The Christmas Project #6 Get Your Christmas Gift List Together

by kathilipp | Nov 24, 2012 | Christmas, Home | 0 comments

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 holiday binder over at my author page. (See link 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:

1. Limit the List For several years, we limited the number of gifts we bought for each kid: One spiritual 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 weren’t hurting for gifts. Trust me.
2. Extended Family Swap We’re doing this with my family this year. Every time 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.
3. Ask Ask people what they would like. I know it’s fun to surprise people with something perfect, but really, why stress yourself out?
4. 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 received a renewal notice for his favorite magazine, make a quick note to get it (or jot it down for next year.)

The Christmas Project #4 Get Your Christmas Card List Together

by kathilipp | Nov 22, 2012 | Christmas, Home | 6 comments

 The Christmas Project #4 Get Your Christmas Card List Together

Let me be the first to say that I don’t think that sending a Christmas card is a requirement for being a good mom, wife, daughter or friend.

I have several people in my life who I’ve never received a card from and I don’t think any less of them and know that I’m loved.

That being said, I do love receiving those cards and pictures. If you are one of my friends who does send them, thanks.

I don’t always send them. The year I had a book due, my mom had cancer, and I had pneumonia all in the same two week span? No cards went out.  If you are having that kind of holiday season, you get a Christmas card pass. If you would like, I can even write you a note.

However, if you are going to send them out, there are a few steps you need to take:

1. Pick your Christmas cards
2. Gather up mailing addresses
3. Organize addresses
4. Printing addresses
5. Get Stamps
6. Return Address

No wonder so many of us quit in the middle.

So today, all I want you to do is gather up your addresses that you plan on sending cards to, figure out your Christmas cards, and order (or pick up) your stamps.

For addresses, get any envelopes and lists from last year, your address book, and your online address book. Create an Excel spreadsheet with all the info you will need.

Create your list (this may take a couple of sessions, but no fear, I’ve put a couple of work sessions into your 30 days!) Once you get your list together, you will be able to either hand address, or create a Mail Merge from your Excel list.  Here is a great tutorial on How to Create a Mail Merge (It will take a time or two to learn, but it’s a great skill to have. And if you want to make labels, and Mail Merge scares you, ask a friend for help and then bake some cookies for her.)

As far as cards, all you have to do is make your decision: Custom cards, or store bought? Yes, custom are cute. Store bought are great for those who are just now getting started. Just saying…

If you are one of those women who said she wanted a simpler Christmas, may I politely suggest an adorable, standard-sized, store-bought card. (And if you’re making your cards from scratch, I can’t even talk to you…)

For adorable custom cards (that really aren’t a huge hassle…) check out shutterfly.com

Finally, get one item checked completely off your list by getting your stamps. Yes, you could wait in line at the Post Office, or for the service fee of exactly one dollar, you can order the adorable holiday stamps from USPS.com and have them delivered to your door. (Look at the cute stamps I ordered from the site.)

You can do this! So in the comments below, tell me the date that you plan to have your cards sent out , or tell us the that you’re NOT going to send out cards. Either way, I will send one lucky commenter  who posts before next Wednesday, a pack of 20 of the FAB ornament stamps.

The Christmas Project #3 Pick Your Photo for Your Christmas Card

by kathilipp | Nov 21, 2012 | Christmas, Home | 4 comments

The Christmas Project #3 Pick Your Photo for Your Christmas Card

We’re keeping today’s Project fun (and hopefully simple!) in honor of Thanksgiving. I want you to either:

Pick your Christmas picture (if you’re including one in your cards,) or

Take a picture while everyone is gathered for Thanksgiving

See? Fun and easy. Tomorrow you can send it in to Costco, Target,  or your card company to get it ready for your cards. But for today, just enjoy looking through all those pics on your computer (or your phone,) and remembering how blessed you and yours have been this year.

Tell us all what you are doing for your photo: professional, a snapshot, something you found from this summer? Or maybe you’re skipping the whole card thing – good for you! Tell us that too! For everyone who comments, I will enter you into a drawing for a $10 gift card to Shutterfly.com Here is what we did this year on Shutterfly – it was super simple (and did I mention, it’s DONE!?!)

First, Here is what we did last year:

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

And here is what we did this year:

Triple Furry Wishes Holiday Card

Click here to browse Shutterfly’s holiday card collection.

View the entire collection of cards.

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving! I really do include you my friends as one of the things I am most grateful for!