The weekends are usually pretty busy as I am sure they are for all of you - so I keep weekend pretty simple during my Christmas prep time.  Saturdays is dedicated to baking because it is the day where I have the potential to be at home for longer than an hour.  Each year we bake cookies and jarred cake for gifts and I like to have them all done early - leaving me time to enjoy baking new recipes with the kids.  This year I will be visiting my Mom and Dad mid November so I am going to do all of my shortbread that weekend so I can do my moms at the same time (she is busy taking care of my father and it will be a huge help to her - and when you are making dozens of cookies what is another 10 dozen!)  My recipe freezes well so they can all go into the freezer!    So…. if you have baking to do and your recipe can freeze then I encourage you to carve out a day when you can jump in and get it done - the mess will be put away and you can try one of those recipes you have been wanting to try!

Sundays - well I usually do my grocery shopping between hockey games so I am adding a few things to my list from my master list and will do a little gift shopping on this day as well. I know people who do their shopping in one day each year, go away for a weekend or do like I do - whatever works for you is what you should do.  Just try to do as much as you can early so you are not running through stores and standing in lines at the last minute.

TIP: I keep an envelope for all of my Christmas receipts so returns and exchanges are really easy.  Be sure to write what the item is, at the top of the receipt, so you can find it easily when/if  you need to.

Have fun!

It’s Family Day at our house! We are actually getting ready for a yard sale so the evening may not include a lot of family fun but we are making room for some new holiday gifts by getting rid of things the kids have outgrown or no longer need or use.

Part of the holiday season - the one we are working towards is the time we spend together with our own families and with extended family and friends. So today lets think about what we WANT to do when we have all the MUST DO stuff done. Maybe you want to host a christmas party this year? How about inviting some of your kids friends over to make cookies - just for the fun of it! Maybe you want to have a neighbourhood gingerbread contest or one within your family or group of friends? If you work at getting things ready by the middle of November, you will have time for all of these fun things.

Grab the family and make a list of what you want to do. You might want to try this idea from Cara and I from the summer - it is easily tranferred into December. All you need is a short brain-storming session and some paper and pens. When you show the kids how much fun you can have in December - they will all want to work together to make it a reality! Click here to watch the summer fun project and then make it a December fun project tonight!

Here are a few things we have done in the past or want to do this year.

Christmas Lights Drive

We make some hot chocolate and put it into car friendly cups. We all jump into the car and drive around looking at the lights. We stop at the main display in our town and get out and enjoy the light display.

Christmas Stories

We read two everyday during the month of December. I have a crate of books and the kids pick one each and we cuddle up on our bed to enjoy the stories. They have favourites and we pick up a few new ones each year. Watch the CPO Great Finds Blog for some new holiday titles to add to your collection this year!

Countdown

We love to countdown to Christmas with an advent calendar. We use a cloth one that I put treats into and sometimes I surprise the kids with a note instead of a chocolate. The note may be a clue to a little surprise in the house or something we may be doing as a family. Ice skating at a big outdoor rink, a family movie night with all-holiday movies or “invite a friend” may be included.

Christmas Movie

In addition to the DVDs we like to go to the movie theatre during the holiday season, where there is a Christmas movie playing. I am not sure if there is anything coming out this year but a good replacement would be a movie night at home where you can invite a bunch of friends or your kids friends to enjoy an old favourite. Serve up some popcorn and candy like they would get at the theatre!

Our “Wish List” for this year: Make our own candy canes!

I would love to hear what others do during the holiday season - or things you WISH you did but haven’t got to - but will this year, because you will be ready!

Have fun planning your holiday fun activity list!

Helen

If you have been following along you will know that Wednesday’s is project day - the day we use to get those things we most avoid or want to have done for the holiday season - done! So, my cutlery drawer and spice drawer are now looking a bit better. I find the kids helping with the dishes more now so the cutlery drawer has been taking a bit of a beating. I separated the spoons and forks to make it easy for them to see the difference and I added some labels to help too.

On the spice front - I realized when pulling everything out of the drawer that I don’t use a lot of the stuff I have been holding on to. So I decided to only keep spices that I use often and buy those special spices when I need them. If I start using them often I will add a container. For those of you who have spices in your drawer and can’t remember when you purchased them you may want to go to your local bulk store and freshen things up. As a rule of thumb, dried spices don’t go bad but they do lose flavour so don’t buy more than you think you will need. If you look at my original photo you will see that I had a bunch of different containers - and while I love mason jars I find opening them when I am cooking is a bit of a pain. I switched them and the other containers for some easy to open sealed containers. I can actually open them with one hand, scoop and close and return to the drawer (which by the way is to the left of my stove) in the dark where experts recommend dried spices be stored.

