Have you set any specific goals for this season? Maybe some things you want to accomplish that you haven't done before? Timelines/Budgets you want to meet, etc.??
Christmas Goals 2011
- Thread starter candysprinkles
- Start date
I'll post mine. I set some goals back in January and just reviewed and edited them some.
Christmas Goals 2011
1. Celebrate: Put more meaning in Christmas. Christmas should be more than just a day of gifts and gluttony, let the real Spirit of Christmas spill all over the calendar. Celebrate a little Christmas every day.
2. Planning: Budget and plan for Christmas all year long. Save money by buying ahead, on sale/clearance and with careful planning and organization.
3. Target Date: The dream goal is to have Christmas planned, bought and wrapped by Halloween, so that the holiday season may be celebrated and enjoyed to the fullest. (Goal is actually 90% done here...there will be some perishables to purchase later, a tiny bit of black friday shopping, plus a few items that can't be found in the stores in October.)
4. Budget: Saving for Christmas...Christmas fundraising/fall garage sale, saving up change, buying pantry staples, stocking stuffers and presents throughout the year, selling ornamnents, stockpiling, Swagbucks, MyPoints, Craigslist/flea market.
5. Homemade Christmas: canning salsa/apple butter, baking cookies, making fudge, knitting scarves, stockings, hats, crafting, making cards, tags, bows, gift bags, and wrapping paper, handmade ornaments and decorations.
6. Volunteering: The plan for this year is for the whole family to spend an evening as bell ringers.
Christmas Goals 2011
1. Celebrate: Put more meaning in Christmas. Christmas should be more than just a day of gifts and gluttony, let the real Spirit of Christmas spill all over the calendar. Celebrate a little Christmas every day.
2. Planning: Budget and plan for Christmas all year long. Save money by buying ahead, on sale/clearance and with careful planning and organization.
3. Target Date: The dream goal is to have Christmas planned, bought and wrapped by Halloween, so that the holiday season may be celebrated and enjoyed to the fullest. (Goal is actually 90% done here...there will be some perishables to purchase later, a tiny bit of black friday shopping, plus a few items that can't be found in the stores in October.)
4. Budget: Saving for Christmas...Christmas fundraising/fall garage sale, saving up change, buying pantry staples, stocking stuffers and presents throughout the year, selling ornamnents, stockpiling, Swagbucks, MyPoints, Craigslist/flea market.
5. Homemade Christmas: canning salsa/apple butter, baking cookies, making fudge, knitting scarves, stockings, hats, crafting, making cards, tags, bows, gift bags, and wrapping paper, handmade ornaments and decorations.
6. Volunteering: The plan for this year is for the whole family to spend an evening as bell ringers.
I did make goals last January! I stapled them to August in my calendar so I've been looking at them a lot recently. I will have to post my goals here tomorrow when I have access to my calendar.
Your family volunteer activity sounds great. I've always wanted to be a bell ringer.
How is the Christmas savings plan coming along?
Your family volunteer activity sounds great. I've always wanted to be a bell ringer.
How is the Christmas savings plan coming along?
Candysprinkles - this is a great thread. I'll have to start thinking about what I really want and then I'll post them here. I love to see the goals you set 
I am working on preparing as much in advance as possible (every year I come closer to this), and making sure that we make time for family fun before and during the Holidays (like seeing carol concerts rather than having to shop on the weekends before, or only doing DD's special shopping rather than stressing about getting loads, and making sure that we have planned a few festive fun things ourselves and with the wider family for the period between Christmas and New Year). I have my budget done a while, and while I haven't been as good as recent years on buying in advance, I have a few things and am making some progress on my crafting.
But the big goal is to keep expectations lowered - not so that we won't enjoy it, but that we will enjoy what we Do do, rather than being disappointed if we don't get to do certain things.
Oh, and be organised for DD's birthday a bit better. Having watched a few "Ace of Cakes" programmes recently, she wants a tower cake for her birthday (as in, 3 or 4 layers high and sculpted!!). YIKES, that's a tall order (pun only half intended ).
But the big goal is to keep expectations lowered - not so that we won't enjoy it, but that we will enjoy what we Do do, rather than being disappointed if we don't get to do certain things.
Oh, and be organised for DD's birthday a bit better. Having watched a few "Ace of Cakes" programmes recently, she wants a tower cake for her birthday (as in, 3 or 4 layers high and sculpted!!). YIKES, that's a tall order (pun only half intended
).
Awesome Lucie and Kim. Can't wait to hear more about your goals.
Winged One, sounds like you are on your way to great things this year. I like your idea of trying to simplify things, enjoy and appreciate the things that you do accomplish more. Sounds like a great plan.
It IS hard planning for a birthday right in the height of your Christmas plans and activities. My oldest has a November birthday.
Winged One, sounds like you are on your way to great things this year. I like your idea of trying to simplify things, enjoy and appreciate the things that you do accomplish more. Sounds like a great plan.
It IS hard planning for a birthday right in the height of your Christmas plans and activities. My oldest has a November birthday.
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I use to have all my shopping done by Oct. That way Oct, Nov and Dec were shopping for either cool wrapping ideas or shopping for me. I need to get back into this habit.
Cool Wrapping idea: I use to wrap the gift with something that was a hint about what was inside. If I had a Christmas plate as a gift the outside wrapping paper might have Christmas cookies on it and attached to the ribbon was either a cookie cutter or an rolling pin ornament. Once I gave a wind chime Nativity scene so to the ribbon I attached a camel ornament. I had so much fun looking for items. Sometimes the hints were far fetched but always fun.
