Ideas/Preparation For Christmas 2010

[SparkleNana]

Hi. I NEED to start this thread. Because...... I really have been following the HGP and the HHP.... because I am NOT good at getting ready for Christmas. I am BETTER at it every year. However..... it IS frustrating...... especially today!

The house has clutter everywhere. recent clutter. Because..... I have gotten BEHIND in regular, routine stuff.... while working on Christmas stuff. I would LOVE to figure out what to do about this!

During the normal day/week..... I am pretty busy. YOU are pretty busy. EVERYBODY is pretty busy. So.. I do a lot in advance to get ready for Christmas. And yet.... when December comes..... I fall behind! I do Christmas stuff..... and then, the regular day-to-day stuff doesn't get done! So.... help!

For example.... Christmas cards. I just don't FEEL like writing Christmas cards.... until it "feels" Christmassy. Like.... in December. But then - I get busy - and things fall apart.

So -- I would like to start a thread NOW --- that maybe would help us during the "dead" parts of the year. Months like January, February, March.... and July and August..... when the weather is miserable. (Where I live.) When.... it would be GREAT to be inspired to do Christmas stuff........

So, if anybody IS inspired during those months, would you please please PLEASE try to spell it out for us?

And -- anybody who has figured out how to get inspired to do things way in advance -- would you write too?


i do think it is helpful if people just write about what they don't get done in advance. THAT might inspire people to write in with helpful ideas.

What do you think?

 

[SparkleNana]

I think it is very helpful to share HOW we have come to do things in preparation. Not... simply write that we HAVE done them in advance. But -- HOW? How did we talk ourselves into doing things in advance?

Here are a couple of things that I have done that ARE very helpful!!!

1) Get rid of all credit cards. Oh no -- you say. I can't live without credit cards. Actually - you can. Your debit card "works" as a credit card. For example, I needed to make a hotel reservation for next summer. When I had saved up the money, I called the fancy Hotel and gave them my credit card. They told me that they take the money for the first night right away. Good. That forced me to save in November for part of the trip in June!
Credit cards may be necessary for you. I am just saying that it helped me to get rid of them.

2) Utility bills. Utility bills are huge here in winter. It really hurt to get hit with big utility bills in the months after Christmas. (Especially when we still had credit cards. Double hurt!)

I look at every utility bill ALL YEAR LONG with an eye towards Christmas. I pay them up. And then - I pay in advance. I know that this is supposed to be very very stupid! that I should keep the money and just pay when the bill is due. I wish that worked for me. And - maybe in the future, it WILL work for me. But THIS is what works for me now. No credit card bills in January. And no big utility bills in January. Purrrrr.

3) Stock up. OK - here is something that I just learned this winter. I hope to have it put in place by Winter 2010. Stock up for winter storms/illness!

We had a scare today -- a big ice storm was predicted. Big ice storms here mean that you can't SAFELY leave your home for days. You need to be stocked up with firewood, hot chocolate, soup, peanut butter, jelly, bread, toilet paper, juice, milk, etc. etc. etc. I was NOT stocked up. So I had to go out today and stock up. And it cost A LOT. If I had prepared over the months from September on -- I would have been ready. NEXT YEAR - I will try to do that. To be ready by the week after Thanksgiving -- completely ready.

OK -- do you have any ideas?

 

[chilli]

I absolutely know what you mean... After Christmas and in Spring/Summer I think about christmas - yes, but only that I still have soooo much time... It is like: during the year I have time for Christmas stuff, but I don't feel like Christmas - and in the Holiday Season, I have this Christmas feeling, but less time...
Regardless of the things I would like to/have to do - this can be about creating Christmas Cards or Gifts in a Jar or a small Christmas Patchwork/Quilt...

Sorry but I also search for some inspiration how to solve this problem. So any inspiration welcome!

Chilli

 

[SparkleNana]

Chilli -- Isn't this the coolest thing in the world? Here I am in the USA --- there you are in Austria -- and we can share ideas and problems and fun -- so quickly and easily! Don't you love it? We really live in a time of miracles!!!!

Now.... if we can just figure out this "inspiration" thing........

 

[luludou]

On my 1st rudy day (or maybe right after christmas decorations are put away and we get back to routine), I plan to make a list of crafts I want to make for christmas 2010 with a supply list for each and maybe put each craft in a ziploc (pattern + supplies) so they'll be easy to reach out and do. This year I've noticed that starting in september I don't have time for new crafts (in sept, oct I have to prepare for boobash) and then christmas frenzy, so they'll have to be done in winter months.

