Journal Your Christmas Giveaway

My husband, sister/brother-in-law, parents, and I will be doing a Secret Santa, instead of going crazy with gifts. Also my husband and I are determined to do our shopping early so we can actually enjoy the holiday season.

I'm planning ahead - just finished the BPS Cut the Crazy Out of Christmas class and already have some gifts made and others ordered.

Every year I blink and the holiday season is over. This year with the help of the journal I plan on having something as a holiday focus each day. Knowing that (in advance) hopefully will make me slow down and take the time to enjoy friends and family and the great little things happening around me. I think that this will give me permission to take necessary time and direction to enjoy the holidays.

My extended family are putting our money in place of gifts into a well or herd of goats. Still getting together. Still having the decorations and the food but it should be simpler.

My plan for a sane Christmas season is to have my shopping finished by Dec 1, to say "no" to the parties/projects/plans that don't move me, and most importantly, to not get pulled into the Craft Vortex where I spin around like a crazy woman trying to complete every single cute christmas craft I come across!

what with school not breaking up until the 18th of december, i do need to create lists for several items on my plate: gifts, parties to attend, menus, photo op, December daily, etc etc :)

I'm planning to do my Christmas shopping early and to get a few decorating and cookie baking days on my calendar so I don't wait until the last minute to get everything accomplished! That would give me more time to document my holiday this year, too!

I'll be more sane because I had my Christmas cards printed at Shutterfly instead of printing them all out at home. I feel so relieved!

My holidays are usually pretty sane. This year, we plan to spend a lot of time with family. My plan is to get the bulk of my xmas shopping done EARLY, so that I don't have to stress about it later :)

I love Christmas but I try to do too much. I took the BPS class "cut the crazy out of Christmas" because I love the idea of having a planner to keep track of stuff. I intend to simplify a lot and your december daily album fits right into that plan. Thanks for sharing.

I am currently participating in a Healthy Holiday Challenge. My goal is not overindulge in food this season rather I want to enjoy the holidays giving to not only my family but those that are truly in need. Our family is donating food and time to our local food pantry and we have chosen a family we are giving dinner to as well as toys, clothes...whatever they need. This will all be done in secret!!:)

We really try and keep it simple. Simple wrapping (brown shipping paper with raffia from Santa. We don't go out much, spend time at home and do what we have fun doing, not what others are doing. We don't keep up with the Jones'. That keeps it simple around here!

This year is a monumental year in my family in more ways than one. I'm pregnant, so it's my last holiday season without a baby. My cousin passed away this summer, so it is our first Thanksgiving and Christmas without him.
So in the process of enjoying my last child-less holiday season, I am also planning myself into a corner between my mom, my dad and dad's family, and my adopted dad, none of course in the same location. I am taking to December Dailies as a sanctuary to maintain some peace of mind, and as a way to keep these memories for years to come.
Not to mention, what great practice for the memory keeping I'll do as a new mom.

While I am hoping to simplfie our Christmas this year, I am not sure that is going to happen. My daughter made the schools top chorus and they perform quite often during the holiday season. Hopefully I can at least create a more relaxed atmosphere on the days that we are home.

Hello Ali,
Thank you so much for your wonderful blog. I am going to try and get my daughter (11 years old and very creative) to do a countdown to christmas album this year. I am an avid scrapbooker. She just joined her yearbook club at school, got a new camera, and is very excited. I want to share this creative outlet with her and let her take the pictures and learn to document the events. I so look forward to sharing this special time with her doing such a meaningful activity. Thank You, Amanda Castillo

To keep me sane I will keep pen and paper close by to add to the lists that keep me in order - esp. @ this time of year. Some of those lists will make it into my December Daily as special little keepsakes.

I'm going to take it just a little bit at a time. One piece of decor, one batch of cookies, one small batch of Christmas cards, etc.

I plan on enjoying every minute with my first grandson!!!

I am going to kick back, get out the checkbook, and put the money in some cute cards. That way, everyone can get what they want. Only the baby will get presents and of course I have most of the grownups stocking stuffers ready. This will be a relaxing Christmas and no crowds to fight.

I plan to enjoy the time by planning ahead this month. So the parties are planned out and the invites are done. I want to just enjoy my little ones and the joy that the month brings to them. That in turn will bring me joy.

For the last two years we've had take-away food on Christmas day & that makes the day so much saner and freed up for other things like playing with the kids & their new toys. Just to add, we do have a huge and superb mega yummy meal with all the family but it's on Christmas Eve instead.

for a change i think i will have a sane Christmas, am not stressing about it yet....lol, and i think i have most of it together already .....we have a quiet Christmas and this year really looking forward to the family visiting in the new year, and i am sure this will take the pressure off....
would love to do this class
thanks to you both for the opp

I am already preparing my Xmas cards now and trying to stay ahead of the game. It doesn't get too crazy in our family thank god and there is time to enjoy the season.

I am starting a bit earlier than usual, taking a deep breath, realizing I can't do it all. Taking the time to figure out what is most meaningful to me & my family. We may do less...but I want to remember it more!

I'm beginning Christmas by being tidy already and knowing where everything is. Then I intend to be methodical and not take on anything unless I know I can complete it. I am going to make lists (in a journal made of old Christmas cards) and I'm going to recapture the Christmas of my childhood (and look forward to ds coming home from his first term at university).