Last night my husband turned the TV to the digital cable music channel. He chose holiday music and guess what came blaring through? Christmas music! We felt it was too early to be listening to Christmas music, but it’s a great reminder that the holidays are upon us and it’s time to start planning. Here’s a short list of things to start thinking about to help you be more prepared this year:
1. Create a list gift list
It’s not too early to do this. In fact, I think this is the right time to start getting your gift giving in mind. If you don’t have a list, you may end up buying presents that you don’t need to be purchased.
Also be thinking of a drop dead date for mailing packages and put this date on your calendar. You don’t want to get stuck paying extra shipping fees because you couldn’t get your shopping done in time.
2. Event list
This is the time of year when the invitations seem to come flying in. Get your calendar out with your partner and start blocking out events you know you both want to attend: the kid’s Christmas pageant, family get-to-gethers, work parties, etc. Start by putting the ones you already know on the calendar, then add things you WANT to do. Put those down NOW. Decide which are priority items and mark them with a star. Now you’ll start to see the dates you have open to attend other activities. Be sure to schedule in time to do fun things with just your family.
3. To Do list
Next, the fun one (HA!), write down the things you need to do to prepare:
- Do you have all your wrapping supplies?
- Update your address list for holiday cards.
- Decide on a date to purchase and set up your Christmas tree. Add this to your calendar.
- Check your Christmas lights … will you need replacements?
- What about your baking supplies? Do you have all the ingredients to make your favorite treats?
I know it seems early to have to be thinking about the holidays, but by spending some time getting your thoughts organized, you’ll be less stressed and can actually enjoy the days.
Do you have a special trick to get organized for the holidays? Share it in the comments below.
Photo credit: stockxchange.
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ABOUT ALICIA: Alicia is the founder of Balancing Motherhood.com. Last year, she managed to stay sane while completing an MBA, working full-time, blogging, and still baking amazing birthday cakes — all while raising a young family at home.
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