My 1st big decluttering task in 2010 however will be pictures... computer - burn CDs - and print & file.

2nd decluttering when it's yucky outside - look through books and give away at least 1 box (hopefully 2!).

 

[luludou]

Just remembered, about the stocking stuffers... it took SO LONG to wrap each thing this year! since I have 2 (1 boy & 1 girl), I place things in same order in stocking so they unwrap at the same time (ex: money, ornaments, etc...).

In 2010 I will try to wrap as I buy but using same colored paper for both for the same gift (example: ornaments), another paper for chocolates, yet another paper for socks, etc...

 

[Cathymac]

This is a brilliant idea for a thread, and one that we can keep going all year long, tweaking and adding as we think of things and/or accomplish things.

I also take time in January on Rudy Day to make a list of all the homemade gifts I want to make, along with a supply list for each. Then, using monthly dividers, I put the list for the NEXT month in the binder. Then I add those supplies to my shopping list for the current month. That way, when it's time to do, say, June's craft, I will have purchased June's supplies in May, and I have no excuse for not doing June's craft. Then in June I'll purchase July's craft supplies, etc. I hope that's clear. Now, you need to understand that I do this with all good intentions, but I fall very short on actually getting things done. This needs to change.

Part of my problem with this-other than the fact that I'm a HUGE procrastinator-is that most of what I make is food gifts that for quality's sake needs to be done no earlier than say October or November...just when things are starting to get really busy. So maybe I need to reconsider the type things I make...hmm??

Another thing that helps me tremendously is having a pre-paid Visa or Mastercard just for Christmas shopping. Alas, due to severe budget issues this year, I was unable to do this in 09, but have great plans for 2010. When you have one of these cards, it works just like a credit card or debit card but your "credit limit" is the amount of cash that you load onto the card. I use one of these cards for paying bills or shopping on the internet. Like Sparklenana, we don't have "regular" credit cards, but this works just like cash. You pay no interest because you are paying for your purchase. This fall I switched to a Wal-Mart card for bill paying because it was $2 cheaper to load cash on it. Plus, when I cash my paycheck at Wal-Mart I can load any amount on the card for the same $3 fee for cashing my check. Sweet deal!! Plus, I get text for free balance checks. Easy peasy. My usual MO (method of operations) is to load $20 or so weekly on an extra card and keep it just for Christmas shopping. Then if I run across a good deal while shopping or web surfing, I have the money to take advantage of it (or at least a good start ) and I'm not tempted to spend it on, oh, say pumpkin spice lattes like I would cash. I really, really plan to get back in this routine this next year. Incidently, this same plan would work for anything that you need to save money for-vacations, kids' mission trips, whatever you need to save for.

Another thing I need to focus on in 2010 is more "experience" activities. I had great hopes of being able to take my family to Branson, Missouri during the holidays to see the lights, but that didn't work out. I have a huge dream of taking them on a ski trip between Christmas and New Year's and plan to work on that for 2010. Here's hoping!

Also, having an on-going shopping list for groceries and staples helps. That way you can pick up a few things everytime you go to the store all summer and fall long. Then, by Christmas time, you're set!

I know none of these ideas are really new, just things that I personally need to work on next year.

Can't wait to read what all of you come up with.

 

[MinnieCo]

I'm usually over Christmas a bit come Spring, but my excitement comes back in July. I do celebrateChristmas in July as much as possible,if only by myself. It's my mind set, to get things done. Last July I signed my swap cards and picked out what I was mailing inside. I also made my address labels then.

During July, I'll make my small gifts for teachers, church leaders and others around I want to give a little something special to. I think we also did our ornament exchange this year during July.

In October, I start my freezer meals. This is a MUST HAVE for me in December and has a been a necessary staple since I started it 2 years ago. Having meals and frozen veges put aside in the freezer makes my life so much easier when things get crazy!

As of date, I've not done any Christmas crafts. I decided today, that next year that's going to change. I absolutely have to review after Christmas and decide THEN, what I'm going to make for the following year. Things will be purchases in advance that can be and the holiday items I have to wait on, will be purchases in the late summer and fall when they put holiday items out at Hobby Lobby and other craft stores.

