Tag Archives: holiday planning

Eight Days ‘til Christmas

Today is organization day. In discussing clutter previously, I mentioned that it’s important to take out as much as you bring in, in order to keep balance. This is also true when it comes to Christmas or other gift-giving occasions. In other words, it’s time to make room for all those gifts you and your family members will soon be receiving. While many of you have probably already started on this endeavor, for me it seems like an almost endless battle. I have done quite a bit lately, but there just seems to be a continuous supply of stuff. As … Continue reading →

Ten Days ‘til Christmas

Yesterday was the day to take stock of gifts. I’m better organized now for the late shopping trip I’ll need to make. Hopefully, after that, I’ll be done. However, I will be adding some ideas for last minute -very last minute- Christmas gifts later. Today is a good day to inventory other items. Do you have fresh batteries for your camera? If you have a camera that needs film or a video camera that uses video tape, make sure you have plenty of these supplies. It would be very disappointing to miss special Christmas moments because cameras aren’t ready to … Continue reading →

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Three Days Left

Are you getting excited? I am but I still have quite a bit to do. Are you getting lots of stuff crossed off your lists? If you have yet to do the following, today is a good day, because time is running out! Shopping Finish shopping for fresh foods. They won’t be any fresher sitting in the store for another day than they will be in your home, so get it out of the way before your favorite store becomes a total madhouse. While you’re at the store, it’s probably a good idea to pick up some pain reliever and … Continue reading →

Organized but Flexible

I discuss being organized and engaging in advanced planning for holidays quite a bit. I do believe that it’s good advice. At the same time, we also have to remain at least somewhat flexible. For all our plans and good intentions, sometimes things just aren’t going to go the way we want them to. We have to be able to adjust. For example, we planned to put our Christmas tree up Saturday and decorate it. As it got later and later and other things came up, we decided we’d just put it up but probably wait to decorate until Sunday. … Continue reading →

Another Good Thing about Organizing before Christmas

Here’s another thing about organizing for Christmas that makes the holidays a bit simpler at my house. As you go through all the stuff, purging, donating, storing, you may find that there are some things you need to add to your Christmas list. Your kids might be growing out of a lot of their clothes and need a few new hip outfits. You might find that some new books would be good or you might want to replace some games or puzzles. This is a good way to dig around and find out what the kids need without coming out … Continue reading →

Start Getting Organized for Christmas

There are some things we all need to do to get ready for Christmas and not all of them are fun. Cleaning and organizing may not be your ideas of holiday cheer, but you will feel better once this stuff is out of the way. You know you will need extra space once all those Christmas presents are open, so you might as well get started making room now. I know. I don’t feel like doing it either, but I don’t want to deal with the chaos later. With four kids, and all their gifts, our living room can end … Continue reading →

The Marriage Blog Week in Review: November 11-17

Is it really Saturday already? It seems kind of crazy that we’re already here, when I was just writing up the week in review last week. But here we are. It’s been an eventful week here at the marriage blog as we approach our first anniversary, we also crossed the 1,000th post line and Sherry and I continued our point and counterpoint in Marriage Debates. You’ll see changes taking place over the next week as we close in on Thanksgiving with a little re-organization and the adding of topics here and there. As always, we want to hear from you … Continue reading →

Holidays: It’s all about Planning

If you want to make sure the holidays go smoothly, it helps to get as much done as possible ahead of time. Whatever you can do now, don’t put off until later. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed with Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, take a deep breath. These tips will help you get your game plan down: Make a List and Check it Twice That may sound like Christmas, but it’s also smart for other holidays. Make a list for everything and look over it and update it often. Cross off each item that you have completed so … Continue reading →

Use Natural & Rustic Touches to Set a Great Table

Have you ever looked at natural and even rustic elements and found them attractive, despite the fact that they may not be what you have in mind for your home décor? If you have always wanted to use some of these items, but perhaps not permanently, you can try them out for a fresh new holiday look. Go for it and give your home the feel of a cozy lodge or cabin this Thanksgiving. You can still set a beautiful table without going so formal. Try some of these ideas: Baskets Use baskets for flowers and plants but also use … Continue reading →

Sharing Holiday Responsibilities

Do you do take care of most of the holiday preparations or does your spouse? Do you clean, plan, shop, and cook until you’re exhausted or do the two of you share the effort equally? If holidays have become an exercise in stress and exhaustion, you need to communicate this to your spouse. After all, you should be able to enjoy the holidays as well. A good way to get your spouse more involved is to ask for his or her opinion on things. You may simply love the raspberry-cranberry sauce that you serve each year, but your spouse may … Continue reading →