Tis the Season!
*
The end of October always brings with it a vision of Santa arriving on the roof expecting to see a beautiful tree to leave presents under. I never fully understood what happened to the entire month of November and the first 23 days of December but every year they seem to vanish in a blink. As I sat down to write my Christmas list I pulled out my Christmas notes from 2010 and felt a bit disappointed that I hadn’t written down more useful information. I LOVE Christmas! And I always have all these fabulous plans for how I am going to make the holiday season magical. Unfortunately I often fail because I don’t take the time to properly plan when and how all the magic will find its way through my front door. With only 8 weeks and 4 days to go now is the time to start making YOUR Holiday Planner with me. The first thing you will need is a small 3 ring binder, preferably with a clear front cover. You will also need some page protectors and a printer. We will spend the next week or so preparing lists, calendars, and notes to go inside the folder.
My holiday plans have started with a “Holiday Season Master Plan” cover sheet.
*
My next item of concern is a Master Gift List and a Holiday Budget. Gift giving can cause a mountain of debt if the buying begins before the budget is made. Planning with your spouse and your bank account nearby BEFORE you shop will help to insure you aren’t paying for this Christmas all year long.
Now that the lists are printed it is time to start filling in the blanks! Find a time to discuss with your spouse the gifts you will give to your loved ones and write it down! I have found it useful to have a set plan for how MANY presents each of my children will receive as well as how much the gifts will cost. At our house we assume Santa will bring each child one nice gift and possibly one big gift for the entire family. We then exchange one gift each between ourselves. Since my kids are young the majority of the responsibility falls on me but I do encourage them to think about what their siblings might like the best within their given price range. If possible I like to take my kids shopping for the gifts they are giving their family members; however, the town we live in has very limited shopping opportunities so this isn’t always possible. In years past J5 has been far more excited about what she will be giving C7 than she was about what Santa would be bringing her. If only she can keep this attitude forever!!
“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.” – Roy L. Smith
(Never worry, this is only the beginning of the perfect Christmas ‘Master Plan’ Click HERE for more great printables!!)
