Christmas Planning

I know some of my readers are reading the title of this post and thinking, "Christmas planning?! Didn't we just finish Christmas for this year?" Yes, most of my readers and I did just finish Christmas, but if you're like me than you realize the stress of planning Christmas. That stress of last minute gift planning, wrapping presents, and baking cookies is the stress I want to avoid and through planning can avoid. This year I decided to use a Christmas planner and even wrote posts about the different pages I was using, but honestly I didn't find myself wanting to use it faithfully and inevitably fell behind in planning Christmas. Between not liking the templates I used and life turning into a roller coaster for me I found it easier to fall into my old ways of planning for Christmas. However, my old ways of planning didn't keep me from experiencing massive amounts of holiday-related stress. 

This next year I am going to try to blend my old ways of planning with some of the template pages I actually enjoyed using to create a stress-free Christmas. At least that's the goal of planning ahead. My first tip, which I find is extremely helpful, is to plan a theme early. I realize that this may sound like a lot of extra work or even unnecessary to some, but picking a theme, even if it is just colors, allows you to focus your ideas in other areas. If your theme is How the Grinch Stole Christmas then you know you don't need to waste time making glittering reindeer. Thanks to Pinterest and Craftgawkers there are plenty of wonderful ideas available to look at and inspire you to try, but a theme early on keeps you from feeling overwhelmed. The theme can be as simple or as elaborate as you want or have time to do. This year my theme was How the Grinch Stole Christmas and it started out as an elaborate recreation of the scenes from the movie, but I didn't have the time so I ended up simplifying it. This is perfectly acceptable and sometimes necessary as your life changes throughout the year. There is no reason to feel bad about making changes to your theme. 

After I have a theme I like to start designing my Christmas cards. I typically use Shutterfly because I usually have a $20 off promo code or 10 free cards.

I find it helpful to have my holiday cards ordered early because it is one less thing I have to worry about throughout the year while Christmas planning. However, if you have a family with young children ordering Christmas cards early is not practical. While you wouldn't be able to order your Christmas cards in January you could still order cards before December to save yourself the headache of wondering if your Christmas cards are going to arrive in time. If you do have to wait until December, perhaps because you're expecting a change, Shutterfly gives you the option of having them addressed and sent out for you saving you time. This year I am expecting, or rather hoping for changes in my situation, but still plan on ordering my Christmas cards for next year this week because I have a $20 promo code that is expiring. Since I am anticipating changes this year I am working on a design that allows me to incorporate changes that might occur over the course of a year. I found a card template that fits my needs and allows me to leave the photo on the front of the card blank. I plan on choosing a photo that more accurately represents my life towards the end of the year and I will then use a scrapbooking technique to apply the picture to the cards I ordered. A generic greeting that leaves room for a personal update on my family allows me to create a card that can be adapted to my needs.

I also find it helpful to order labels that match my Christmas cards at this time. Again if you are anticipating changes, such as changes to your name or address, you should wait until those changes have happened before ordering labels you can't use. This last year I decided to just order labels that said to and from instead because I have a plethora of address labels. I try to order my Christmas cards and address labels together so that I can verify the sets match, although I have waited until I have received a promo code for free address labels. If you plan on waiting for a promo code or need to wait because you anticipate changes in name or address I suggest creating the labels on Shutterfly and adding the labels to your saved project list. This will make finding the address labels that match your Christmas cards a lot easier and a lot less stressful for you. Since I do have a tendency to order cards and labels in advance I find it helpful to store them in a photo box. The photo box then becomes my Christmas planning box and I know exactly where to look when I need to start writing my Christmas cards.

The odds and ends of Christmas planning have grown throughout the years and what once fit in a photo box now needs to be stored in larger bin. This tends to happen when you have a theme because not all of the pieces end up being used, however you may need them again so it is helpful to store them. For this reason I am trying to be more careful in my planning so that all of my supplies are used for the year. This is a little bit more complicated when you shop for most of your supplies in the after Christmas sale, which is honestly the best time to buy themed items for cheap. I find it helpful to take the number of boxes, gift wrap, or other supply used for the past Christmas and use that number to determine how much of an item I need. It isn't always possible to find the exact number of things you need in your theme after Christmas. If I can't find all of the things I need and something else can't substitute then I don't buy any of it because the chances are I won't be able to find more later. The after Christmas sale is the best time to buy Christmas lights, gift wrap, and cards. There is usually a good variety still and many of the items can be found at 70-80% off. This makes having a different Christmas theme each year affordable. Your gently used Christmas items can then be donated to a charity or to a family you know who could use those items.

