Happy Holidays - For Real!

Many of us dread the holidays because of the stress of making them perfect. It is not the shopping, cooking, wrapping and sending cards that make us crazy. It is the procrastinating, delaying, and overspending that sap the joy out of the season.

This year, commit to starting early. Make a holiday notebook that commits to paper the little details that will save you time and money. Sit down with a calendar and make the following lists. Then, spend 15 minutes everyday reviewing your lists, tracking your spending, checking your time, and buying online. Organize your weekdays as follows: on Mondays, plan your weekly shopping lists. On Tuesdays, put up decorations. On Wednesdays, address 5 to 10 holiday cards. On Thursdays, shop for the gifts on your list. Fridays spend wrapping and mailing packages. If you follow this plan, by December most of your holiday chores will be completed and you can enjoy your family and friends.

List 1: Holiday Menus and Recipes:

• Plan each course for the major holiday meals
• List the recipes you will use, the cookbook each is in and the page numbers
• List the ingredients you will need for each dish
• Create a grocery list and go shopping

List 2: Gifts

• Make a shopping list that details each person on the list, what you will be giving, whether you will make or buy the gift, amount you can spend, the store or catalog where you will buy the gift. (If you order online, be sure to note the website and tracking number).
• Break up your shopping by purchasing one or two gifts online each day.
• If you purchase from catalogs, place your order by December 10th to ensure the items will be in stock and to avoid express shipping charges.
• Keep your receipts


List 3: Dates to Put on Your Calendar

• Avoid procrastination by reviewing this list each week (or daily).
• Shipping deadlines (mail early).
• Date to mail cards
• Departure dates (if you are traveling)
• Arrival dates (if people are visiting)
• Party dates
• School, religious, office and volunteer functions

Taken from ADDitudeMag.com