Cool Wrapping idea: I use to wrap the gift with something that was a hint about what was inside. If I had a Christmas plate as a gift the outside wrapping paper might have Christmas cookies on it and attached to the ribbon was either a cookie cutter or an rolling pin ornament. Once I gave a wind chime Nativity scene so to the ribbon I attached a camel ornament. I had so much fun looking for items. Sometimes the hints were far fetched but always fun.
I've been reviewing my notes from previous years. I have 3 major goals which will have a ripple effect:
BY END OF SEPTEMBER:
1. Order Cards & Mailing Labels
2. Create the online Photo Album for the year.
3. Get gift for my Dad figured out.
These always get delayed and what I'm usually freaking out about in December. Happens every year. If I had these done I'd be much more relaxed come the holidays.
BY END OF SEPTEMBER:
1. Order Cards & Mailing Labels
2. Create the online Photo Album for the year.
3. Get gift for my Dad figured out.
These always get delayed and what I'm usually freaking out about in December. Happens every year. If I had these done I'd be much more relaxed come the holidays.
I have some goals left for this year:
:smilegift:Gifts and Giving:
Order and purchase all gifts for home by Nov.25, this includes finishing a heavy rag quilt for my husband
Send cards and gifts to out of town family by Nov.25
:treeecor:
Find ribbon to coordinate with window wreaths (find window wreaths for ribbon!)
Modify window candles - have yet to figure this out
:rudolph:Organize:
Follow the HGP
Follow Rudolph Days
Post to blog
:smilegift:Gifts and Giving:
Order and purchase all gifts for home by Nov.25, this includes finishing a heavy rag quilt for my husband
Send cards and gifts to out of town family by Nov.25
:tree
ecor:Find ribbon to coordinate with window wreaths (find window wreaths for ribbon!)
Modify window candles - have yet to figure this out
:rudolph:Organize:
Follow the HGP
Follow Rudolph Days
Post to blog
You know, ahorsesoul, I actually have some wrapping related goals, too. Thanks for reminding me. Of course, I always want to get the wrapping done earlier...but this year I have been looking online for some "greener" wrapping ideas, too. I already made a few handmade gift bags from cereal boxes. I sometimes like to stamp brown paper bags with white snowflakes and use that to wrap board games or shirt boxes. This year, I was thinking of buying some fabric for wrapping too. If I buy a little fabric each year, eventually we could eliminate the paper waste all together.
Thanks, Cindylouwho and HouseElf for adding your goals. I enjoy reading them and get ideas for things I could do earlier or better, too.
Thanks, Cindylouwho and HouseElf for adding your goals. I enjoy reading them and get ideas for things I could do earlier or better, too.
All my goals center around one thought: Not to be exhausted, run down and frazzled the week of Christmas.
I need to:
* Get Christmas card picture taken- by October 31st
* All cards stuffed and ready to mail by Thanksgiving
* Talk with parents (I'm helping them get their gifts this year) early November. Have all their presents bought that they are going to give by end of November. Already bought some lotions and stuff at B&B for my dad to give- he likes to give all the girls this stuff. Really sweet but he often goes out and gets them on like Dec. 23rd and then asks me to wrap it all.
* All wrapping completed by last wrapping party of the year.
Reminder: Those with wrapping goals- we do have our wrapping parties!!!! The dates are listed under the Christmas Countdown thread!
I need to:
* Get Christmas card picture taken- by October 31st
* All cards stuffed and ready to mail by Thanksgiving
* Talk with parents (I'm helping them get their gifts this year) early November. Have all their presents bought that they are going to give by end of November. Already bought some lotions and stuff at B&B for my dad to give- he likes to give all the girls this stuff. Really sweet but he often goes out and gets them on like Dec. 23rd and then asks me to wrap it all.
* All wrapping completed by last wrapping party of the year.
Reminder: Those with wrapping goals- we do have our wrapping parties!!!! The dates are listed under the Christmas Countdown thread!
Thanks, Annie. Is it an all day thing or at a certain time? We are booked with band contests every Saturday in October.
candysprinkles- It's a whenever you have time that day. It also doesn't have to be that specific day- it can be the day before, the day after or whatever works best for you.
Sometimes we'll get on the chat room and chat if a group is doing it all together.
Just a way for us to get wrapping and not do an all nighter on Christmas Eve.
Raise your hand if you've done one of those before!!!
Annie
Sometimes we'll get on the chat room and chat if a group is doing it all together.
Just a way for us to get wrapping and not do an all nighter on Christmas Eve.
Raise your hand if you've done one of those before!!!
Annie
A goal that I want to make for myself is to follow my lists and time schedules and make them realistic. Too often I don't follow what I've been planning all summer and then I end up too tired. I sometimes fall behind and stay up late at night playing catch up. I need to go over what I have planned and make sure it is doable. Too often things look great on paper but when it comes to getting it done its just too hard! I also want to make sure my gifts are all wrapped ahead of time. Last year I did this and what a difference it made!
I need to look back over my goals. I know this year I have been really bad with gift buying. I don't have one gift purchased yet. That is one goal I need to start going on. I like to have everything bought by Black Friday. At this rate that date may not happen.
OH! I just remembered I do have some gifts I bought a few seasons of old tv shows like Gomer Pyle, Hawaii Five O, and Hogan's Heros for my uncles. I got them the first seasons last year which they loved so I got a few more seasons. Okay, it's a start.