Take the Stress Out of this Holiday Season

 

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The holiday season can be such a magical time of year but for many it creates stress, anxiety, conflict, and even disappointment. Have you ever wondered what the secret to a stress free holiday season is?

A Holiday Planner!

Having a Holiday Planner helps you to plan ahead. As you gather ideas on what's important to you and your family, you make notes in your Holiday Planner which will help you stay focused, organized and on schedule.

I’m all about getting a jump start on organizing a to-do list for the holidays, but I don't actually start scheduling tasks for Christmas until mid November. I do however have a secret weapon to get me up to speed quickly, prioritize my tasks and help me stay on track. I have created a customized Holiday Planner that enables my family to focus on what brings us the most joy this time of year. The key to a joy-filled holiday season is to determine what your priorities are and then organize a plan to include those essential "ingredients".

 Plan for a joy-filled holiday season in 3 simple steps:

 Step #1 - Create a holiday binder

Items you will need:

·Binder
·Dividers
·Printables - Calendars & To Do Lists
·Sheet Protectors (optional)                                                                                                                                                                           
  1) Create a stylish cover page

  2) Divide and conquer
       
A good Christmas planner relies on dividers to make information        easily accessible. Dividers are as unique and individual as the         families they serve, so choose dividers that make sense for you.
I prefer dividers with pockets, so I have a place for recipe cut-outs, receipts, and other loose papers.        

Here are some suggestions for dividers:

• Gift Lists  
• Christmas Cards   
  
• Budget 
• Gift Ideas 
• Food & Drink (Recipes & Menus)
• Decor
• Traditions  (include Activity List)

 
  3) Print pages or make you own

Here are some ideas:

• November & December Calendar  - Note Black Friday & Cyber Monday
• November to do List (Checklist)
• December to do List (Checklist)
• Activity Wish List
• Holiday Card List (don't forget to mail out your parcels in time)
• Holiday Budget
• Christmas Wish list
• Holiday Shopping List
• Holiday Menu Plan (include recipes)
• Holiday Grocery List
• Holiday Party Planning Tips
• Baking List ( include recipes)
• Holiday Traditions

Step #2 - Make a list and check it twice

Start by thinking about your ideal holiday season. What does it look like to you? What do you need to plan for this holiday season? 
Consider what is important to you and your family. Are you hosting the family meal or any other holiday get-togethers? Are you going to be baking up a storm?

Spend some time thinking about this, discussing it with family members and capturing your thoughts and ideas on paper. Turn your thoughts into a list of activities that will fill your holiday season with joy.       Don't forget to add any must-do tasks to the list.

Update your Holiday Planner annually according to your needs and each year, your Holiday Planner will become more valuable.

 Step #3 - Start scheduling

 Pull out your calendar and decide when the most important holiday events and activities will happen. Consider carving out time for the must-do tasks, but most importantly, schedule time for those fun-filled events that are most important to you and your family. Don't forget to include deadlines for things such as mailing parcels and Christmas cards.

By no means am I suggesting that you should decorate your home this weekend, but I am suggesting that you start thinking about the holidays as they have a tendency of sneaking up on you. Begin by jotting down ideas of the things that really matter to you and yours.

Your Holiday Planner will help keep all those wonderful ideas organized. When you are ready you can start staking claim to time on your calendar for those events that make your holiday season meaningful so that you can have your best holiday season yet!

Happy planning and happy holidays!