Journal Your Christmas Giveaway

My idea is to start right now, capturing all the little things I do or see for Christmas already and extend my season as I normally have absolutely no time because of work in december...
We'll see how it works.

Hi Ali,
This year I hope to get all my shopping done early. That way I will have more time to spend doing fun things with my kids as Christmas gets closer.

Shopping is done and wrapping will be done by the first of next week! I'm excited to bake, craft and create!

For the past 20 years my husband and I have always lived away from our families. In all that time there has only been one year when we didn't travel back to our home towns sometime during the Christmas season. This year, will be the second time...we decided to use our travel time and money for a different trip we took in September. So, I know I'll miss spending time with our families over the holidays, but not traveling will make for a calmer holiday season.

I have a two year old and a two month old. I am very excited because this year my two year old will be able to really enjoy the decorations, the festivities, the Christmas songs...My plan is to take a lot of pictures and to write a little bit everyday in my "children's journal." Then at some later time, maybe with friends over a glass of wine, start putting a small album together.

I plan to create a more sane holiday season by taking this class, if I'm the lucky one!!!

would love this - great help!

Fun giveaway. I am hoping to do my shopping in bits and pieces, instead of last minute as usual. I've already started with a big trip to Toys R Us the beginning of this week.

Oh, I want to quit putting everything off until another day; I have already started doing so! Above all else, I want to be calm and peaceful.

Sounds like a great class!

I am going to focus on what I LOVE. I am done doing what is expected of me or what others want me to do...this year it's all about thinking through my choices and doing what makes me happy. That said, I am hoping a day or two in the scrapbook room (or more) should help and a quiet day or two spent enjoying the decorations and sounds of the seasons should do it! My wants/needs are simple. (lol)

I don't mind the chaos. I am the one out shopping on Christmas Eve morning...and I like it. I love the energy in the air as everyone is out and about. :)

I already bought must of my christmas gift. I also have started on the albums that I am going to give away on christmas. Plus, two years ago I decided I was never again going to stress about the extraordinary humongous before christmas cleaning. So, the result is (hopefully) relaxed christmas :)

I will just live in the moment as what more can you do? It get's to be too stressful otherwise.
Brenda Magliacane

I plan to have a more sane Christmas by going back to a more traditional celebration. My parents and I are very close and it seems that my mom and I never get as much done as we plan to. This year we are focusing on less gifts (especially the ones that you are buying last minute and no thought to them). We plan to bake more and have nice semi-fancy dinners at home.

This holiday season is going to be very bittersweet. It will be our first christmas without my father-in-law, who has passed very suddenly on 5 January 2009 at the age of a mere 55 years. We miss him terribly.
This Christmas will be one where we all live through our own special memories. Here in the Netherlands we have two days of Christmas and the second day we always spend with my husbands family (us four, his parents, his grandmother, his brother, his sister and her husband and kids, one of his aunts and her daughter). We alway go on a Christmas hike (the same one each year) for a breath of fresh are, stopping for hot cocao at the sheep fold and after that eating together. My father-in-law had a very large role in this day and it will be unbelievably strange to spend this day without him.
So, even though this Christmas will be bittersweet we will savour our memories and enjoy each others company.
Sorry for the long story, just had to be told.

We travel most Christmases but this year I want to be home for the holidays and focus on enjoying the season and making new traditions for our family.

I want to take things slower. All the busy stuff has been taken care of so I just want to take each day at a slower pace and really enjoy the reason for Christmas.

I intend to wrap presents as I buy them - and buy less!
Thanks for the chance of the class.
Anne
:)

So funny you asked this! I woke up this morning thinking about our annual Christmas party and planning how to get started early. I hope I can incorporate the keep it simple philosophy and keep the stress levels under control.