I am not an organized person by most standards. However, in some areas of my life, I HAVE to be organized and Christmas is one of them. I used to be the person who was shopping on Christmas Eve and staying up until 2:00 am wrapping gifts, then getting up at the crack of dawn to clean and rush around before guests came over. I would spend the last two weeks before Christmas in panic mode and not enjoy the holiday at all.
I already knew about FlyLady and I tried it, but I couldn’t keep up with her system, but a few years ago I started using her Holiday guide and it literally changed my Christmas from a panic-fest to a joyful holiday! It’s a pretty simple concept. Just keep your Christmas craziness in a binder! I’ve tweaked mine to work best for me. This is not rocket science and I’m sure there are lots of much more organized people than me that have a better system, but I’m thinking the key for me is SIMPLE.
I made a Christmas binder. I just used an ugly old binder that I had laying around. The front pocket has a notepad where I write down lists or things to do.
Next I have my calendars. I start with November. I’m showing you this year’s and last year’s. This year I actually printed a calendar—last year I drew it! I put EVERYTHING onto the calendar even if it isn’t Christmas related.
I have a page for cinnamon rolls and cookies. I bake Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls for friends so I figure out who the lucky souls are that year. It helps me keep straight how many pans I need to buy, etc. Our school does a cookie walk for the teachers, so I figure out what cookies I’m going to make too. Then I make a shopping list on that little notepad in the front pocket. When I go shopping, I just grab the list. I shop throughout November and December so I don’t get baking shopping shock syndrome! I also make a menu for Christmas dinner. I just write down what I’m making—not what everyone else is bringing, but that would be helpful info too. Same deal, I make a shopping list for this too. After Christmas, I make a few notes about what worked or what I need to change.
I’m usually a room mom, so I keep all my Christmas party info in here too.
Of course I keep a Christmas gift list. If I were smart, I would write out a budget and keep track of what I actually spent. I also have a “Don’t Forget” page. This is this year’s and it will be added to as things pop into my head. I put all my little “ideas” that I want to do or those extra little things that sometimes get forgotten during this busy time.
Finally, I printed off FlyLady’s Control Journal and put it in the binder. I re-read it a lot. It keeps my thought process straight and keeps me motivated.
I really swear by this method. All it really does is force me to think about what needs to be done in advance which is a huge for me. I know that for the last two Christmas’, I have been in bed by 10:00 on Christmas Eve with everything ready to go the next morning and that is a gift in itself!
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