We will soon begin the most hectic month of the year for most families. A very important key to a smooth holiday is a little planning ahead. Try these ideas:
Creating a Holiday Planning Calendar
Materials Needed:
- Large appointment or desk pad calendar
- Christmas stickers
- Colored markers
At the beginning of the holiday season, set aside a special family night for planning. Write in shopping trips with smaller children, parties, Christmas concerts, the day for tree selection and trimming, Christmas gift wrapping and baking. Scheduling your time and energy take a lot of the stress out of the holidays.
Organizing Gift Ideas with a Wish Book
This clever book will simplify Christmas shopping for the whole family. Take a medium-size notebook and make a divider for each person in the family. Each person’s section includes a page for clothing sizes, items needed and items wanted.
Decorate the notebook with fabric, wrapping paper or contact paper. When Christmas (or birthday) present suggestions are needed, one glance at the book and you can select the perfect gift. Compare notes so several people don’t buy the same gift.
Keep the notebook in a location accessible to all family members and use it year after year. Make year dividers at the end of the notebook to keep last year’s pages. You’ll enjoy looking back at them as the years pass.