Christmas shouldn't be stressful and planning ahead can make the season a more enjoyable time for you and your family. Plan ahead and spend the holiday sharing in the love of your family instead of stressing how you are going to get everything done. Leave a comment below telling me your biggest area of holiday stress or your own tips on beating the stress of Christmas.  

Christmas Preparation: Budget Planning

Maybe Christmas she thought doesn't have to make me poor...maybe this Christmas perhaps I should budget more. Dave Ramsey once said, "A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went." There is no denying Christmas is expensive, but it doesn't have to leave you poor this year. Creating a budget, along with saving throughout the year, is an effective way to have a wonderful Christmas without spending a fortune. Use the gift planning template, menu template, and decorations template in the Christmas Planner template posted in February. It is April so I don't blame you if you don't have a complete grasp on gifts, menu, or decorations needed for December, but take what you do know already and start filling out your templates. 

Last month I posted the two ideas I have for handmade gifts, but I don't really have specific ideas for everyone else on my list. Yes I know sizes, favorite colors, sports teams, scents, etc., but I have yet to see how it will all fit together. This indecision can lead to an abundance in gifts for one person and none for another, but I have two tips for combating the gift and spending overload. Tip #1: Set a number of gifts per person. A few years ago my church put forth a 3 gift rule. The 3 gifts are representative of the gold, frankincense, and myrrh given to Jesus as a baby. One gift was to be the gift the person really wanted, another gift was something that would benefit the person spiritually, and the last gift was something the person would wear. Obviously you could tweak this a bit to fit your needs better, but the idea is great for keeping track of gift giving. Tip #2: Set an overall budget for gift giving and then divide the total into smaller increments for individual gift budgets. If your total budget is $500 then allot $300 for immediate family, $90 for relatives, $90 for friends, and $20 for emergency gifts or work parties. Stick to the budget your set and keep your receipts to keep track of your total spending. 

Tip #2 should be implemented for menu and decoration planning too. These are more easily planned in advance and more easily budgeted for. Ingredients like canned food can be bought and stored in advance. Shop sales in advance. This also means knowing the best sale price for a product. Save money on decorations by recycling old Christmas decorations. If you want gold Christmas ball ornaments then take gold spray paint to last year's red ornaments. Consider making your own decorations from recycled materials you already have at home before rushing out to buy more.

52 Week Money Challenge

Even budgeting and recycling materials will leave you broke if you don't start saving now. You can set a certain amount of money aside each week or month for Christmas or a certain percentage of your paycheck. We are already 12 weeks into this year, but the 52 week money saving challenge is a great way to put away money throughout the year. If you would rather do a percentage of your check then I recommend saving 10% of your first week's check for gifts and next paycheck 5% for menu and 5% for decorations. Obviously, adjust the percentages as needed.

Have your own tips for saving money this Christmas? Be sure to leave your tips in the comments below and stay tuned for next month's Christmas preparation post. 

Christmas Preparation: Handmade Gift Planning

The little bear elves are busy at work on Christmas gifts in BooBear's Workshop. Wouldn't that be nice if elves, bear or otherwise, took over making handmade gifts for you? Well until then it is just me and my busy fingers working away on gifts for Christmas. Every year I make at least one handmade gift, usually it is at least 5 homemade gifts, but poor planning leads to a chaotic December. Working well into Christmas Eve just trying to finish your handmade gifts while your family wonders where you have wandered off to or why there are no gifts under the tree from you is not how anyone wants to spend Christmas. 

Last month I posted templates for a Christmas planner with the promise I would show how to use the templates throughout the year. This month I am showing you how to use the homemade gift planning templates. If you haven't done so already download the template and print it out. Take your favorite colored pen and get ready to brainstorm. I have been brainstorming for awhile and this year I am planning on making a zebra 3pc pajama set and a men's crochet sweater. I will likely add to this list, but these gifts are going to take the most time.

Handmade Gifts

Now that you know what you want to make, it is time to start planning. How long will it take you to make each item? Error on the side of caution when deciding the length of time. If you usually make blankets in a month then plan for two months, giving yourself plenty of time for errors and life to get in the way. Once you know how much time it will take plan out time to work on the project using the monthly calendars. Depending on your level of interest in the project you might want to start and finish the project right away or you might want to procrastinate and finish the project later in the year. Whether you decide now or later make a plan and stick to the time. If you need to reschedule time to work on the project then reschedule, but stick to the new scheduled time.

Know your project and the materials needed to complete the project. Record the materials needed using the template provided in the Christmas planner. If you don't want to purchase all of the materials now then make sure to record what materials you have already purchased. Depending on the materials used I recommend purchasing the materials now when you know where they are and how much you need. Certain materials are seasonal or temporary features at the craft store. These materials should be purchased as soon as you know you need them because they will not be available all year long.

