Christmas Countdown Day 2: Make A Christmas Planner!

As we get ready for Christmas, we'll be making lists (and checking them a lot more than twice!), holding discussions with spouses, children and parents, and drawing up a holiday budget.

Too often, we record our plans piecemeal, consigning them to a confused clutter of scrawled envelopes, jotted notes and cryptic calendar entries--none of which make it to the shopping center with us when it's time to buy gifts.

The solution? Create a Christmas planner notebook--your personal guide to relaxed and happy holidays.

to do today ...

Create a Christmas notebook.

Easy to make and easier to use, a Christmas planner notebook cuts through holiday clutter and keeps planning on track. Home to lists and recipes, calendars and gift ideas, this simple tool is the architect and source of a serene celebration.

Find a format. A Christmas planner notebook is usually just that--a standard three-ring binder—but it doesn’t have to be. Your planner may be less conventional: a file stored on a computer, a set of index cards, a spiral steno pad, a section in your personal organizer or a database recorded in a digital PDA.

Whatever the format, the notebook concept remains the same. It’s a single-source reference for all things Christmas, and it will become your best friend as we get ready for the season.

Cover story. A pretty cover sets a happy tone, so create one for your Christmas planner notebook. Paper crafters enjoy adding decorative covers to their Notebooks, but even the art-impaired (like me!) can slide photos or holiday cards into the see-through pocket of a clear-view binder. Simpler still: print free cover and spine forms from our Forms Library for a fast, festive touch.

Hide and seek. You’ll want to keep your Christmas planner notebook to yourself, however. It will contain information not for the prying eyes of eager family members.

If Christmas curiosity reaches a fever pitch in your household, consider the Hide-In-Plain-Sight method for your Notebook cover. Label a binder "Manuals and Warranties" and slide it into the bookcase between college textbooks and old phone directories, or call your Ready for Christmas planner section, "PTA Meeting Notes” to keep Christmas secrets until the big day.

Divide and conquer. A good Christmas planner notebook relies on dividers to make information accessible. Every family’s needs are different, but most notebooks will contain these dividers:

• Calendars
• Gift Lists
• Christmas Cards
• Budget
• Meals and Menus
• Entertaining
• Recipes
• Décor
• Traditions

Other families add dividers for seasonal holidays, service projects, children’s’ activities, or personal sections for each family member.

Dividers are as unique and individual as the families they serve, so choose dividers that make sense for you.

Here are some additional divider suggestions: