Christmas! How I Do It...

I have never really considered myself an organized person.  HOWEVER, a lot of people think I am.  When we started having children like rapid fire I QUICKLY realized that I had to get it together.

Unless I wanted to be a mess all the time.

No, Thank you.

So, I came up with a system for pretty much everything.  Chores, who sits in the front, the seating arrangement for dinner, etc...

Due to the unfortunate event that I gave my sweet sister-in-law a turkey pan two Christmases in a row (I'm still really sorry about this...) I made a huge decision to WRITE DOWN the gifts we give. {And I keep the list for a few years so I know what I gave in years past.} This is really not hard.  I just had to: a.) not lose my list; and b.) not let my emergent readers find it.

So, This is how I do it.

I bought a book called Simplify Your Holidays.  It has a wealth of information and reproducible worksheets that are very valuable to me.  I've been using this ever since.

This is a simple photo of the worksheets included.  You could easily make your own or use notebook paper.  I make a page for each section of our family.  Write down their gifts as soon as it's purchased.  Don't be ashamed to pull out your list right on the check-out counter and write it down. I've never had a sales person reprimand me for it!  

{Another hint: all three of these aunts will receive the same gift in a different color, scent, etc.  They don't mind, they know it's coming.  I use this strategy in all of my gift-giving.  If I find something I think is a good gift, I buy it for everyone on my list that will enjoy it.  This year, eight people are getting the same gift.  They don't have to know.  Except now they do...}

Then, I make a list for each of the children and P.  This is the sneaky part...  You can't see in my picture because I already have written in the gifts.  Down the side, I write A, B, C, D, etc.  With four children I do not want one child opening a really special gift while the other opens something not so special like...socks.  So, the gifts have a code.  This also insures the gifts are fair.  

For example, when I buy one child a jacket, I buy four jackets.  They don't have to be the same style or from the same store, just four jackets.  Each jacket is wrapped in the same paper and given all the same code.  Then, viola!  Everybody received a new jacket!  I do this with ALL of the gifts.  They don't open the gifts in order, just all at the same time.  Wrapping the gifts in the same paper makes it easier to find the set of four on Christmas morning.

Begin wrapping as soon as possible.  Even if you are not decorating yet, get to wrapping!  You can see in this picture, four of each of several gifts.

When we are ready to put up our big tree, we already have gifts ready to go under it.  And, I'm not stressed out wrapping gifts all of December.  I enjoy Christmas to the fullest every single year.

 This is what works for me and our family. I would just imagine that with a little effort it will work for you too!  So, now that 95% of my shopping and wrapping is complete, I will leave you with a simple message...