Day 4- Using your Notebook
Hopefully by now you have started to assemble your notebook and make it your own. If not there is still plenty of time. Remember anything is better than nothing so don’t get hung up on making it perfect. Every week you will likely be adding to your notebook as you complete the assignments. Keep it handy and open it often!
In addition to my notebook calendar I also write the room of the week on my wall calendar on the Sunday where each week starts to remind me as I am planning my week where we are in the HGP as I set myself up for my regular activities.
Week 1 we start with the Front Porch and Lists. List week is the perfect way to kick off the HGP because it gets my creative juices flowing with thinking of what I need to accomplish in the coming weeks. Some examples of lists to include
Menu- What events are you cooking for? Make one for each event. Include Ingredients to buy, and new serving dishes/items you need
-Christmas Card list (updated addresses or emails if you send e-cards)
-Gift List of people you plan to buy for and check off as purchased and wrapped (I put 2 checkboxes next to the name). Also can put in tracking numbers for online orders if needed.
-Budget and when you will buy items
-Gift ideas
-Stocking Stuffer ideas
-Party Planning- Guest list, Menu, Party Favors, Decorations, etc
-Visits to plan for- are you traveling? Having guests stay at your home? If so lists for packing or items you need to buy for the guests arriving (Aerobed, New bedding, towels, etc)
One of my favorite parts of HGP is week 2 Question week. It’s a time to reflect on past holidays and the upcoming holiday and how you want it to feel, what activities are meaningful for you and your family and put a lot of thought into creating the kind of holiday season that feels happy and good to you. This is probably the most important part of preparing for the holidays not repeating what you’ve always done if you don’t enjoy it or it doesn’t bring meaning. Traditions change over time and that’s ok. I don’t do the Gingerbread party anymore because I don’t have small children in my life right now. I can still bake Gingerbread cookies and remember the wonderful 20 yrs we did keep up that tradition, and go tour the Gingerbread house display in the community and let someone else do all the work.
If you have questions or need support in developing your holiday notebook please feel free to reach out to me. Have a Magical Holiday and I hope you have fun putting together your holiday notebook and enjoying a relaxed experience of preparing for the season.
Bonus
And I want to share just one more thing. This is my tried-and-true Gingerbread Recipe which we have made for ages. It makes good cookies and gingerbread houses!
Rebecca’s Gingerbread
1/2 C. Butter
2 1/2 C. Flour
1/2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Molassas
1 egg
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Ground Ginger
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Ground Cloves
Mix butter/sugars, add 1/2 the flour, then eggs, molassas, baking soda, spices, and then the rest of the flour until combined. Divide dough in half, chill 3 hrs.
Grease cookie sheet. Roll out to 1/8 in. thickness and cut out in shapes. Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven 5-6 min or until edges are firm. Cool 1 min and then transfer to wire rack to cool. Makes about 36 cookies.
I use this to make my gingerbread house as well. It's a very tasty gingerbread and holds up well for decorating gingerbread people
Here is the amount to make for a house: (6 x recipe for house + cookies to eat)
3 C. Butter
15 C. Flour
3 C. Sugar
3. C Molasses
6 eggs
2 T Baking Soda
2 T Ground Ginger
2 T Cinnamon
2 T Nutmeg
1 T Ground Cloves
Hopefully by now you have started to assemble your notebook and make it your own. If not there is still plenty of time. Remember anything is better than nothing so don’t get hung up on making it perfect. Every week you will likely be adding to your notebook as you complete the assignments. Keep it handy and open it often!
In addition to my notebook calendar I also write the room of the week on my wall calendar on the Sunday where each week starts to remind me as I am planning my week where we are in the HGP as I set myself up for my regular activities.
Week 1 we start with the Front Porch and Lists. List week is the perfect way to kick off the HGP because it gets my creative juices flowing with thinking of what I need to accomplish in the coming weeks. Some examples of lists to include
Menu- What events are you cooking for? Make one for each event. Include Ingredients to buy, and new serving dishes/items you need
-Christmas Card list (updated addresses or emails if you send e-cards)
-Gift List of people you plan to buy for and check off as purchased and wrapped (I put 2 checkboxes next to the name). Also can put in tracking numbers for online orders if needed.
-Budget and when you will buy items
-Gift ideas
-Stocking Stuffer ideas
-Party Planning- Guest list, Menu, Party Favors, Decorations, etc
-Visits to plan for- are you traveling? Having guests stay at your home? If so lists for packing or items you need to buy for the guests arriving (Aerobed, New bedding, towels, etc)
One of my favorite parts of HGP is week 2 Question week. It’s a time to reflect on past holidays and the upcoming holiday and how you want it to feel, what activities are meaningful for you and your family and put a lot of thought into creating the kind of holiday season that feels happy and good to you. This is probably the most important part of preparing for the holidays not repeating what you’ve always done if you don’t enjoy it or it doesn’t bring meaning. Traditions change over time and that’s ok. I don’t do the Gingerbread party anymore because I don’t have small children in my life right now. I can still bake Gingerbread cookies and remember the wonderful 20 yrs we did keep up that tradition, and go tour the Gingerbread house display in the community and let someone else do all the work.
If you have questions or need support in developing your holiday notebook please feel free to reach out to me. Have a Magical Holiday and I hope you have fun putting together your holiday notebook and enjoying a relaxed experience of preparing for the season.
Bonus
And I want to share just one more thing. This is my tried-and-true Gingerbread Recipe which we have made for ages. It makes good cookies and gingerbread houses!
Rebecca’s Gingerbread
1/2 C. Butter
2 1/2 C. Flour
1/2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Molassas
1 egg
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Ground Ginger
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Ground Cloves
Mix butter/sugars, add 1/2 the flour, then eggs, molassas, baking soda, spices, and then the rest of the flour until combined. Divide dough in half, chill 3 hrs.
Grease cookie sheet. Roll out to 1/8 in. thickness and cut out in shapes. Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven 5-6 min or until edges are firm. Cool 1 min and then transfer to wire rack to cool. Makes about 36 cookies.
I use this to make my gingerbread house as well. It's a very tasty gingerbread and holds up well for decorating gingerbread people
Here is the amount to make for a house: (6 x recipe for house + cookies to eat)
3 C. Butter
15 C. Flour
3 C. Sugar
3. C Molasses
6 eggs
2 T Baking Soda
2 T Ground Ginger
2 T Cinnamon
2 T Nutmeg
1 T Ground Cloves
