Organized Christmas

Well, the season is upon us. No matter what we do, or whether we are ready, Christmas is coming. Lists to make, gifts to buy, cookies to bake, decorations to hang, presents to wrap . . . you know, you've been there. I have to consciously be aware of my state of mind throughout the holiday season, or I quickly find myself slipping to the side of commercialism and leaving the true meaning of Christmas behind.

In my quest for being organized this Christmas, so that I have time for the things that matter most, I found a very cool website you need to check out. It's called Organized Christmas. It has daily tips and inspiration for keeping your Christmas organized and under control.

It also includes ideas to cut the costs of Christmas. Check out the following links for some unique ideas:

Make a holiday budget.
Print a holiday budget planner.
Understand the unwritten rules of gift giving.
Save money on holiday meals.
Beat the holiday grocery game.
Deck the halls with frugal holiday decorations.

It also has a section on Christmas crafts, which includes thing such as gingerbread houses, (including a printable template), gifts in a jar, and a magic elf tradition. You will find a daily holiday tip, and fun things to print, such as gift tags, calendars, poems, and more. There's a Christmas Countdown calendar telling you exactly what you should be doing every day to get things ready. They are simple things like, plan holiday baking, make room for new toys, create a Christmas card list--all things you would likely do anyway, but in an organized system.

Please don't be overwhelmed, thinking you need to use all the ideas available on this website. Remember, the goal is to eliminate some stress, not increase it. I wish you luck, preparing for Christmas. Never forget the real reason we celebrate.

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