Get Christmas Organized!

My most helpful planning tip for Christmas is to create a "Christmas File" or "Christmas Planner". I finally did this last year and it has been such a help as we approach the Christmas season!

Photograph by Brigitte Tohm

Especially after our long distance move, I feel a bit disorientated this year. Our Christmas tree is not even up on 1 December as it usually is. But it was easy to retrieve my file and get going on all the things that need to be done in December.

So what can you include in a Christmas Planner? Here are 10 suggestions:

1. A plan of action for what you would like to do over December
2. A December Calendar filled in with key events and "to do's"
3. A list of people and addresses to send off cards and/or gifts and their due dates
4. Ideas for decorating
5. Gift Ideas list with associated budget
6. Templates for Christmas crafts (for example paper angels)
7. Recipes for Christmas baking (for example a favourite cookie/biscuit recipe: find mine here)
8. Christmas Menu and associated recipes
9. A shopping list for ingredients for baking and Christmas Menu
10. An Advent Scriptures readings list

This year I have decided to add a "Bucket List" of activities that will make the Christmas holidays fun and memorable. I have written my own list as well consulted with other family members so we can try and do some or all of these things. Our list includes the simple (eat mince pies) as well as the more elaborate (attend "The Nutcracker Suite Ballet").

 
What is on your bucket list this Christmas? Do you have any special traditions that make Christmas a meaningful time for you? Or do you sometimes feel frazzled and over-committed at Christmas time?  Perhaps this post "Christmas Goodness" will help? (find the post here)

Christmas Goodness

What makes Christmas special?

I have needed to ask myself this question again as the festive season begins to get underway this year. I love all the lights, excitement and anticipation of a wonderful celebration! However, I often find planning for everything, trying to find or make lovely gifts, cooking and cleaning up can sometimes be exhausting rather than fun.

I can try to be more organised, be more creative or plan better but I suspect that although they help things to run more smoothly, those are not actually the ultimate solutions.

What is more likely to be helpful is to remind myself what Christmas is really about. It is easy to caught up in traditions and feel pressured to do what is expected without really reflecting on what makes Christmas meaningful.

Photograph by Ben White

If you are a family who worships Christ, then Christmas is really all about remembering His birth and celebrating His gift to us. Part of that remembrance is celebrating!  But what does that celebration look like? I am hoping that some careful reflection will help us to make Christmas more worshipful this year and in the future.

What do you love about Christmas? How do you make Christmas a meaningful celebration?