Christmas...already?

I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since my last post - how time flies!  Which leads me to what I titled this post: Christmas... already?  I know, I know - let's at least get past Halloween and Thanksgiving before we start thinking Christmas, right?  Well, yes, normally, I'd agree.  But, what if we didn't wait to do everything that's considered "necessary" for the holiday season?  What if we started now?  How much smoother would those few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas go if we had some things taken care of beforehand?

As an organizer, I"m all for planning for the short- and long-term. So, this would fall under the short-term planning header.  What can you do now without feeling like you're hurrying past the other holidays?   Well, for starters, you can double-check your Christmas card list.  Or, even ask yourself if you need to send out Christmas cards.  Maybe you can pare down the list to save yourself time.  Now is a good time to think about this so that you don't scramble in the first week of December trying to figure out who should be on your list this year and finding current addresses, etc.  

You can also start planning your overall Christmas spending budget for gifts, which includes how many people you'll want to purchase gifts for and how much you'll spend for each person.  Write it down!  You'll be much more likely to stick to this budget if it's in black and white.  Start putting money aside now so that you can pay cash for gifts, rather than putting on a credit card.  Again, this helps you stay within your budget and you're not "paying" for it into the new year.

Another activity you can start on now is checking your holiday decorations.  How frustrated are you pulling your Christmas lights out of storage on the day you plan to decorate, only to discover only half the strand lights up?  Now is the time to inventory what you need to replace so you have a good list when items are available.  Incidentally, this is a VERY good time to think about how many decorations are practical to keep year-round and display at the holiday time.  Most of us have far too many items for the space that we have.  Holiday decorations (for any holiday!) are a safe item to donate or sell without impacting your daily living.

This is just a small part of the many ways you can plan ahead of time for the Christmas season.  I hope these few tips help to make your holiday a relaxing time you can enjoy with your friends and family rather than stressing out over all that needs to be done.  If you'd like some professional help sorting through your items, Contact Me today before I get booked up around the holiday season.