I love to reach Christmas books, but also find that in December it's to busy to do so. So I always make a point of reading one in July and at least one in November. This year, I finished my first book on Thanksgiving! The second one, is still patiently waiting.

I followed the Holiday Grand Plan this year and found that it worked GREAT for me. Some weeks, I did better then others, but when a week came that didn't apply to my home, I'd play catch up. Not everything was done, but the deep cleaning was. Now, I'm not focusing on the deep cleaning. It's just a matter of spot cleaning and keeping the floors cleaned now. Our family is small and with my teen gone more and more,it's a whole lot easier this year. I come home and the house is "sparkling" in my eyes. We have an upstairs and a downstairs and one thing I try and do is keep my living room upstairs spotless. This gives me a place for down time at the end of the night and a focus point for "cleanliness" when the rest isn't so. The wrapping paper boxes are downstairs and the laundry is downstairs. All that makes a huge difference. In 2007 I wasn't sure about the Grand Plan. It thought it was way to far out for me to focus on, but ultimately it was the best thing for me. I'll rearrange things next time I think, but overall....Just keep moving forward and don't give up. Like they say...Some work is better then NO work. I'm sure things are done, that wouldn't have been done if you didn't follow a plan.

 

[Winged One]

I will definitely have to come back to this discussion. But I know one big thing for me is to make sure that I update my Master Christmas gift and budget list during the holidays. So that all those last minute GIFTS get put in, even if not the budget. (My budget is a starting point, and I am usually pretty good at getting under it, but as I have the money put by and don't put it on a credit card, I don't mind going over the last few gifts). But when I start thinking about Christmas again, I want to KNOW what I gave last year so I don't duplicate it.

This is a bit easier as I have an excel workbook, and a seperate worksheet for each year. So I just copy the old into a new one, clear off the gifts given, and put the basic budgetary amounts back into the money columns. I need to get better about seeing the crafts list on it though.

This year, I also need to get more realistic about the crafts I intend making. I have so many ideas, but end up forgetting to get the sewing machine out. (Despite having loads of fabrics and ribbons). So I must get started earlier this year.

We got a new fridge-freezer last year, and the fridge is bigger which is good, but the freezer actually seems smaller (it is theoretically the same size) and I don't have the room for meals that I used to (as I now have a lot more homegrown veggies stored there and lots are still not used up until spring). In fact, this week we are really feeling that (although, despite no grocery shop getting done this week, we have managed to scrape together enough to avoid the shops until tomorrow or perhaps Friday). But I used to like having a few extra freezer meals over and above the 1-2 I'd normally have. A few lasagnes, shepherd's pies, chilli, pasta bakes, and some chicken breasts for easy stir fries. Note to self - work on DH about getting a chest freezer in shed.


But I will ponder this some more and come back with proper usefull thoughts instead of a few random, sleep-deprived ones.

 

[jackfrosty]

What a fantastic thread!! Very helpful! Thank you SparkleNana!
There are a great deal of loose ends I'm struggling with this year-things that won't hamper our celebrations-but things that I would have liked to complete (or even start!)
I hope to list these things for next year and try to work away at them!
The clutter! If this was more controlled real life would not get in the way quite as much!
Definitly needs to be addressed and maintained throughout the year!
I also feel strongly that I should try and follow Gingerbug's Monthly magic guidelines. Then other celebrations(b-days, etc.) won't sneak up on me in mid month!

 

[happy2bme]

SparkleNana,

Great idea for a thread.

After our blizzard this weekend, I was so thankful for my stockpile. It was great knowing in an emergency that we would not starve because the pantry shelves were full.

Here's an idea:

Write down a master list of items that you would need to have in case of a storm or other emergency. Once a month (maybe on Rudy Day) buy two items off the list and put them away on a shelf. By the time winter arrives, you have a good stockpile and your budget doesn't take the hit all at once.

 

[MrsSoup]

One thing i'm going to do differently for Christmas 2010 is saving money. Normally we don't have to do this but this year we really needed to and I realized it in September I think. So we started saving money in an envelope to spend on the kids for Christmas. It worked out okay and I still have some left in the envelope but I would like to start in January. So my remedy for this will be to start saving $100 a month from January to October. That will give us $1000 to spend on all of us, with $200 each. I managed to spend under $200 on each of the kids until I bought the trampoline, but that was a spur of the moment purchase.

