Journal Your Christmas Giveaway

This year I plan on actually doing a December Daily so that it will make me slow down to enjoy the special monents of the season, instead of just rushing through and feeling overwhelmed. I want to be able to enjoy my family, and focus on creating gifts from the heart to make our holidaY the most special ever!

What an absolutely wonderful idea. Too bad all this wasn't there for me when I had little ones. However, we all can probably benefit from something to help us take back the holiday season and simply enjoy our family and friends and all good things.

I've decided to cut back on all the *extras* I usually like to try and squeeze into December which makes it hectic and stressful. This year we are blocking out one weekend day every week (it looks like Sunday for almost all 4 weeks) of December to relax and play rather than rush around.
I am also really looking forward to December 1 so I can begin my December Daily. I am hoping taking a few minutes each day to capture our lives will keep my perspective on the month.

WELL -Besides the fact that I don't have an open weekend in December as it stands. I am going to do my best to enjoy it and document it this year. I finished my dec daily album already and am very excited to actually finishing this year.

I'm just going to keep the emphasis on spending time with the people that I love the most, and not getting too wrapped up in the other fun but extraneous stuff.

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