The best thing you can do in homemade gift planning is making a plan and sticking to your plan all year long. As the year progresses I will post pictures of my progress on my own homemade gifts. The pictures will most likely be shown on my Instagram account @BooBearDesigns. Be sure to follow me on Instagram for the latest pictures of my designs and inspiration.

Comment below with your ideas for homemade gifts this Christmas, your favorite homemade gifts that have been given to you, or the homemade gift you made that was the best received by your recipient. 

Organizational Tips: A More Efficient Work Week

I have been so busy at work these last few weeks that I haven't had much time to think let alone work on craft projects. Being busy translates into more stress and less time to eat healthy or eat at all. I know there are people out there who have it all together and can work 40 hours a week without losing time to eat healthy, but that is not me. I wrote this week's organizational tips with this in mind. So for all the busy individuals, moms, and families, these tips are for you. 

Tip #1: Plan a week's worth of meals. Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, whatever you need for your week. Make a list of everything you need, but don't forget to double check your pantry before you leave, don't assume. Once you've bought your groceries, start cooking. Everything you can make ahead is time saved during the week when tired. Freeze or refrigerate until needed. A crock pot is a busy person's best friend and I highly suggest all of my readers to own one. Even in college, as broke as I was, I had a crock pot. My crock pot wasn't fancy and it wasn't expensive. I bought the 2 qt crock pot for under $10 at Walmart. This crock pot served me well throughout my college years and kept me eating healthy. 

If  you don't like the idea of cooking a week's worth of meals in a day then I suggest at least prepping for all of your meals at the start of the week. If you have the containers then chop, dice, and prepare all of the ingredients for your meals. Depending on the preparation needed for each meal this will save you an hour at the end of your week. If you don't have the containers then use Ziploc sandwich bags to contain each ingredient and then put all of the ingredients in a Ziploc gallon size bag. The Ziploc bag is not a cost effective solution, but it will save you time this week. I recommend investing in a container set if you don't want to cook all your meals in a day. Preparing or cooking your meals ahead of time saves you time during your week. If you cook all of your meals on a single day then your meals only need to be reheated not cooked. This is perfect for busy families. If cooking all at once seems overwhelming then look ahead to your week and identify your busiest days and just cook ahead for those meals.

Tip #2: Use Ziploc bags to pre-bag all snacks. Ziploc snack bags are a great time saving solution for lunch preparation. Whether you make your own lunches or your children's lunches this solution is for you. Dry snacks like crackers or cookies can be stored in a clear box in your pantry. Fresh snacks like fruit and vegetables can be stored in a clear box in your refrigerator. This is personally one of my favorite time saving tips. During the week I can grab whatever snack(s) I want to take to work that day and head out the door. Even if I am in a rush in the morning I still have time to reach in the pantry or the fridge and grab a snack because the snacks are already bagged. I plan on implementing this tip when I have my own children and need to make their lunches.

Command Center

Home Hub

Tip #3: Make a launch station. I think Fly Lady first introduced the concept of a launch station, but the basic premise is a place to store keys, bags, lunches, coats, and calendars, etc. This can be a memo board with hooks underneath the board. Use the memo board to store a family calendar and important events while utilizing the hooks below to store keys, bags, and coats. There are many fancy tutorials on how to create memo board launch stations. 

These are some of my favorite versions of launch stations, command centers, or home hubs. The command center, shown left, is featured on OrgJunkie  and is perfect for single individuals or couples. The whiteboard is perfect for writing down important dates while the cubbies are great for storing mail, etc. and the hooks are perfect for keys and bags. The home hub shown right is featured on ivillage and is designed for families. This family's entry way features a magnetic board for invitations and flyers and a white board calendar for event planning. Underneath these boards is a cubby shelf with hooks underneath. I love the cubby idea because it can be personalized for each child and is great for teaching little ones how to organize their things. The hooks underneath are great for their coats and backpacks. Pick a design that fits in with your needs and install it in your entry way or wherever is most convenient for you.

These tips have drastically impacted my work week and dramatically decreased my stress while saving me time all week long for activities I actually want to spend my time doing. Hopefully these tips save you just as much time and allow you a more relaxed week at work, home, or wherever you spend your time. Comment below with areas in your life or home that need organization help.

Organizational Tips: Paper Clutter

Good afternoon readers! I am currently bedridden with the flu and haven't had much time for crafting or home organization, but I have had a lot of time to think about my projects and what still needs to be organized. With this is mind, I have decided to post a new weekly series with organizational tips that can easily be completed during the week or a few hours over the weekend. I will try to keep each week's tips focused on a different area in your home or craft space. This week I am focusing on paper cutter, this can be papers in your office or your catch all table in the entryway. 

