I Gotta Organise...Christmas! 

It’s that time of year again . . . Christmas!

Six weeks to go and with time flying by faster than Santa’s reindeer, it’s best to start organising yourself now.

Each year do you find yourself up against it, doing everything at the last minute?Do you promise yourself that next year it’ll be different? 

Well don’t let those ghosts of Christmas’ past sneak up on you again. For the next six weeks, I'll be showing you how to organise yourself each week so that Christmas this year brings you more cheer than fear!

6 WEEKS TO GO – MAKE LISTS!

So you’re sitting at home or in the office, thinking about the thousand and one things you have to do over the coming weeks. You need to get those to-do’s out of your head and onto a piece of paper. First things first, time to write a few lists.

You’ll need to get a notebook and this can become you’re Christmas notebook which will perhaps last you for a few years. 

In this notebook you will note everything you need to do over the next few weeks. It will live in your handbag or on your kitchen counter top or in your hallway – somewhere you can refer to it on a daily basis. Personally, I would recommend keeping it in your handbag as I can almost guarantee you will need to refer to it when you are out one day. 

The first thing for the notebook is your lists.

The Overall To-Do List 

In your notebook, you will have one overall list where you write absolutely everything you need to do between now and Christmas. For example, it may read something
like this . . . 

1. Buy Presents
2. Write Cards
3. Send Cards
4. Book beauty & hair treatments
5. Get Christmas decorations out of the attic
6. Go grocery shopping

After your overall list, you’ll have a few other secondary lists. Below are a few suggestions of lists you may need. When you refer to your overall list and see you need to buy gifts, you can then flick through your notebook to your ‘Gift List’ and know exactly who you have to buy for. Similarly, when you need to go grocery shopping, flick through your notebook again to your ‘shopping list’ and you’ll be sure to pick up everything you need. 

1. Gift List

Whether you have a ton of presents to get or just a few, make a list of everyone you need to get presents for. Next to their name create a table with the following headings: 

 
Budget
 
Ideas
 
Shops to target

 




By assigning a cost to each persons present and adding a little extra on for gift wrapping and cards, you will be able to budget better for gifts. 

Similarly, if you write down where you think you may get the presents, you will be able to make a shop map which will not only cut down on impulse buying but it will help you get your shopping done faster. 

You might like to add another column “present bought” and when you get their gift this year write it down. Next Christmas when you take out this Christmas notebook again, you will see what you bought everyone last year and you won’t repeat the gift! 

2. Christmas Card List

Like gifts, write down everyone you need to send a card to. This is your second list. 

 










Make sure to count how many you have on the list when you are done and mark it down so that when you find yourself ready to buy your cards & stamps you will know exactly how many to buy. That way you will only have to go buying them once! 

This is a good time to create your family & friends addresses database. As you gather their addresses make sure you put them all together in one place (that might be an address book, a notebook or on your computer). Make sure there is a clear label such as “friends & family addresses” on the book or computer folder. 

Each contact should have their full name and each line of their address next to them. You could even add in their mobile or email addresses to create a very organised database. 

If your contacts move house or country throughout the year, update your notebook or document so that come next Christmas you will have the most up to date addresses.

3. Christmas Budget

Whether we’re in the middle of a recession or not, it is good practice to write down how much you estimate Christmas will cost. There is a good budget available on www.nca.ie which will help you plan your Christmas spending. 

Or you can create your own one. Make a list of everything you think you will need over the festive period and an approximate cost. Tallying up each category and the total overall spend will help you figure out how you will distribute your funds. 

It will also show you which weeks you may have more money and which weeks you will have less which will allow you to plan ahead.  

Categories could be as follows: 

1. Children - Santa's gifts/ clothing
2. Family & Friends - gifts/ cards
3. Socialising - Dinners/ beauty & hair appointments/ babysitters/ taxi fare
4. Christmas dinner - Food/ Beverages/ Table dressing
5. Decorations - Tree/ Lights
6. Holidays - Flights/ Hotels/ Spending money

4. Grocery Shopping List

It’s never too early to write out your grocery & beverage shopping list for over the Christmas period. This will allow you to start stocking up early. Tins of biscuits, boxes of chocolates, bottles of wine, soft drinks, napkins, and Christmas crackers are all things that can be bought early & ticked off your list! 


Et voila, some lists to start getting you organised for Christmas. Don't put it off, take ten minutes out of your day and sit down and write your lists. Even Santa Claus writes out his naughty & nice list!  

Next week, your '5 weeks To Go' schedule!  

Happy Organising!