I love hearing your feedback about how the Project is helping you make this holiday (and next). Look at how Renee is using the binder to prepare for next year (and BTW – we will be doing the Project again next year, so get a head start now!):
“I’m already thanking you, Kathi! I love the Christmas notebook idea. I even wrote out everything I needed for Thanksgiving dinner, including my grocery list, location of all the relevant recipes, and time schedule to get everything in and out of my single oven by dinner time. Last night after all the guests went home and the dishes were in the dishwasher, I made notes on what recipes need to be doubled next year, which tweaks to the recipes should stay and which can go, (and, okay, I’ll make fewer sweet potatoes, but you can’t make me skip them altogether!). I printed off a copy and added it to the front of my notebook and I’ll know right where to find it next year!” Renee
And now for Today’s Project: Write out all your gift ideas/what you’ve already bought for your gifts. You can print out lists to keep in your 
holida binder over at my author page. (See lnk below.)
Wouldn’t it be great if the gift giving part of Christmas was the least stressful? Here are a couple ideas to help you take the stress off:
- Limit the List For several years, we limited the number of gifts we bought for each kid: One spiritaul gift, one box of clothes, and one fun gift. You may think that it sounds very Little House on the Prarie-ish, but with all the grandparents, aunts and uncles and friends, the kids ween’t hurting for gifts. Trust me.
- Extended Family Swap We’re doing this with my family this year. Everytime I start to panic about not having a gift for my brother, I stop, take a deep breath, and remember – “He’s not on my list.” Huzzah. If this is something you want to try, talk about it with your family now, not the week of Christmas.
- Ask Ask people what they would like. I know it’s fun to surprise people with something perfect, but really, why stress yourself out?
- Keep Your Ears Open – Print out the Christmas List over at my Author Page and start to take notes for each person you’re buying for. Maybe your son mentioned a book he’s interested in, or your husband recieved a renewal notice for his favorite magazine, make a quick note to get it (or jot it down for next year.)
Hi Kath,
I love the idea! Do you have a virtual option for those of us who make lists – then LOSE them?! I highly recommend the extended family swap. We’ve been handling Christmas gift giving that way for about the last 4 or 5 years, and it is way less stress, and also fun! We typically ask people to come “prepared” to Thanksgiving with a piece of paper that has 3 specific ideas for gifts they’d enjoy receiving (within the agreed upon price range). It could be as explicit as a catalog name and item number, or as generic as “orchid plant”. Each person puts their name on the back, then we draw. All you worry about is the person whose name you drew. It’s fun and easy, and we like the price limit because none of us really need anything anyway. In prior years, we tried a gift exchange with everyone suggesting a couple of their favorite charities, and we’d send a donation in their honor. This year, we’ve decided not to exchange gifts among the adults. Very zen. I’m curious how I’m actually going to like that! I think there’s something quite liberating about not HAVING to exchange gifts. I feel a certain rogue spirit rising up, wondering if I’ll stumble across something GREAT for people I love. It may lend itself to something more creative and personal. (You know it won’t be craft-y!).