Here’s a guide to help you.

• whole, dried - 2 years
• cut, dried - 1 year
• powdered - 6 months

If you use a bottled spice go to the website and see if you can find info on the expiry date. I found this site but I don’t buy bottled spices unless I am in a pinch (bulk is way cheaper!)

Wondering what my new drawers look like? I made a smilebox to show you. If you haven’t tried making a smilebox go now and check it out. I love that I can easily send photos to my family and friends including video! Halloween is a great time to share photos - and it is easier than trying to get photos into an email and not blow the recipients mailbox away!

Make a Smilebox postcard

And now for our Countdown… today is our organizing day. Paper organizing that is. I have found master shopping lists have helped me quite a bit since I started organizing Christmas this way. I have 3 lists in total: GIFTS, General Supplies/Food and Perishable Food. To get these lists in order do the following:

Create your meal plan - We eat the same thing each year so my list really doesn’t change. If you are using recipes make note of the page number and book they come from or write/type out the recipe and keep it in a master Christmas binder or your day planner (that is where my Christmas organizing stuff is kept). With the mealplan and recipes in hand you can easily add the ingredients to your two food lists - anything that can be bought in advance should go on the General Supplies/Food list. The stuff that will go bad can go on the Perishable list and you can get those items closer to Christmas. Having the General list means you can get a few things each week which is easier on the budget! Keep track of the items buy creating a spot in your pantry or closet for them so you have them when you need them!

General Supplies - this is anything else you will need for Christmas. So think about the holiday season and what you will need. Do you need Christmas Crackers for the table? How about wine? Your wrapping supplies go on this list as well. I also put anything I can freeze on this list - so orange juice doesn’t have to go on the perishable list as long as you remember to take it out a day or two before you need it! I find it helpful to imagine each day and what I might need from the time I wake up till I go to bed and that helps me to build my list. Do a little each week and you will see that you remember everything.

Gifts - unless you like to just go out and buy whatever you will want some kind of master plan for your gift buying. I use a spreadsheet so I have checkboxes but any list that can fit into your purse will work. Start by writing down who you are buying for, include teachers or coaches if you buy for them. Then think about what you want to get for them or what you are budgeting for each person. If you need specifics for sizes ask or figure that out now. If the kids want part of a collection make a list of what they have or what they want so you are not second guessing yourself when you are in the store. If you are ordering online or from a catelogue, make a separate section so you are sure the items are ordered and have arrived safely. Give yourself some turn-around time so you are not disappointed. When you are out shopping you can refer to the list or make a note on the list when you purchase something/or check it off/strike it out so you know where you stand.

As for when you get all of this stuff - it is up to you and your style of shopping. I have a day each week when I do errands and shop and that works for me. But it is nice to have the list with me if I am out and see something.

Other than planning my meals and shopping thursday is dedicated to Christmas Cards. I picked this day because my kids swim and I have one hour of sitting time. I can get a lot done during that time. If you send cards out pick a time when you might be wasting time and use it more wisely. For today - go check your card supply. Do you need any? Add that to your shopping list and have them ready for the next Card day (for me next week!). If you need stamps add them to the list also. And finally, if you don’t have the addresses you need, find them or ask one of your kids or husband to help with that task.

Have fun… see you tomorrow!

Helen

Read Day 1 and 2 if you are just joining us in your quest to get ready for Christmas early enough to still have some holiday fun

Day 3…. Wednesdays is my project day. I like to use this day to get things done that I have either been avoiding or really want to get into. I stay up late once a week and this is the day! So, if you have any projects you want to get done before Christmas, consider making today your project day. If you are wondering what a project is - well anything that you need to get done (maybe a craft or homemade gift) or some extra cleaning. Having a late day each week means you have enough time to get into something and make progress. For me it is a big mess in the storage area of my basement and some of the cleaning I leave till later. I don’t do major cleaning at this time of year because I find when I put the holiday decorations away I like to do it then - I have more time (still busy with back to school settling in) and the new year is a great time to renew the house! So with the exception of the windows don’t feel you have to scrub everything down like your mom did - unless of course you enjoy that and January is not a good time for you!

Now - if you are like me you may have a list that is too long to accomplish overnight. So make the list and decide what you NEED and want to have done by the time the holiday season rolls around. Then break the tasks up into chunks that you can work with and starting tonight and until the end of November - make Wednesday night your project night!