I don't know about you, but my family and I get a large amount of magazines, some we are subscribed to and others just seem to appear without asking, as well as catalogues, especially around the holidays and seasonal changes. I am not interested enough in each magazine or catalogue, nor do I have the time, to look through each magazine thoroughly, which means that the magazines end up stacking up places for a time when I do want to look at them. This wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have a constant stream of magazines and catalogues coming into my house, which is where tip #1 comes in: Choose a date each month and sort through all of your magazines and catalogues. Keep the pages you want, these can be organized in a binder, and recycle the rest. If you like to keep images for craft projects then take the time to cut images out of the magazines and store these images with your stickers and other embellishments. As for catalogues, if there is an item you wish to purchase or a style you like then I once again suggest clipping these images or pages and storing them away. For items you wish to purchase,  but do not intend to purchase immediately, I suggest storing these pages or images in a dream book, again this can be binder, which you can reference later when you have the funds or space to purchase the item. I recommend recording the exact name, product number or ID, the catalogue, price, and date of publication for the ad for easier referencing later. For styles that you admire or might want to replicate organize these images in a look book, once again this can be a binder, that you can easily go back to and reference later. My only exception to this rule is pattern magazines, magazines where the entire magazine is necessary to keep. For these magazines I suggest storing separately, either with your printed patterns or in a magazine holder on your bookshelf. 

Magazines and catalogues seem to be the most problematic source of paper clutter for me, but there are many other sources including junk mail, bills, account statements, and charity newsletters. Tip #2: Open and sort your mail every day. If you don't have the time then make a commitment to sort your mail once a week. For many people this is obvious, but for other people this is a daily challenge they face. I personally open my mail everyday, but I can relate to coming home and not wanting to open, let alone look at, my mail, especially when the mail is mainly bills or junk. I open my junk mail first, take out any paper with my information for the shred bag, and then toss the rest. Of course, I always recommend recycling unwanted paper. I open any bills next and file the papers in a desktop organizer, where I can easily access the information when it comes time for me to pay my bills. The same is done for account statements, except that I file these papers in a more permanent organizational system. I usually enjoy reading, or at least browsing, newsletters sent me by charities and so I have the option of reading the newsletters etc. then or I can choose to recycle the papers. If there is a donation I want to make then I file it away in the same desktop organizer where I filed my bills. Now, my greatest piece of advice is to switch to paperless options wherever you can. This has tremendously cut down the amount of papers I receive each day. 

My final tip for cutting down paper clutter has to do with your shredding. Tip #3: Ditch the shred bag or pile and instead shred your papers as needed. Doing this everyday, assuming it is needed everyday, prevents unnecessary paper clutter and prevents unnecessary stress over a massive shred pile. It might take you time to get caught up on your shredding, but I promise you it is worth it. Not to mention spending a few minutes a day shredding is so much better for your health than hoarding the papers until you're overwhelmed. Bonus tip: If you have the resources then I suggest a mail station with storage on top for sorting and storage underneath for a shredder. 

I hope these tips have proved helpful to you and if you want to see any pictures of my organization leave a comment below. 

Christmas Preparation: Christmas Planner

She's making a list and checking it twice. She is going to find out what's been done and what is still left on her list. Not a detail will she miss in her Christmas planning. Yes, it is February 25th, which means it is once again time for a Christmas preparation post. This month I decided to make a Christmas planner with templates for my readers. I intended on posting a tutorial of my Christmas planner as well, but I have not had time to get all of the necessary materials. As soon as I am able to finish my Christmas planner I will post a tutorial as well.

This planner is a lot of fun and could save you a lot of work in the coming months. There are many templates, but you don't have to use all of the pages I used. While I filled out many of my pages you don't have to as I will showcase various pages throughout the year. There are various tutorials out there including turning your Christmas planner into a journal for a treasured family heirloom, but these templates and this method is what works best for my needs.

Christmas Planner 

Materials needed are a binder or notebook, printer, ink, printer paper, templates, scrapbook paper, and other embellishments. Also envelopes in various sizes.
Look through the templates provided and print the pages you need. You may need multiple copies of some pages like gift ideas and menu planning.
The page with the calendar should be printed 12 times for each month in the year.

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When I was printing out the template pages to make my own Christmas planner I accidentally printed the templates 2 sided, which is fine for some of the pages, but not all. Since I was unwilling to reprint the entire planner I put the pages in sheet protectors and am using a white board pen to write in the various items. This makes the planner reusable for next year, which is an added bonus to my mistake.

