Too Early?

We pulled out the Halloween decorations this weekend. While putting up our scary ghosts, witches and pumpkins, I started thinking about how fast the time goes. I feel like it was just the 4th of July, and suddenly Thanksgiving and Christmas (!) are just around the corner. I looked at the calendar and realized that there are only 10 weekends until Christmas.

I decided that I need to get organized early this year, so that the holdiays don't fly by so quickly that I don't take time to enjoy them.

I can't take all the credit for this brilliant idea. I found the 100 Days of Cookies website (see the link in my sidebar) and then I found this website a few days ago - 100 Days to Christmas:


Visit 100 Days to Christmas



This year I want to get the holidays under control. Though I usually start in November, I pulled out last year's holiday planning spreadsheet and dusted it off for this year. I created this spreadsheet about 4 years ago and it has really helped to keep me organized throughout the holiday season. I have tabs for:

• Christmas Breaksfast menu
• Christmas Eve Dinner menu
• Movies to watch
• Christmas letter
• Cookies to bake
• Schedule of holiday activities
• Gifts
• Theme dinners (from Halloween to Christmas - dinners like Jack O'Lantern Dinner, Picnic in the Graveyard, Christmas Cards for Santa, St. Nicolas Day....)
• To-do list

Some of the tabs have have information that I use every year (my cookies tab has recipes and shopping lists) and the schedule of holiday activities has all the things we have done in past years (like Paradise Point Tree Lighting, TSO Concert, Parade of Lights on the Bay) with notes on how we liked it so that we don't forget something that we really enjoyed (and so that we don't do something that "we've always done" if we no longer enjoy it).

Organize and do a little at a time... that will be my mantra for this holiday season. I'll be able to get it all done and enjoy it! Do you have organized holidays or are you frantic by December 24th?

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