Holidays - A Simple Little Holiday Plan

A Simple Little Holiday Plan

The Thanksgiving leftovers have all been eaten and the gift-buying season has shifted into high gear. Remain calm and prepare yourself for the most jam-packed month in the calendar year. There are a small percentage of you who may actually have completed your to-do list long before everyone else. (If this is you, then kick back and relax.) The rest of you needn't despair! Just read on for the essential steps in holiday preparation. The key to preparing yourself for all the craziness is a well thought out plan. Believe it or not, the simple act of putting it down on paper can give you some peace. I am not sure why seeing my obligations and tasks in black and white are more calming than letting them race through my mind, but it really works.

During December, the holiday plan that I depend on is divided into four separate sections or categories. They are:

- Cards

- Gifts

- Social/Community Obligations

- Decorating

(Keep an extra copy of your gift list in the car, because you never know where your daily travels will take you.)

Holiday Cards

This year, if you have not already, transfer all of your names and addresses from your address book to a word processing file so you can easily print labels. My recommendation is to use clear labels, because they go with any choice of envelope color. Tip: if you are mailing over-sized envelopes, go to the post office early to have a sample weighed so you can purchase the necessary postage. (Don't forget about adding those new friends and purging the ones that drive you crazy. I especially like to purge those who can only talk about themselves and their stuff, how boring!!)

Presents, presents, and more presents

Make a list of all the people that are going to be the recipients of your hard work. To minimize some effort, consider different options. If individuals are in the same household, consider a group gift. If you have children to buy for and their parents don't have any suggestions (because Tommy and Susie have every possible toy out there), offer to pay for a special activity or a couple of lessons of their choice. Last year my parents picked up riding lessons for our daughter and it was a great gift for all. Our daughter loved it, my husband did not have to open his wallet, and I did not have house more "stuff".

Social and Community Obligations

'Tis the season to be merry and party ? but my suggestion is not to overdo it. Our daily routines are so overscheduled anyway that the extra commitments can make it difficult to juggle everything. Attend the parties and social gatherings that are truly important to you and politely decline the rest. (Sorry, but this does not apply to family functions!). The season is too short and busy to spend an evening watching the clock.

Community or charitable contributions are important during the holiday season. There are many people in your community that are less fortunate, so as a family or as an individual make some extra time for those in need. There are many local organizations that would be happy to guide you as to what is needed. I believe this is a wonderful opportunity for people to make a difference and experience the true holiday spirit.

Indoor/Outdoor Decorating

Last, but not least, make two separate plans for attacking decorating: one for indoors and the other for outdoors; and remember this does not need to be accomplished in one day. My husband and I allow significant downtime between the two tasks. Decorating should be a fun family event and if you get stressed out and exhausted the enjoyment will disappear.

Pick a theme for your outdoor display: all out, Clark Griswold-style or a more elegant approach, such as a simple wreath with a spotlight on your front door. Anything goes, so make it a reflection of how you and your family celebrate the holidays. Have fun with the indoor decorating and remember to take a quick inventory of what you have so there is no duplication. Light a fire and put on your favorite CD and let the decorating begin.

Good luck, relax, check those lists twice and remember what the season is really about.

Š2003 Bridget Messino

About the author: Bridget Messino is a Professional Organizer, speaker and co-owner of Clutter Free Living, Inc. Her work frequently appears on many Internet sites, on her own organizing site Clutter Free Living (http://www.clutterfreeliving.com), as well as in her monthly Home Organizing Newsletter How to Be Clutter Free. Subscribe to the FREE monthly e-newsletter by sending a blank e-mail to mailto:cflnews-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com

Sonya Rykiel Perfume Shop online for Sonya Rykiel Perfume at low internet prices and fast delivery from perfume | healthboutiques.eu

Dental Insurance | Health Insurance | Home Owner Insurance | Life Insurance Quote

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |

A Mothers Day Prayer! Mamma Whispered Softly!
Patty Lovelace Country MusicVerse #1Through the back window of a 59 wagonI watched my be...(related: Holidays)

Valentines Day Love Letter - The Best And Most Romantic Gift Is Also The Least Expensive!
You don't have to spend a fortune this Valentine's Day to show your partner that you love them!One of the most romantic, creative and inexpensive gifts you can give your partner this Valentine's Day is a heartfelt love letter, written from the bottom of your heart...(related: Holidays)

