I must admit that I don't follow any specific countdown plan nor do I have a "notebook". I do have some notes on the computer about what I "should" be doing on a daily/weekly basis, but don't pay much attention to it. I keep a gift idea list going year-round on the computer, and I do lots of crafting all year long.
In reading the posts about what others are doing, I get inspired to do more ahead of time than I have ever done in the past. For instance, I prepared three GIAJs just for fun and found that I now have a really nice hostess gift to take this weekend to an open house . . . no sweat! I made some holiday coasters out of some scrap fabric (idea on OC Holiday Crafts) and decided they would make great gifts for DGFs!
So here I am, with my house pretty much cleaned up and company-ready (resulting from a blitz just before Thanksgiving), holiday baking done, decorating (except tree - fresh will go up closer to Christmas), cards mailed, most holiday crafting done, most gifts purchased . . . Besides the tree, I guess I really just have a bit more shopping and wrapping to do.
This is a first, and I'm feeling so good about it, but keep having a wired feeling that this can't be happening . . . I must be forgetting something!
Of course, the "rest" of the story is that this is my first year of retirement, and we're empty-nesters. So for those of you working and/or with children around, I'm sure that even with the inspiration on OC, it's much more difficult! I've been there!
In reading the posts about what others are doing, I get inspired to do more ahead of time than I have ever done in the past. For instance, I prepared three GIAJs just for fun and found that I now have a really nice hostess gift to take this weekend to an open house . . . no sweat! I made some holiday coasters out of some scrap fabric (idea on OC Holiday Crafts) and decided they would make great gifts for DGFs!
So here I am, with my house pretty much cleaned up and company-ready (resulting from a blitz just before Thanksgiving), holiday baking done, decorating (except tree - fresh will go up closer to Christmas), cards mailed, most holiday crafting done, most gifts purchased . . . Besides the tree, I guess I really just have a bit more shopping and wrapping to do.
This is a first, and I'm feeling so good about it, but keep having a wired feeling that this can't be happening . . . I must be forgetting something!
Of course, the "rest" of the story is that this is my first year of retirement, and we're empty-nesters. So for those of you working and/or with children around, I'm sure that even with the inspiration on OC, it's much more difficult! I've been there!
