by kathilipp | Nov 13, 2015 | Blog, Christmas, Clutter Free |
Assignment: Find a used 3 ring binder or purchase a new one.
Getting organized for Christmas doesn’t happen overnight. But following the steps in Get Yourself Organized for Christmas will get you on your way in 25 days. One item you will need to keep all your Christmas information together is a binder. It doesn’t have to be new. It can be one your children used at school or one you used before. It should be a 3 ring binder and if you want a special cover, you will need one that has a plastic covering with a slit to insert a printed sheet. These look nice, but are not necessary. I recommend the 2 inch binders so you have lots of room for everything. If you have to purchase you can pick them up at your local Walmart, Target or Dollar Stores.
Supplies: 3 ring binder, pens, My Holiday Binder Cover
Share Your Thoughts: What kind of binder did you purchase or find around the house? Did you download the cover? Are you ready to Get Yourself Organized for Christmas?
by kathilipp | Nov 12, 2015 | Blog, Christmas, Clutter Free |
Today is the day! It’s time to get yourself that accountability partner who has been saying the same thing as you, “This year, I’m going to be ready for Christmas BEFORE Christmas Eve”. We know, she is your friend because she too struggles and is not afraid to admit that. Those are the BFFs we want to take with us on this challenge! Those are the girls that we think we have fooled into believing that we are better than we REALLY are. Those girlfriends are the best ones because they know the real us- they can’t actually be fooled… so, we give up the thought and embrace them as sisters in love… and join with them because together we will tackle this as a team.
Assignment: Grab a Friend
So here’s what you are going to do- choose one of these ideas to get you started;
- Get on your social media platform of choice and mention Christmas and how you are ready to get it planned before it plans you. See who responds…See who is READY and ask them to dive in with you!
- Call up your long lost BFF (you know the one you have been meaning to call anyway) that girl that knows you and knows what you need (whether it be a swift kick, or a loving hug) and ask her to join you on this journey. Reconnect through this challenge.
- Pray that God place someone on your heart that could use a friend. Maybe she is struggling to get organized, maybe she is not quite ready to admit she could use some help. Don’t worry about who it is, leave that up to God. Ask that He help you AND help her, and then wait.
- Try steps one or two after some prayer time. You never know how God works.
Now, the next part is crucial. Decide how you are going to check in with each other and how often. Make it a commitment. Make a plan. You know the saying “either you are failing to plan or planning to fail”. Just decide that is ok to ‘fail’ but don’t not plan because then you will fail. Since we know there is no such thing as perfect we can deal with a little failure or falling off the bandwagon, but what we don’t want to do is set ourselves up for failure by having no plan.
Share Your Thoughts: After you two have connected and decided to join us, come share with us! Who will be your accountability partner? How did you connect with them? What is your plan for accountability?
Get Yourself Organized for Christmas!
by kathilipp | Oct 16, 2014 | Christmas, The Get Organized Project |
It’s almost Christmas. I know you don’t want to hear it, but it’s true and procrastinating about it will not only stress you out, but will cause you to miss the beauty of the season. (Trust me I’m talking to myself here too!) So what are we gals going to do about it? I for one would like to enjoy Christmas this year without a ton of stress. I’d like to focus on Jesus, you know, the reason for the season. This month we are going to focus on 3 areas to Quick Start our Christmas. Then, on November 3, we will begin the 21 Day Organize Your Christmas Challenge.
Quick Start Tip #1: Start your gift list now – with amounts to spend.
Gift giving can truly be the most stressful part of Christmas and it really should be one of the most enjoyable! With tight budgets, picky gift receivers, and Pinterest perfect pressure, it’s tempting to put gifting off for the last minute. For all of those reasons, this seems like the most logical place to start. A gift giving plan will give you focus and help you stick to the budget.
Start by brainstorming all the people that you normally buy gifts for:
- Family
- Friends
- Service people
- Neighbors
- Coworkers
- Teachers
This is also a great time to talk about expectations with those who are on your list.
Several years ago we let our kids know, early on, that our Christmases were going to start looking different. With four kids and not a lot of money, we needed to focus more on family and faith and less on finding the perfect gift. We now give each kid three gifts: Something to wear, something for fun, and something growth (education, spiritual growth.) We have a budget for each kid and stick to it. We used to spend hours opening gifts and getting unwrapping fatigue. Now, the gift portion of our time is small, but the games and talking part of the holiday are what everyone look forward to.
Maybe there are a few people on your list that are on there out of obligation.
What about having a conversation with them about redoing Christmas – instead of buying another body wash gift set for each other, what if you took that money and went to lunch together in January, or went in on a goat for a family through World Vision? Make new traditions with those you love.
Quick Start Tip #2: Grab a Calendar and Firm Up Where and Who
Plan where you will be spending your time – and with whom.
We have a blended family, so trying to share our kids with multiple other families has gotten complicated over the years. Even without a blended family, extended family and all of their extended family can make for some complicated planning. Talk early and often about plans for the holidays. Last year we had everyone on Christmas. This year, we will be hosting the big Thanksgiving feast, and will celebrate Christmas on a different day. Flexibility and early planning with keep you from tears.
Quick Start Tip #3: Sign up for the 21 Days to Organize Your Christmas Challenge
Starting November 3rd, I will be taking you through three weeks of Christmas prep. This is absolutely free – my gift! A few minutes every day, in November, will help you have the most peaceful and Christ-centered Christmas possible. Join me and hundreds of other women for simple ideas to pull off the best Christmas ever.