Unique Gift Ideas For The Holiday Season! Go Digital!
Instead of scouring the mall for gifts this holiday season why not consider using your cherished photos to create a unique personalized gift for family and friends?There are so many ways now, made easy with online sites and programs, to create unique personal gifts using your digital photos. Photo Books offer a way of creating a high quality photo album, book bound with text and artwork options. Calendars are always a perfect little gift or stocking stuffer, what Grandmother would not love a calendar of her precious grandchildren? Online sites offer easy ways of editing pictures as well, change to black and white, sepia, antique, add frames, create post cards, stickers, blur edges...(related: Holidays)

Celebrate Parks Day, Everyday This Summer!
Canada's Parks Day falls on July 16'th this year. First celebrated in 1990, Parks Day is an opportunity for individuals to participate in hundreds of unique and fun events taking place in sites from coast to coast. Events are organized in national parks, national historic sites, provincial parks, and territorial parks, as well as in community and regional parks across the country.Increasingly regulated and restricted, the dwindling islands we lik...(related: Holidays)

Color Easter Eggs Naturally With Dyes From Your Kitchen
The most beautiful dyes for Easter eggs come from foodstuff you probably already have in your kitchen.I have been delighted with the result...(related: Holidays)

Dear Santa: Christmas Sucks!
Christmas time is finally here, and most people during this holiday are happier than a fat kid eating a Krispy Kreme donut. Christmas brings so many great things to the table; the caroling, the NO SCHOOL, the snowmen and hour long snowball fights that ends with bloody...(related: Holidays)

Bust Holiday Stress!
The holidays will be here before you know it. Clear the way for greater joy, love and meaning this year by "busting" these sources of holiday stress:1. TOO MUCH TO DO IN TOO LITTLE TIMEThis week, set holiday priorities with your family. Discuss what traditions to keep, which to discard, and which new traditions to try.Make a holiday to-do list NOW and create a realistic schedule for when to accomplish each item.Avoid overscheduling.Ask family members for help with holiday tasks.2. LONG LINES IN STORESShop via catalog or Internet, and avoid stores on weekends.If you're shopping with small children, take along snacks, books, toys or other items to make waiting in line more pleasant. Or, if you're sufficiently uninhibited, sing a holiday song with your ch...(related: Holidays)

Holiday Beauty Dos And Donts
Why is it that whenever you go to a holiday party, you can always find someone who doesn't look how you would exp...(related: Holidays)

Valentine?s Day Ideas For Singles
Maybe your significant other is overseas in the military. Maybe you have suffered a recent divorce. Whatever the reason, you may find yourself alone this Valentine's Day. Does this mean you should sit at home feeling sorry for yourself? I think not. Here are some ideas for people who find themselves alone this year.1. Take yourself out.Who says you have to have a member of the opposite sex take you out? I do not see anything wrong with getting all dr...(related: Holidays)

How Santa Makes Out His Christmas List
How Does Santa Make Out His List?I'll let you in on a secret: I know Santa Claus. And I received a letter from him with his Christmas list."Dear Kristin,"Thank you for the homemade cookies last year. For some reason, people seem to forget that I'm not planning to lose weight, thank you very much. I don't have a peanut allergy and I'm not lactose intolerant. Up here at the No...(related: Holidays)

Going Solo On Valentines Day: Advice For Singles
The stores are decorated in candy hearts, flowers and bears. Every TV or radio commercial reminds you that it's time to remember your sweetheart on this special day for lovers. Your feelings range from sadness, to revulsion to anger. What's a single person to do? The following suggestions are designed to both answer that question and to help you have a good day after all, while working to make it your last solo one.Celebrate the day by planning an activity that is meaningful and enjoyable to you.Choose something that provides you with a special treat.* Go to a day spa for "the wo...(related: Holidays)

Salome And Herodias, A Curious Mothers Day Story, Part 1 Of 2 Parts
First, a disclaimer:This article requires information about John the Baptist, whose life and works and words are holy, divinely inspired, to Christians. The sources I've accessed are religious, historical, literary, exegetic, and anecdotal. In order to avoid disrespect for the sacredness of the words and concepts with which Christians hold The Gospels and with which Jews hold The Torah, I've renamed both 'translated redactions.' I also use the euphemism, monotheistic god, to avoid any disrespect to any deity and religion. This is an essay designed to entertain and inform you, Dear Reader, not to...(related: Holidays)