dinner at my house and invite all my kids and grandkids. Then we open our presents together. To make it easier for dinner I have been ordering Honey Baked ham so I have less cooking. Christmas morning we can sleep in…but the kids want to come over for breakfast!!
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:06 pm
“Must Do” Family traditions:
One of our families favorite family traditions is to make a gingerbread house with lots of fun candy and decorations. I allow my kids to do the whole thing, and they love that I am not directing them.
It is so much fun for all of us, and it is fun eating all the fun candy through Christmas.
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Probably the most treasured thing I do each year is create my own handmade Christmas Cards. I’m just about done for this year. I heard you yesterday on Studio 5 and would love your planner.
December 3rd, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Top two on our list–Christmas Eve dinner with extended family (my side) playing bingo and kazoos, and Christmas Day breakfast with my husband’s huge family. Good, good times.
December 3rd, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Some great “Must Do” Christmas Traditions. Isn’t it interesting that many of you have the same ideas. Great family traditions are often shared.
Thanks you 18 for submitting.
I will email out your holiday planner today.
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:38 pm
I received over 50 emails with more wonderful Christmas family traditions. We have some wonderful women out there building strong memories for their families. I applaud each of you!
May 13th, 2010 at 10:44 am
Thanks for the compliment. I like what I do and love sharing some of what I know with my visitors. Come back often!
May 14th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
I was going thorough many blogs briefly, but I had to stop at your blog and had to read it in detail. It’s a wonderful blog post. Thank you for writing it.
May 16th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Thank you Patricia. I put some thought and effort into my blog posts. Be sure to listen to my podcasts which have additional information found at http://www.TheOrganizedWomanShow.com. Thanks for stopping by!