I know, I know….we just got through Independence Day, and it’s the middle of summer, but hear me out, okay? Christmas is only 164 days away. And while that may seem like a lot, you and I both know that the holiday season has a tendency to sneak up on us at the last minute, leaving us stressed, rushed, and unprepared.
Let’s do something different this year. We’ll do it together, how’s that sound? We are going to start planning early for Christmas and avoid the stress of the last-minute holiday rush. I say I’m going to do this every year, so this year, by blogging about it, I’m holding myself accountable, and you get to come along!
Each Monday in July I’ll be sharing some things that can jumpstart your planning, then I’ll continue to follow-up with you over the next few months. (If you celebrate Hanukkah, this plan can help you get prepared, too!) I’ll also give you some free planning printables as we go along.
It’s no big secret that I’m a fan of Binder Systems, so of course, when I was thinking of how to wrangle all of my Christmas planning pages and ideas, I immediately thought of making a Christmas Binder! Grab a three-ring binder, print out one of the cover options I’ve created for you (at the bottom of this post), and let’s get ready to HO-HO-HO all the way to Christmas!
To get started, we’re going to do a little brainstorming. July is the perfect time to start thinking about things you’d like to accomplish for this year’s holiday season, because you’re less stressed and have more time to plan. This brainstorming session will lay the groundwork for everything we do going forward as part of our Christmas Preparedness Plan. (Sounds so official, doesn’t it?)
First, print out the Holiday Brainstorming page and just start freewriting.
{Click HERE to download PDF}
Anything that pops into your head that sounds fun for your family, or good to eat, or maybe a new decoration you want to use, or gifts to make…whatever it is, in no particular order, just write it all down. Here are some of the things I put on my list:
–> host a Christmas craft party
–> make ornament gift sets
–> save $40/week for gifts
–>take family photo by Halloween
–> order Christmas cards by November 10th
–> go to Stone Mountain Christmas
–> see The Nutcracker ballet
–> pack Christmas shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child
Other things to consider might be:
–> host a yard sale to declutter and make some Christmas cash
–> choose a charity for volunteering
–> donate used toys to make room for new ones
–> host a My Favorite Things party
Now that you have your brainstorming done, you can take those things and put them into categories. Print out the Holiday Planning worksheet, which is broken down into categories for you, and get started. I have also left two of the category headings blank for you to add your own.
{Click HERE to download PDF}
Mine looks like this:
Keep in mind that these are all things you would like to do, not necessarily things you will do. Due to budget and time constraints, as well as family obligations, just know that some of your plans may change. The goal today is to just get it all on paper so you have something to refer back to when you actually start making solid plans.
That’s it for this week! Be sure to download your FREE PRINTABLES and start brainstorming! Come back next Monday for more Christmas in July!
CLICK HERE to download Holiday Brainstorming
CLICK HERE to download Holiday Planning
Did I mention that you can choose your cover?
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