Holiday Planning

Holiday Shopping

• Shopping on-line can save time and sometimes money even with shipping
• Plan ahead by setting deadlines for shopping, wrapping and mailing gifts.
• Color code your wrapping. Use one paper for one person or one paper for one side of the family.
• Hair scrunchies are great for gift wrap rolls from unrolling and wrinkling
• Shopping during the holidays can be very overwhelming. I have found a way to organize what I have bought each year in a folder.
  • Use a regular 2 pocket folder or binder
  • Use a blank piece of paper with everyone that you buy for on the left column.
  • Write down each item you buy for that person next to their name with the amount you spent next to it
  • When you have spent the total for that person check off that they are done
  • The left pocket of the folder can be used for brochures, ideas, or coupons.
• If you send out cards, type names and addresses out for easy printing. This can also be used as your address book since it is an easy way to create labels and update the address book quickly. I use Access but other programs work such as Word.
• Before putting up decorations or taking them down, get rids of items you don’t want. Don’t keep storing them year after year.
• Use a colored bin for each holiday for easy finding.  For example, orange for Halloween, brown for Thanksgiving, pink for Easter, Red or Green for Chirstmas, Blue for 4th of July, etc.  

• Figure out what you have time for and what you don’t have time for. I never have time to write out Christmas cards, so I have let that go. I would much rather spend time doing something else.
• It is not going to be a Norman Rockwell holiday, so stop trying to make it perfect.