Another thing that I didn't do this year that I will plan on doing next year is stocking up on basic ingredients for cookie making and other baking. Sam's Club is super cheap when it comes to staples such as flour and brown sugar. So next year that's what i'll do.

I'm awful about crafts too. I always see things I want to make but then never carve out the time to do it or even buy the supplies. This year I did make 2 scarves, so far, that i'm giving as gifts. For 2010 I want to make a list of handmade items I might want to give as gifts and get started on them in January. If I set begin and end dates for each project then maybe i'll feel more obligated to get them done.

That's all I can think of for now, but i'll be following this thread.

 

[Cindylouwho]

Great thread, Sparklenana! I'll come back to this as I have lots of thoughts on it. Know how you feel. In the meantime, emergency measures for today are to call in reinforcements: time to UP the Vitamin B (as in Vitamin B Stress Formula). Really helps my energy and helps me focus. (I've learned not to take it at night, lest I wake up and want to clean the house). Back at you later with more on this topic.

 

[Colleen in PA]

Thank you for this thread, SparkleNana! I really need to evaluate what happened this year...ususally I follow the HGP and do pretty well keeping up. However, THIS year I did not. Once I fell behind, it just never clicked in and I am paying for it now.

On a positive note, I am done with my shopping and have about 1/3 of my wrapping done. I also shop year round, but mostly for my Christmas Boxes and stocking stuffers. It doesn't sound like a lot, but I fill 18 stockings (and 6 Christmas and CiJ boxes each) and it adds up! By buying little things throughout the year it doesn't seem to hurt as much. I just wish I had thought to WRAP as I go!

I send cards with pictures of the kids every holiday (we have a huge family spread out across the country) but for some reason, I couldn't decide what our Christmas picture would be this year. Instead of settling on something in October as I normally do, I finally took care of it last week! In 2010, I am planning (hoping) to get back into a timely preparation schedule!

Lastly, my favorite part of holiday prep has always been baking cookies and making plates for friends and family. Due to my poor planning, I'm not sure that I'll be able to do it this year and that makes me sad. It's my own fault, but there are other things that need doing - like putting up our family tree this weekend!

Oh well, I'm sure it will turn out fine. I'm undoubtedly the only person in my household who will notice the things that aren't "perfect". With a 4yo and 8mo old, pretty much ANYTHING Christmas is perfect!

 

[girlsinmo]

Thank you Sparklenana for starting this thread. I can always use inspiration so thought I'd subscribe to this thread for all the great ideas. Thanks ladies.

 

[LadyEvenstar]

What a wonderful thread! I think I'll need to post on it often. After a big day of shopping today one thing I know I need to do differently next year (and will try for the rest of thsi year) is lists.

I need to sit down and make more actual, physical lists. I'm having trouble keeping everything in my head and remembering whether I actually bought something or just thought about it. I also need Master Lists of everything I still need to do and buy before the big day.

I always think I can just keep everything straight in my head and I usually can but with so many things to think about things fall through the cracks. Plus it's just much easier for me to see things. Why tax my brain when I don't have to?

 

[alisonmcg]

I just wanted to agree with everyone else,this is a great thread! Thanks for posting it.

 

[jackfrosty]

Okay-so yesterday while shopping for my DSIL's gift(impossible!) I came across a pack of three mini lanterns. I bought them so I have no excuses in Jan. to start painting the Stand up snowmen for gifts next year!
http://plumpurdy.com/proddetail.php?prod=PP1106

 

[luludou]

Jackfrosty that is so beautiful!

 

[beccaw]

Such a good thread! I deffinitely let things slide while taking on the Christmas preparations. Just today I was trying to figure out how there's dust on the t.v. stand. Guess that would be one of those things I didn't get to this week; probably wrapping gifts instead.

For 2010 I will have to give myself a deadline for getting all handmade gifts completed by November 30th. I know there will be crafts that I will see for the first time next December and want to complete, and I want to be able to enjoy those without letting other things fall by the wayside.

I host Thanksgiving so I know the house was completely clean then, so I'm not sure what happened that I didn't keep up with it. I haven't been following a schedule, but I think for the rest of this year that's what I need. I also need to get my husband and kids more involved in the cleaning this time of year, which is tough since that's the last thing anyone wants to be doing right now. Well, hopefully a little more planning on my part will help.

Thanks for the ideas everyone!