The most … "wonderful?" … time of the year
Every Christmas, I have the best intentions to immediately begin shopping for the following year. But I just never follow through with it.
Every Christmas, I have the best intentions to relax and enjoy the “most wonderful time of year.” And I end up being bogged down with shopping, wrapping, cleaning, work — which always goes bananas around the holidays, because clients are extra-psycho.
This year, I have a plan. I want to be free to go to holiday get-togethers and not have to worry about wrapping and shopping. I want to be free to relax and enjoy spending time with the fam.
Goals for before Christmas:
- Have all shopping finished — and I mean all shopping, and no “I-just-have-a-couple-of-little-things-to-pick-up” crap — by November 23. This is frightening, since I haven’t started yet, gulp.
- Have the tree up/condo decorated by November 29.
- Have all hand-made cards finished by November 30.
- Have all cards written and mailed by December 7.
- Have all wrapping finished by December 14 — ooh, I love wrapping! Can’t wait.
- Have all presents sorted and labeled (according to the family home in which they are destined, i.e. mine, his, siblings’ homes) by December 21. Last year I was shoving wrapped gifts into garbage bags on Christmas Eve. Uh, not again.
Goals for during Christmas:
- Enjoy
- Relax
- Appreciate
Goals for after Christmas:
- Actually attend Boxing Day sales, for once in my life (or at least shop online sales). Everyone always gets such great deals at these, but I despise crowds, so I never go.
- Begin saving for the following Christmas. If we saved a bit of money every month specifically for Christmas, then maybe my credit card won’t feel its usual pinch in November and December.
- Begin making holiday cards. It’s never too early to start this, as I’m realizing now.
- Begin making holiday gifts. Same deal.
Have you made any Christmas-y goals?
5 Comments on “The most … "wonderful?" … time of the year”
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Heather's Handmade Life 
I love this! I feel inspired! Luckily I have already bought a few presents, but that's sort of bad for me. If I buy early, I tend to keep buying and spend more than I should. Do you have a $ limit per person?
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Yes! I do have rough limits for everyone on my list — good idea for another post. Thanks!
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Absolutely agree- so important to start now, better on the budget as well as you can have a plan and shop sales. Stopping by from SITS…
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Well, we dont celebrate christmas, we celebrate eid here!! We prepare for it throughout the year rather than stressing in the end!! It is better that way! Well hope u achieve ur goals 🙂
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Great plan! I'll have to get started on mine in a bit 🙂
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