For me…. tonight I will be pulling out a bunch of junk that we do not need in preparation for a yard sale we are having on Saturday. I am also working on my spice drawer and cutlery drawers - right now they are upside down and it is driving me crazy!

One final note - if your project lis is too long you might want to consider joining the CPO Clutter Control Club. The club gives you a step by step approach to getting your clutter under control. Click here to find out more….

Now that we have a plan for getting those gifts wrapped - no more Christmas eve wrapping - we can move on to some of the things we leave to the last minute and wish we hadn’t.

Today’s task is to go through the kids closets and your own and see who has what for Christmas concerts, Christmas Eve/Day outings and any other special occasions you might attend during the holiday season. My friend Sarah (aka SarahNB See her Spotlight Profile here or her BLOG here ) gave me this advice last year. She even suggested keeping all the “good” clothes together so you know where they are when you need them… and they are clean and pressed! So, are dress shoes still fitting? Do one of your boys need a belt? How about dress shirts, skirts, dresses. And while you are thinking about it, what do you need if anything? Make a list of what you need and keep it safe… we’ll get to the “LISTS” later this week. For now, just know what you have and what you need and leave it at that!

See you tomorrow!

Helen

OK, you may think I am completely nuts to be thinking about Christmas when Halloween hasn’t even arrived… but there is a point to all of this…

Several years ago I was up LATE wrapping gifts on Christmas eve (till 3:30am to be exact) and I thought about how much I love the holiday season but always seem so busy - by the time I have things done it is all over! That tired feeling of Christmas day, watching the kids unwrap things I had only just wrapped, a day full of cooking and tidying and all that is being a Mom meant that I had little time to enjoy the day like everyone else was. So, I decided to make notes of all the things I didn’t like and searched the internet for ideas and incorporated them with what I knew what would work for my family.

Today I am so happy that I am able to get those must-do tasks done so I can enjoy the things I always dreamed of doing with my kids and family during the holiday season. If you have ever had to make a zillion dozen cookies for a cookie exchange and had no time to make Santa cookies with your kids, you know what I am talking about.

For the past several years, my goal has been to have Christmas ready by December 1st but after a chat with a good friend I decided that I would change my goal and have things ready by the Global TV Santa Claus Parade. This is a day when our family always enjoys our local parade and we have a simple dinner and watch the big parade on TV.

When I went searching for the date I realized it was a week earlier than I thought so I modified my plans once again and decided our house decorating would start with the family room and big tree instead of finish, which is what we usually do. So November 16th is the day and if you do the math you will see that there are only about 4 weeks! Of course, we have an artificial tree (kids have allergies - too bad) so we can have a tree this early, if you have a real tree you will want to push your date ahead but that doesn’t mean you have to leave the rest. Get everything else ready and enjoy decorating your family tree when it suits your family schedule and traditions. By November 23rd the house will be decorated and we’ll be ready to enjoy the holiday season!

Now, before you say… “how are you going to do that” - realize that over these past few years I have simplified Christmas in our house as far as how much, how we wrap and what we give for gifts. Simple means you can do it! So, for the next several weeks we will be taking on the tasks most of us have to do to get ready for the holiday season and with a little luck and support from each other - we will all enjoy December doing lots and lots of fun family activities including baking cookies just for the heck of it!

SO if you want to join me in getting ready for Christmas then follow along - take what works and leave what doesn’t. Be sure to share your comments so we can all fine tune our plans!

OK - lets just say that from now until the Santa Claus Parade, Mondays will be your wrapping day. This means if you have made or purchased any gifts since last monday, you will wrap them. And, in order to be ready to wrap you will need to make sure you have wrapping supplies. Please note: you may be someone who loves last minute shopping or have budgeted to purchase items a little at a time from now until closer to Christmas. Do what works best for your budget and style and keep your Monday wrapping day so you are not wrapping at the last minute!

Do you need anything wrapping supplies? I try to purchase sale items at the end of each holiday season but I will still do a quick inventory to make sure I have what I need. If you have made a path to your supplies pull out your bins or boxes and see what you have. Think about who you buy for and decide if you will need more paper, ribbon, tape, or tags. If you need items put it on your shopping list and when you do your shopping later in the week you can pick up what you need. If you don’t have a formal shopping day and have the time today - go out and get what you need and bring it home so you are ready next week when wrapping day comes around again. If you prefer to buy a little at a time or only what you need make sure you do this before Monday each week so you have supplies to wrap with.

On the off chance you have already purchased a few gifts - get out your supplies, wrap things up and store them safely. Keep a master list (we’ll talk about this later this week in more detail) so you know what you have and for who so you don’t feel the need to shop in December!

Have fun and we’ll see you tomorrow!

