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:

• Thanksgiving
• Advent
• New Years’
• Year-Round Holidays
• Birthdays
• Rudolph Club
• Sale Flyers
• Craft Projects
• Christmas Baking
• Cookie Collection
• Recipes Tried and True
• Recipes to Try
• In the Freezer
• Cleaning Calendar
• Inspiration and Faith
• Poems and Stories
• Music and Carols
• Movies and Books
• Web Sites
• Décor Room-by-Room
• Ornaments
• Collections
• Storage
• Christmas Past

Supply stash. Dividers, lists and forms are only the beginning of a well-seasoned Notebook. Add these supplies to the list; they’ll make it easier to use your Christmas planning tool:

• Lined paper for notes and lists
• Free printable forms from Organized Christmas
• Clear plastic page protectors
• Pocket pages
• Large manila envelopes
• Post-It brand notes and flags
• Zipper pencil case
• Pencils, markers and highlighter
• Three-hole punch

Make it portable. Whether you set up a binder, use an existing planner or harness the power of an electronic organizer, be sure you can take your notebook with you. Gift lists, shopping lists, clothing size records, wardrobe inventories, decor ideas and pantry planners should be at your fingertips ... anywhere!

Calendar Control. You'll also want to add a special calendar just for the Countdown. This six-week Christmas Countdown calendar will keep you on-track with the plan.

Checking in. Finally, add copies of the Countdown weekly checklists. These simple checklists will be your guide to the days ahead. As you complete each task, cross it off the list!

Pack it with Printables. Today, print calendars, cover and spine inserts, and divider pages for your Christmas planner notebook.

to print today ...

Christmas Countdown 2009 Calendar

Christmas Countdown Planner Cover

Christmas Countdown Planner Spine

Christmas Countdown Divider Pages

to read today ...

Need to get inspired to create your Christmas notebook? Take a tip from the Christmas notebook tours and Web resources from focus site, ChristmasPlanner.com:

Make A Christmas Planner

today's recipe ...

A seasonal taste treat from CEO's kitchen. These soft, spicy pumpkin drop cookies are plump with raisins and set off with just the right browned butter glaze. A family favorite!

Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Browned Butter Glaze