Preparing for a crazy Christmas
Christmas is just around the corner (don’t be fooled by that month called November: it will be over before you know it). It is pretty amazing how many events get crammed into the final month of the year—parties, potlucks, dinners, gift exchanges, numerous shopping trips to buy the perfect gift, get togethers with friends and family that you don’t seem to have the opportunity (or inclination) to socialize with the rest of the year. If you’re anything like me (and I hope you’re not), you probably start thinking about Christmas in October, then do nothing until December 9 or 10, and then feel like you’re in a losing race for the rest of the month. Your plans to host a party or dinner have to be abandoned because you just don’t have enough time. You may also end up double booking yourself or booking yourself for four parties in five nights which, when you’re not 19 anymore, is hard on your body.
I’ll be sharing a few tips to help you have a more enjoyable Christmas season today and tomorrow. Today’s tip is:
Start early
A friend of mine swears that you can never start planning too early for Christmas and I used to scoff at this. I’ve realized that it’s true: from buying decorations, gift wrap and other supplies (disposable plates, cutlery, napkins, etc) during the Boxing day or post-Christmas sales to asking family members for their wishlists at the end of the summer (or earlier!), the more time you give yourself to get ready, the more money you’ll save because you’ll actually be able to buy gifts when they go on sale rather than during the times where the demand is largest, meaning that not only are things more expensive, but the quantities are limited). Starting early means that you can afford to take the time to buy gifts that you’re confident that the recipient will like, because you’re not panicking and picking up the first thing that comes into your field of vision. You may even discover that you enjoy shopping, since it’s the unhurried leisurely variety, rather than the scenario of struggling to get through a crowded mall. The available selection is also larger earlier on in the season, so the chances of you getting exactly what you wanted to buy are much higher.
Tomorrow we’ll look at how to organize all the events you are involved in during the holiday season.
October 22nd, 2007 at 10:41 am
[...] Cleaning Up or Thinking Ahead? by Kari Carlton So, I am trying to get an area in my bedroom ready to set up our pack-n-play for the baby, once she arrives, to sleep in the first few months. I was really hoping for a bassinet this time around or even a new model pack-n-play but since we still have one from when the girls were little, I really can’t justify buying a new one. The area right now is full of some of my business stuff. Mainly a product I had been a distributor for but there are a few craft fair items mixed in. I know…I know…it isn’t even Halloween yet why am I posting something for Christmas? Well, it is never to early to start working on something you might want to make a lot of. These are little Reindeer Dust packages I sold at a craft fair last Christmas. I had many people buy them for their children’s classmates. These are really simple. The contents are dry oatmeal, colored sugar, and glitter. Pretty easy huh? This year I am not sure what I will be making for the craft fair. Between my school and the girls school, my homework and the girls homework, the girls golf and choir, and preparing for a baby I don’t have a lot of time. Just ask my husband who keeps wondering when I am going to get things done around the house. I am not the only one thinking about Christmas right now. Just check out Jummy’s post today.www.gettingcrafty.com [...]
October 22nd, 2007 at 12:49 pm
[...] Need some good news? check out Preparing for a crazy Christmas. [...]