Well, the time has come. I promised to share my personal strategy of preparing for the holidays in as stress-free a way as possible, and so I shall begin. As I mentioned before, I am not claiming to be an expert in such matters, but I do have a few tricks and tools to accomplish what needs to be done, while prioritizing what we'd like to do, what we feel we should do, and exploring whether said things actually add to the spirit of the season, or just place undue stress and work on those of us who orchestrate the entire mission.
list maker, at least for the holiday season! I love lists. I suffer from a scatter-brained memory, and function at my best if I can refer to an all encompassing set of lists. Two years ago, while buying Christmas cards, I picked up this little book/binder entitled, "My Holiday Plans". It is basically a small binder divided into sections such as: Holiday Card List, Shopping List, and Gifts Received (which, for those who are innately thoughtful, keeps track of who needs thank-you notes sent to them...and for those who are more"tit-for tat", provides a point of reference of who forgot you last year or who gave you stale chocolates or a "re-gift"...!!). The book also has a 5-yr calendar, so it can be used and re-used from year to year. My favourite section though, is the Holiday Notes section. I have used that for things like Christmas card photo ideas, what ornaments I had picked up for my kids during the previous year's sales...and where I put them, what holiday C.D.'s became damaged and need replacing, the favourite wines of my friends and family (which then make thoughtful hostess gifts), and so on. I'll jot notes to myself like "already bought Christmas crackers" or "need more wrapping paper", etc. 
Basically that little book becomes my "Christmas brains", and keeps me on track and ensures that I don't re-buy for the same person or forget someone else. I love it because it is contained in one little place, and is small enough to tuck in my purse. You certainly don't have to buy a book specially made for that reason. You can simply go to the Dollar Store and pick up a little journal. Add sticky note page-divider tabs, and you're all set! But honestly, having one of these little books will help you immensely in your quest to be organized this Christmas, and is basically a pre-requisite to my Christmas Planning 101 course. So... go get one!!!!!
photo: Room Service Home
Yesterday, I went through the arduous task of going through each and every rubbermaid box of holiday decor I have. It was painstaking and a chore I dreaded, but it allowed me to refresh my memory of what I have, enabled me to make a pile of things I no longer need and can give away, and reminded me that I need absolutely NOTHING more to decorate my house with!! Hubby is going to build shelving for me to stack the boxes so I can get at them easily and be well organized. I tend to drag a box down and leave it in a mess for a few days, which just makes the whole process of decorating stressful. That was my vow for this year: get all my decorations organized and I'm on my way to that. Another great November chore...
So, that is it for today. Consider it the boring first day of class, where the instructor never gets to the meat of the course, but lets you know what books (ahem) you will need to take part, and gives you a brief course outline.
Speaking of which, the following (in no particular order)is the list of topics we will be exploring in further detail:
- Holiday cards and the perfect holiday photo
- the various decorating schemes, both in theme and colour
- Gift giving on a budget...and making your own gifts
- holiday decorating plans...designing your own...
- picking and choosing...who to give gifts to, what traditions to keep...or toss, what amount of holiday entertaining is enough or too much...
- hostess gifts
- wrapping 101
- sharing holiday traditions
- tree-trimming tips, display ideas, tree care
- cooking and baking...how much is too much?
- how to keep the commercialism of the holidays to a minimum
- great gift ideas for kids, teens, spouses, the elderly, friends...
- holiday lighting...inside and out
- and much, much more!!! (your suggestions are always welcome!!).
P.S. Thanks to all who wondered how we "survived" the storm. It was a raging wind and rain storm, with some downed trees and branched...anything not nailed down went flying, and our power was out for the night but was restored by mid-morning. Luckily, it wasn't as bad as the hurricane we got a few years ago...and although some are still without power, the temperature has been relatively mild. The worst bit of "damage" I saw nearby was the knocked over porta-potties on the building lots up the street...YUCK! I pity the poor soul who has to return them to the vertical position...!!
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