***Holiday Planning, 2014***

[Harriet]

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★˛˚˛*˛°.˛*˛°˛.*★˚˛*˛°.˛*˛°˛*★ Holiday *★* 。*˛.
˛★_██_*.。*../ ♥ \ .˛* .˛。.˛.*.★* Season Is *★ 。*
˛. (´• ̮•)*.°。*/♫.♫\*˛.* ˛_Π_____. ♥ On Its Way ♥ ˛* ˛*
.°( . • . ) ˛°˛/• '♫ ' •\.˛*/______/~＼*. ˛*.。˛* ˛.*。
* (...'•'.. )°*˛°╬╬╬╬╬˛°｜田田 ｜門｜╬╬╬╬╬*˚ .˛ ...

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We're going to have to acknowledge the calendar! It is beckoning!

The Holiday Grand Plan begins "List Week" today.

The House and Holiday Plan, formerly known as The Houseworks Holiday Plan begins "Planning and Paperwork Week" today.

For those who would rather think in terms of a shorter span of only 6 weeks,

The Christmas Countdown will begin "Get Organized Week" October 26.

Please use this forum to let us know either your own plans or the plans linked here that you are using, and the sparkly, cheery progress you are surely making!

Don't forget that if you choose to create handmade gifts, that right beside this thread, the Arts, Crafts and Needlework thread posters definitely want to hear about your creativity!

To refer to your own previous thoughts, reminders, ideas, we're blessed to still be able to do that through previous Holiday Planning threads. Just scroll down the Creative Home forum topics to find 2013, 2012, etc.

[BookSaver]

Thank you for providing all those links, Harriet. I am NOT AT ALL ready to think about the holidays yet so this is a wake-up call.

CEO is providing some very pretty printable forms for her House & Holiday Plan. Even if you don't print them, they are colorful on the screen and she has great tips and reminders to keep us on track.

[FelineFriend]

Hello! I'm so GLAD this thread is here.

I wanted to say how, last night, I got out an old Christmas Countdown Holiday Planner, by Cynthia Townley Ewer, or CEO, from http://www.OrganizedChristmas.com

I don't know if that site's still there, but I do have the print-outs in a binder, along with FlyLady's Holiday Control Journal, in the same binder. I'd written in pencil, years ago, so will erase and re-write. Oh, my goodness. This is the binder print-outs from 2008.

I've had a terrible time getting "motivated" to FINISH projects, for Christmas. I've started some, am near the end, but something gets in the way (like health or writing job) and I don't finish them. I researched on-line, to get some tips and encouragement on how to get things done. One thing that I liked said when you make gifts from the heart, ♥ you're showing your love to the person you're giving the gifts to, you show your thoughtfulness by making them something you think they'll like and it's more personal for them, to receive it, because you're personalizing the gift for them. When they said you make gifts out of LOVE ♥- it resonated with me and now I feel more motivated in getting my gifts done, for some reason.

I'm so glad this thread it here!

[Nancy]

Today I got out extension cords glad I knew they were in one of the holiday totes in the clear one! Yea for something that works!

[BookSaver]

FelineFriend ~ I think the Organized Christmas planner is the same one I mentioned above and Harriet linked to, Cynthia Ewer changed the name to The House & Holiday Plan. See Harriet's post for the link.

Cynthia also does the shorter version that starts in October, the Christmas Countdown.

I'm so glad that Harriet put the links to the various sites right here at the top of this thread, so handy!

[FelineFriend]

Booksaver, I'm doing the shorter version, from CEO's site, which starts in October. I signed up for her RSS Feed, too, to come to my inbox. I didn't print up all the pages, since I've got the old planner in my binder and FlyLady's Holiday Journal, too. But I printed up some work sheets to fill out this weekend and get my planner all put together again. I believe Cynthia's starting date was October 26th. I'm continuing to currently crochet on Christmas gift project now though and not wait until Oct. 26.

[blessedw2]

I am officially working on this with you all!!!! I may even watch the Best Christmas Pageant ever to give me inspiration

happy elves be working here!

[Nancy]

I have tweaked the holiday baking.
Instead of sweet bread this year I am doing cookies.
Not putting in any cinnamon bc one dgd is allergic. They taste good with out it. I am a bit surprised.

[FelineFriend]

We don't know if we'll have Christmas here or Christmas Eve here, at home, with all the family coming OR if Dson/Ddil will have us come up there again this year. Their home is very large. We have a wood stove going, so we're all very cautious of that with the little ones.

I doubt that I'll bake this year, but we'll purchase baked goods. Also, since Ddil has Celiac's Disease, we'll purchase her some goodies to eat, if they come to our home for the holidays. We may have Christmas gift exchanged on a day other than Christmas, too. Sometimes we do it a weekend or 2 before Christmas. I don't bake because it's hard on my Fibromyalgia, takes time, the oven's small, and it's just so time-consuming. HOWEVER, if I see a good cookie dough kit, in the box, I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE to bake up a bunch of sugar cookies and decorate them. It puts me in the spirit, the house smells Christmas-y and it's fun to treat everyone and send cookies home, too. Some kits are wonderful and taste homemade, if they're a good quality. I'll keep that in mind, as the season goes on.

Also, DH and I know how Costco gets their Christmas cards in early, so I like to start working on them early and get them done before Halloween or Thanksgiving to send early in December. I'm considering composing a poem about the family, this year and adding clip art to it. I've done this one other year, it was 1 page long, and it went over very well with our family and friends. I've also thought it would be nice, some year, to add a corner bookmark I've made from background decorative scrapbook paper, too.

[FelineFriend]

DH bought our Christmas cards at Costco today! They are blue and white cards with snowmen on them. [color=#FF0000]They are square, but the envelope is the mailing size, so there's not extra postage. [/color] [color=#008000]I won't address them until November, because there are several people in elder years who don't have long to live. I'd hate to address their cards, they pass away and then I'd be sad when I looked at their card again.[/color]