Enough of the hiatus, let’s get back to business.
Ugh. We are barely into November and there are signs of the Christmas season popping up everywhere. Aisles of holiday goods crowding their way into the shopping space. I have always said that during the month of November shopping is a bit easier because many big stores have whole sections designated to merchandise we don’t need to worry about until December. I think we need to give Thanksgiving a chance. No need to think about Christmas yet…
Unless…
Unless you are making homemade and handmade Christmas gifts. Then you need to get up and get your craft on! Or at least I do.
The Secret to a Simple Holiday Season
This year Christmas at our home is going to be simple. Everyone gets a gift. Not every gift has to be bought, in fact, most gifts will be made. If I do this right, those who get a gift from me will first think, “How thoughtful” and not “How cheepo”. I have a craft room of possibilities and if I get started now, I have time to get it done.
But before diving into a crafting frenzy, I need to back up a step. The first thing to do is to make the plan.
I purposely said ‘plan instead of ‘list’ because the list is only one part of the plan. If you want to keep from being overwhelmed (like from the task of Christmas gift giving),then make an action plan with small steps that are easy to follow.
For example, here are some steps that I can take to get started on my homemade Christmas.
– Make the list of people who will get a gift from me. Include everyone to avoid that last minute panic.
– Beside their names put a note of something they like. My nephews are into Dr. Who.
– Make Pinterest boards related to those likes.
(Do you think I can make ornaments that looks like these?)
– Pick out projects that are doable with items I have or a short shopping list of materials.
– Here’s the big one – Schedule times on the calendar when I am able to make these things.
That’s as far as my action list can go right now. Even though this list doesn’t take the project all the way to the finish it does get started and that is a big step many people just don’t take.
Taking action is best way to reduce stress in a situation. The next time you feel like you are getting into something too big to handle, sit down and break it down into small doable steps.
AND Now: The Ultimate Planner
Now that I am making plans like a real planning person, I feel the need for the new planner that Close To My Heart has coming out December 1st, (which can’t come soon enough. Sorry Thanksgiving).
This new system starts with a three ring album, black with gold accents. After that the book becomes what you need it to be. There are dated planner pages with month dividers to keep track of activities; My Crush pages can be added to keep track of memories as the year goes along; even pocket scrapbooking page protectors to add pictures or your favorite Picture My Life pocket scrapbooking cards to the mix. Be sure to stay tuned for more details.
In my next post I will reveal the biggest change I have ever made to the family Christmas (don’t know why I hadn’t done this sooner!)
Stay Crafty, Geri