Get Yourself Organized for Christmas Project 15: Get Those Stockings Ready

Get Yourself Organized for Christmas Project 15: Get Those Stockings Ready

by | Dec 5, 2017 | Blog, Christmas, Overwhelmed | 1 comment

stockings

A Plan for Stockings

It is time to make a plan for stockings! Spend time today deciding how much you would like to spend for each one and/or how many gifts you would like to put in each. Next come up with a system for storing and keeping stocking gifts organized.

Once you are planned out, it is time to start shopping. You can buy a few stuffers each time you go out this month if you have not already started stockpiling. Online shopping is another easy way to shop for stockings.

Stockings are a great area to help us remember to be intentional. Be sure you are filling them with items the receiver will love and use. Getting a small amount of items you adore is much better than an overstuffed sock where the majority of the items will soon find their way to the trash or donation box.

Assignment: Get those stockings ready.

  1. Make sure you know where the stockings are and that you have one for each person who will be there on Christmas.
  2. Make a plan. (How many gifts you will need depends on the size of the stocking and gifts.)
  3. Come up with a system of storing the stocking stuffers.
  4. Shop as you see things when you are out and about. Make it your goal to pick up one or two things for stockings each time you go shopping, and you will slowly whittle away at your list.

Check out Kathi’s Quick Tips in the book for ideas for stocking stuffers.

You can always include one small gift that is a bit more expensive in the stocking.

For More Details: Get Yourself Organized For Christmas – Page 88

Supplies:

1) Stockings
2) Small gifts (You won’t need these today)
3) Hooks

Share Your Thoughts:

What are your favorite small stocking stuffers? When do you empty the stockings at your house? Do you have any family traditions surrounding the stockings? What item would you like to see in your stocking this year?

Avoiding Overwhelm:

Christmas often means spending time with family and acquaintances we don’t see the rest of the year. This can be wonderful! And draining. Especially during this season of Hallmark movies and Norman Rockwell paintings, be careful who you share your heart with.

And join us over on the Clutter Free Academy Facebook group where we encourage one another and stay accountable as we become Clutter Free!

Get Yourself Organized for Christmas Project 14: Prep Your Kitchen

Get Yourself Organized for Christmas Project 14: Prep Your Kitchen

by | Dec 4, 2017 | Blog, Christmas, Overwhelmed | 0 comments

prep your kitchen

Prep Your Kitchen

It’s time to give the kitchen a little TLC and prep your kitchen for the holidays. Spend some time today clearing any clutter hanging around your countertops. Put away mail, Christmas cards, leftover Christmas decoration containers, etc. Also, here are some basic tips of things you can do to spruce up quickly.

Assignment:

  • Clean your sink up so it is nice and shiny.
  • Clean out any science experiments from the fridge.
  • Wipe out your pantry, fridge or cupboards of tiny crumbs.
  • Complete your meal plan for the month and finish the shopping list.
  • Pull out any serving dishes, holiday dishes or platters you may need and wash off any dust.
  • Restock your pantry with any essentials you will need for cooking or baking.

For more details: Get Your Christmas Organized Page 83

 

Share your thoughts:

Share with us all that you accomplished! For some this may have taken a while, for others, it may have been easier than you thought. Did it go by quickly or did you take the time to gut your kitchen? Do you have any tips to share with someone else? What did YOU do?

Avoiding Overwhelm:

Does the kitchen clutter seem too overwhelming? If you’re waiting for the kitchen fairies to clean up, you could be waiting a while. Instead, break down your kitchen chores into micro-steps (the very smallest bits possible) and then take a moment to do the first micro-step.

And join us over on the Clutter Free Academy Facebook group where we encourage one another and stay accountable as we become Clutter Free!

Get Yourself Organized for Christmas Project 8: Catch-Up Day (and a Bonus Project for Extra Credit)

Get Yourself Organized for Christmas Project 8: Catch-Up Day (and a Bonus Project for Extra Credit)

by | Nov 28, 2017 | Blog, Christmas, Overwhelmed | 1 comment

organized for Christmas

Organized for Christmas doesn’t mean you can’t rest.

Time to catch up on anything you haven’t been able to finish thus far. Check your binder. Take a breath. You’ve got this!organized for Christmas

If you are not sure of the last time you took a breath, it has been too long! Your next step is to slow down and breathe deeply. Did you know that you think much more clearly when you get a good amount of oxygen to your brain? Or that by filling your brain with more oxygen you are opening receptors to help you react faster, think more clearly and get more done? This is scientific fact, so if you are feeling busy or stressed, it’s time for a nice walk. 20 minutes at a good pace should do all of us some good.

For extra credit, do something to bless your spouse and get him in the holiday spirit. This can be another form of getting oxygen to the brain! Go ahead – have fun with this.

 

Share your thoughts:

Chat with us and tell us what YOU did on your Catch up Day.

