Getting Ready for the Holidays

I pondered about this last as I was making gifts for the teachers that the holidays get me stressed and I forget to enjoy it till its too late. I am pulled in many directions and by the time I get to what I want to do; I dont have the time. I know you have felt like this too especially in the holidays.

Its the 2nd of week of November and 15 days till Thanksgiving ( only 47 days till Christmas). I work at a bakery and during these times I work a lot more and more stressful for me to get a lot of things I want done to get done. I always make a list and this time will be no different except more of a pace that will get things accomplished and not burn me out by Christmas.I will be working alot of hours in the bakery and with that and scrapbooking, being a mom and wife...there is a lot to do and it can be stressful.

I am starting today to organize myself better and pace myself as I do it. I try to get everything done in one day and when I cant, I beat myself up about it. I have been doing this for years and I wont do it this year. This time I will have a plan of action for each week and for each day that is realistic and not far fetched like I have done before.

Plan of Action: I am writing down what I would like to accomplish for the holidays

• Schedule two days a week for my deadlines for DT stuff (Mondays and Tuesdays-excluding the week of the holidays
  Clean, organize and purge basement
• Clean, organize and purge kids room
• Bring up decorations
• Organize and purge kitchen cabinets
• Give to Toys for Tots and the Gift Tree at my local church
• Make my Christmas cards
• Take some photos of the kids and use one for the christmas cards
• Mail cards by Dec 10th
• Make homemade gifts for the teachers
• Make my own gift tags
• Make my own gift card holders
• Holiday Budget
• Decorate house the 1st weekend of December- everyone helps
• Purchase our christmas tree the 2ndweekend of December
• Quiet times for the family
• Go to "Breakfast with Santa" in my town in December
• Wrap gifts as I purchase them and let the kids help out ( add the tags and bows to the gifts)
  

It seems like a long list but dividing in the 6 weeks and plan it each a little of it. I know it can be done

Soooooooooooo...YOUR TURN

Get out a sheet of paper or post on your blog and get yourself ready for the holidays. Lets make this less stressful year for all us.

Here are some sites that are great to help you simply your holidays

FlyLady - this site rocks

Organized Christmas - a great site with alot of information, downloads and ideas

Online Organizing - real cool site that is used all year round
Ali Edwards - a great post about what I have been taking about