We’ve all been there…the last minute scrabble through a crowded mall looking for the perfect gift…running from grocery store to grocery store trying to locate the 1 or 2 ingredients for the “It won’t be the Holidays without (insert traditional family recipe name here)!”  Who can forget the stress and exhaustion of trying to get the house cleaned and decorated to actually be able to sit and enjoy friends and family at the *joyous* time of year. 🙂 There has to be a better way. There is. It involves one word. One powerful word, that is accessible to all of us. That word is…November.

When I think of a peaceful, simple holiday season, I picture gatherings of friends and family around our tree and crackling fire. I picture festive drinks and nibblies, or cookies and hot cocoa, meaningful, locally sourced gifts that are supporting our community and economy, having time to watch our families favourite Christmas movies and actually relaxing while doing so….ahhhh….Christmas.

Now, the reality can be quite different. I know a lot of people, and by people, I mean women, because let’s be real, they generally are the reason this holiday happens at ALL, who begin to dread and can start to “hate” Christmas because it’s just “too much”, on top of everything else that happens in a week or month. If you let it all go, and are scrambling, it is too much! That’s why we need a plan…and the plan begins TODAY, November 1st.

Lists

My focus this week will be on making lists. Here’s a few I will be working on…

Gifts to buy

Make a list of gifts you need to purchase and ideas. (Simple Local Life will be publishing a Local Gift Guide near the end of the month if you are in need of ideas…stay tuned!)

Homemade Gifts

Make a list of any gifts you plan to make, and any supplies required. I love homemade gifts and typically give some each year. They can be as simple as a nice bottle of Homemade Irish Cream, or some baked treats. If you are planning on making homemade gifts this year, since we can’t start yesterday…NOW is the time to start! 😉

Holiday Recipes

A list of holiday recipes that I make and an accompanying list of ingredients that I hope to start crossing off this week. I often get requests for the Spiced Nuts I make each year. There is nothing more frustrating than planning a cooking or baking day and you can’t find the one ingredient you need. Get those ingredients NOW…not the fresh ones of course….we don’t want to land anyone in the hospital..;) but anything that keeps, just add some of the items to your grocery list each week.

Photo Gifts

A list of any photos or gifts I need to order. Photo gifts of any kind are perfect gifts for parents, grandparents, girlfriends, etc. Figure out what photos you are using, and order them NOW…or in the next few weeks. Need frames for those pics? Make sure you add that to the list. Every year I have a great photo idea for someone…but due to poor planning…it doesn’t always happen. It’s November…we still have time! 🙂

Household Projects

A list of any household jobs/projects you would like completed. Cleaning the house during the holidays is an ongoing chore, but if there is a specific job you would like completed…make a plan for it now. For example, I really need to clean out my front closet and get rid of things the kids no longer wear or use. It would be so nice to have that done and then have space for people to hang their coats when they come over. It’s going on my list…fingers crossed. 😉

Holiday Fun

Now make a fun list…a list of things you would like to enjoy this holiday season. Attending a local Christmas concert…having friends over for drinks by the fire….a Christmas Tree Tour….driving around looking at lights…donating time to an organization…Christmas movie watching…writing and sending cards, etc. Whatever it is that you enjoy this time of year, write it down, and then schedule it in and try to make it happen! Keep focused on this list the most. The cleaning, baking, buying, will happen…or not….connecting with your friends and family is what people remember. Add it to the list…make it happen.

Printables

To help you out I’ve designed a set of printables to help you stay on track, organized and on your way to a simple and enjoyable holiday season. There are a set of 5 sheets….gifts to buy, homemade gifts, recipes, ingredients lists, holiday bucket list and a blank sheet you can customize yourself. Click here to access the sheets that I use to make my holiday planning that much easier.

It’s November 1st. We have 30 days. How to simplify and enjoy the holiday season? With a little focus over the next month, you can be on your way to a simple, peaceful, enjoyable holiday season, filled with all the things that are important to you. Doesn’t that sound nice?