Countdown to Christmas: Get Your Calendar into Shape

Preparation Week

It's time to take a look at the calendar. This is so helpful in planning because it helps you get sense of how much time you really have to do the all the things you want to do for this Holiday Season.

1. Grab your calendar or planner and take a look at November and December. Or, you can print my November and December 2009 Countdown to Christmas Planning Sheets and keep them organized with your own personal Holiday or Christmas folder or binder as I talked about HERE.


2. Make sure you have upcoming events on your calendar, such as church programs, children's' school programs, parties and gatherings, cookie exchanges, planned shopping dates, etc.
   
3. Now think about the tasks you would like to do such as send out cards and packages, get the carpets cleaned, get haircuts for the kids, take a family photo, etc. Make a list of appointments that you have to make and once those are confirmed, enter them on your calendar. Book your babysitters now!!


4. If you are using your own calendar or planner, enter my Countdown to Christmas topics for each week. If you are using my planning sheets, they are already printed for you.


5. Take a look at the empty spaces you have left on your calendar. Is it enough for all those Holiday things you want to do? Make sure you have time for the most important ones, the rest is extra. Review what you wrote for you have-to-do traditions on the Holiday Values and Traditions Worksheet. If you skipped this step, go back and do it.