The holidays are quickly approaching are you ready? I know each year at this time, it feels like crunch time. Time to buckle down and get a plan made for the holidays.
If I don’t have a plan, I can’t get everything done during the holiday season. I usually make two holiday dinners, one at Thanksgiving and one for Christmas. I also make lots of candy and cookies to give to our great neighbors this time of year too. Having a plan is what keeps me on task and keep me sane.
Oh I forgot to mention shopping for Christmas gifts too. How could I forget about that, you see why I need to be organized. 🙂
Make a Food Plan
This time of year there are lots of great deals on turkey and all the other holiday meal items. Be sure to take advantage of the sales this time of year. Stock up if you can. I know turkey is at it’s best price this time of year, if you have the room in your budget and the freezer space, grab and extra one or two.
To make my food plan, I usually get all my recipes and make a master list of the items I need. Then I can start stocking up, when I see, the items I need, on sale each week. You can print this holiday menu planner to help get your holiday meal plan organized.
If you are feeling a little overwhelmed about making your holiday dinner be sure to see my tips on simplifying your holiday dinner.
Make a Shopping Plan
Christmas shopping can be fun or it can be stressful. When you have a plan, know how much you can spend and know what you want to buy, it can be so much fun to shop. But when you aren’t organized, it can just add to the stress of everything that needs to be done.
Having a plan and a budget are so important. If you don’t have a plan and budget yet for your holiday shopping, make one today. I have a printable and some great tips to get your holiday budget set up.
After you have your plan be sure to take advantage of comparing prices. With the internet and all the sales ads that flood into your home each week in the Sunday Paper, you don’t even have to leave your home to comparison shop. If you have trouble sticking to a budget, consider shopping with cash. Here’s a few more holiday shopping tips to help you stay on budget.
Make a Plan for Your Time
During the holiday season there is always so much to do. So many things your family gets invited to and so many people you want to see. Getting yourself organized, can help you plan your time better.
Eliminate time sucks as much as you can. Take advantage of those few moments you have here and there in each day. I know I tell myself, I only have 5 minutes so I might as well just check my email or check Facebook.
But in those 5 minutes, I could be doing something to get one of my many tasks done. I could be wrapping a gift. I could be making a batch of candy or making my grocery list for the week. Try to plug in little tasks you need to get done, in those times when you only have a few minutes to spare.
Use a Holiday Calendar
Make a plan on your calendar. Every time you make a commitment to do something during the holiday season, write it on the calendar. The calendar everyone can see. Make sure to leave time to do fun things as a family, like go look at Christmas lights too. Pencil it all in on the calendar.
Be prepared, make a plan and have the time of your life this holiday season. Instead of dreading all you have to do each day, just to get through the holiday season.
What do you do to make your extra tasks just a little easier and to keep on task, this time of year?
I love your tip to take five minutes here and there and use that time wisely. I also think that having a family calendar is a great idea. We’ve had one for years. It’s a dry-erase board that hangs in our dining room. I write things like appointments, family days, blog events, etc… on that calendar. And it’s been a blessing to us over the years!
It’s amazing what can get done in a just a few minutes here and there. I love the idea of a dry-erase board calendar. Thanks for sharing it Sandra!
These are all such great tips Shelly!