Avoiding Overwhelm:

Be sure to listen to your body throughout the holiday season. It “talks” to us for a reason. What is your body telling you? That it needs to go to bed? Stretch? To eat? Or stop eating?

And join us over on the Clutter Free Academy Facebook group where we encourage one another and stay accountable as we become Clutter Free!

Get Yourself Organized for Christmas Project 7: What’s Your Christmas Budget?

Get Yourself Organized for Christmas Project 7: What’s Your Christmas Budget?

by | Nov 27, 2017 | Blog, Christmas, Overwhelmed | 0 comments

Christmas budget

Do you know how much you actually spend on Christmas? It can be a real eye-opener to look at your Christmas budget. A few dollars here for eggnog, a couple dollars there for the boss’s gift, $5 for the new set of lights because the old ones don’t work or you can’t find them, $20 for the ingredients for the cookies and before you know it you have spent over $100 you hadn’t planned on spending.

It Isn’t Just Money

It isn’t just money, sometimes it is activities. You say yes to too many Christmas parties, too many shopping trips, or too many volunteer requests. For some reason at Christmas our houses have to be cleaner than normal, we cook and bake more than usual, we have presents to wrap, gifts to make, extra church services to attend and the list goes on. Sometimes we need to put our activities on a Christmas budget so we can enjoy the season.

Take some time today to identify anything you can cross off your list whether it is something causing you stress or unnecessary spending.

If you’re looking to save money this year, throw a budgeting party with friends or family. Exchange gift giving ideas and your favorite coupons or ways to save. You could also bake goodies to gift, work on crafts to give, or order items together to save on shipping or buying in bulk. You’ll get some of your gift giving taken care of, save money, and have fun while doing it!

Assignment: Plan Your Budget for the Holidays (Expenditures of both money and time!)

Use the budget sheet to outline where you anticipate spending money. It is a big holiday and often a huge part of our fall and winter expenses. Planning now will save on surprise expenses and impulse spending more later.

Also, use your calendar and carve out a few evenings or a Saturday when you don’t have outside activities. Keep that time free for you to do the things that matter to you.

For More Details:Get Yourself Organized For Christmas – Page 56

Supplies: 1) a budgeting sheet 2) calendar

Share Your Thoughts:

How does it feel to have a budget in advance? Will this project change how you spend money during the holiday season? How about putting free time on your calendar — did that give you a sense of relief? Did you eliminate an activity?

Avoiding Overwhelm:

Not sure what to eliminate from your budget or your schedule? Don’t forget to pray-cess (process through prayer).

Join Us!

And join us over on the Clutter Free Academy Facebook group where we encourage one another and stay accountable as we become Clutter Free!

Get Yourself Organized for Christmas Project 5: Schedule Your Time for the Holidays

Get Yourself Organized for Christmas Project 5: Schedule Your Time for the Holidays

by | Nov 25, 2017 | Blog, Christmas, Overwhelmed | 0 comments

schedule your time

If you don’t plan your time, someone else will. During the holidays it is especially important to schedule your time in advance so you have the time to do the things that are truly important to you.

Schedule Your Time 

For example, I schedule downtime. Life gets very stressful over the holidays, and I schedule time just to relax and wrap gifts with music playing or to kick back and read a book. The time leading up to Christmas shouldn’t be so rushed and stressful that you are totally exhausted and can’t enjoy the holiday. I schedule mini-breaks or downtime throughout the season. This is especially important if you have small children and their schedules are being disrupted.

The downtime is every bit as important as the parties and other social activities during the holiday season. I review calendars and make sure we find time to attend church, candlelight services, and other events that matter to us, I schedule downtime, and then everything else is worked into the time that left or we choose not to do it.

Go back to your Christmas mission statement and make sure everything you schedule fits into your mission. If it doesn’t, you can skip it this year. There’s always next year!

Do what gives you joy and don’t feel guilty for saying NO to everything else.

Assignment:  Schedule Your Time for the Holidaysschedule your time

Gather all your calendars and spend fifteen minutes scheduling your commitments (personal, family, church, school, etc.). Now it is time to schedule in some fun! You may want to ask your family what they would like to do this year. Consider dropping things that no longer bring you or your family joy. You may also want to set aside some special time for just you and your spouse.

Once you complete your calendar, be sure to hang it where everyone has access to it.

For More Details:  Get Yourself Organized For Christmas – Page 44

 

Supplies:

1) A blank calendar for November and December (or download printable blank calendars for November and December here.)

2) School, church, work and personal calendars.

Share Your Thoughts: 

How does it feel to schedule your time out in advance during the holidays? Did you eliminate some activities? What activities will you keep no matter what? When you think about the holiday season do you feel overwhelmed, relaxed, confident or frustrated?

Avoiding Overwhelm:

Putting items on a to-do list tells you what’s important. Putting them on the calendar tells you what’s possible. Add your activities straight to your calendar so you see where you need to cut back.

 

Join Us

Keep the Christmas discussion going and join us in the CF Academy FB Group.