Helen

Begins Monday! Yes, I know I am crazy but I just like to have the stuff I HAVE to do done so I have time for the stuff I WANT to do! So, if you are looking to get ready early this year - join me beginning monday when I share my 15-Minute mom approach to getting ready for the holiday season! Anyone who has it all figured out…. well drop by and post your tips so we can all benefit!

Sneak peak… if your holiday decorations and wrapping paper are behind a big pile of STUFF you have to go through… take a few minutes this weekend to clear a path because on Monday you’ll want to make your way to that area of your storage space!

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend with your family!

Helen

This is what arrived at my door yesterday! How cool is that! I actually won something! The set of 3 Holiday Mini Scrapbooks by Colorbök will soon be turned into a keepsake for each of my kids. Emmy has claimed one of the kits as I only need two for what I have planned…. Oh, and if you are wondering where I won this cool little prize, Lisa Bearnson had a little giveaway on her blog and I was one of the lucky winners!

So what do I have planned? Well, like many of you, I have bought ornaments for my kids since they were born. I try to find something that captures who they are at that very moment in time - of course as time goes by the stories are harder to remember so I am going to use these kits to make a booklet for each to go with their box of ornaments. That way when they get older they will be able to see a photo of the ornament and a little story about how it came to be part of their collection. I think I will have to add some paper to the kit but I can easily trace some of my holiday scrapbooking paper - so it should be easy to add to each year.

For those of you who want more info on this project, watch CPO’s Memory Making section for details on the project.

OK, so for more on Christmas… I know that Halloween is still around the corner but a few years ago I decided that I didn’t want to spend my entire holiday season getting ready. That is how my October planning started and this year I will share it with those of you who might want to get ready before the big day - leaving more time for family, friends and fun. My goal is to be ready for the holiday season by Global TV’s Santa Claus Parade which is near the end of November. Even if you are not interested in getting ready that early - you can still join me in getting organized and post comments and ideas to help me and other families improve on their holiday organization plans!

So come back beginning Monday for a daily task and together we will be decorating our trees with Santa and our favourite annual parade!

I just love when I am able to stop and really be in the moment even if that moment is something as simple as my little boy peaking at me through his cap. My son Sam is a talker and it is near impossible to just say oh ya, really and not actually pay attention. I think this is a gift because he really wants what all kids want - someone to stop and be in the moment, to listen and be actively engaged in the discussion.

Yesterday I caught a few minutes of an episode of the Oprah show. She was interviewing a lady who had discovered at the end of the day that she had left her 2 year old daughter in her car. The little girl died from heat exhaustion and the women was devastated. I think Oprah invited her on the show to talk about how this can happen to anyone when they are not paying attention to NOW. It is hard to imagine that happening but I think we all have had moments when we have gone from point A to point B and wondered how we got there. I think as Moms we have so much going that we try to do all and take on too much and try to be it all to so many people that we fail to stop and enjoy the life we have now because we are working on the life we will have when we get it all done. Oprah made a comment near the end of the show that I think we all need to ask ourselves daily -are we in the moment or are we getting to the moment. We know that we will eventually get there so why not just stop focusing on when and enjoy now!

This whole living NOW has come to me in so many ways this past few weeks. At a recent ladies evening I listened to a poem I have heard more than once but it really got to me on that evening, it is called The Dash. My husband read it at his father’s funeral and just last week a friend whose young wife passed away shared it with friends and family.

The Dash

So, this all brings me to my good friend Stacy Julian. She is an amazing women who really gets NOW. She lives a busy life like all of us but the one thing that separates her from the mom who is trying to do it all and misses out on the NOW is that she has found a balance in her giant to-do list. She asks for help and celebrates the life she has now by letting go of the less important stuff. This week Stacy’s blog focuses in on stopping and realizing your present - and what a gift that is! Because Stacy is all things memory making and scrapbooking she has put together a cool little scrapbook that celebrates her life right now and she encourages us all to stop, take some pictures and make a little book too! Even if you are not a serious scrapbooker, I think you will love this idea!

Check it out >

You will see in stacy’s blog this quote from an amazing little book called Organizing For the Spirit by Sunny Schlenger. I think it nicely sums up what I am saying and feeling right NOW!

When you slow down and deliberately take notice of your surroundings, you’re in the present moment, and being in the present moment brings things into sharper focus. It’s as though you’re on a nature expedition, but you’re using your binoculars to observe the details of your own life … much of our day-to-day business can be done by rote. But when we’re fully engaged, active participants in moment-by-moment creation, we’re in the state linked most closely to “living” our lives.