Baking and Holiday Bucket List

As you can see I have started filling out the pages of the planner that are the same every year. Every year I bake the same sweets with only the quantity changing so I wrote in the things I was planning on making, the quantity, and the shopping list. Then I filled out the holiday bucket list on the next page with the things I want to do every year like make a snowman and drink hot coco. If there is something you want to do every year and want to make it a family tradition then make sure to record it on the family tradition page.

Handmade Gifts

The final page I filled out was the homemade gift page. Next month's Christmas Preparation post will be about filling out the handmade gifts template. As you can see I started filling out the page with the two gifts I know I am making: a crochet sweater and a zebra pajama set. I have an idea of the materials I need to complete the gifts and have most of the materials I need already purchased, which is what I recommend doing, as well as a time estimate of how long it will take to complete each gift.

There are 22 pages in the Christmas Planner template and you may need multiple copies of one or more of the pages. Print as many pages as you need. Glue the pages into a notebook, embellish with scrapbook paper and stickers, or put into sheet protectors in a binder. Take pictures of your Christmas planner and be sure to upload the pictures below or share on Instagram using #BooBear'sChristmasPlanner.

Christmas Preparation: Theme

On the night before January 25th, all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse, except for this busy blogger prepping for Christmas. 11 months until Santa makes his midnight run and there isn't a minute to spare to bring some Christmas cheer.

Alright, in all seriousness I know Christmas is many months away and most, if not all of my readers, are not even thinking about Christmas preparation for this year. The last few years I have been like my readers and not given much thought about Christmas until October or November. However, last year was so stressful waiting until the last minute that I decided to revert to my old ways and start planning Christmas earlier. Every month, on the 25th, I will post a Christmas preparation idea or tutorial. The tutorials will either be a gift idea for a loved one, a themed decoration, or a party idea (baked good containers, party favors, etc). I hope these posts will allow my readers to get a head start on Christmas.

Every year, even the last two years, I have started my Christmas preparation the same: the theme. I love having a different theme for every Christmas. It allows me to stay focused on ideas for Christmas cards, wrapping paper, and containers for baked goods. This may not be necessary if you only ever have Christmas celebrations with your immediate family, but my family has a Christmas Eve party with relatives and friends every year and a theme is definitely necessary. As I said before, it keeps me focused. Over the last few years my themes have been Sweet Candied Men (Gingerbread men in their candy homes), Frosty's Winter Wonderland (everything snow related),  Santa's Village, and Candy Cane Lane (stripes, lots of stripes). This year my theme is whimsical as A Whoville Christmas, which is essentially a play on How The Grinch Stole Christmas. 

The next thing I always do is design and order my themed Christmas cards. When I actually do this varies every year because I usually wait for "10 cards free" or "$20 off your order" deals on Shutterfly. If you don't use one of these deals then custom photo cards can get really expensive. There are a lot of photo sharing sites with deals of their own so don't be afraid to shop around. I don't always have time to take family pictures that are theme related and sometimes I just don't want to bother with it, which is when I just make the card itself themed, rather than the family photos. Christmas cards are a chance to be creative, a chance to be silly, and a chance to send memories to your loved ones so have fun. 

Boxed In Collage Christmas Card

Bubbles of Snowflakes Address Label

A Whoville Christmas is a really hard theme to order custom photo cards without using themed photos. However, I managed to find Christmas cards and labels that fit my theme. The Boxed in Collage Christmas Card allowed me the space and layout to tell a story. I used silly family photos from this last Christmas and told the story of how the Grinch stole Christmas. A few weeks after purchasing my cards, I received a promotion for free address labels, which I have just ordered. I ended up choosing these Bubbles of Snowflakes Address Labels, which I felt were whimsical and fit the color theme. 

When you are thinking of and planning your theme it is helpful to also specify a color scheme. A Whoville Christmas can be designed in several ways and using several different colors. If I were to use all of the colors that could be used it would end up feeling overwhelming. I actually used two color schemes, but I feel the colors integrate really nicely. The first color scheme is red, green, and white, which is the main color scheme used throughout and the second color scheme is pink, white, blue, and green. The pink, white, blue, and green are accent colors that will be used in gift wrapping. These colors were actually chosen by accident while I was shopping the post Christmas sale. This year I was fortunate enough to find many of the little details, think gift wrap and food containers, after Christmas instead of searching for the perfect items closer to Christmas. I will of course be posting my after Christmas finds at a later time.

There are a lot of pieces that go into Christmas planning from the cards to the food to the presents and it is easy to lose track of your ideas throughout the year. I know there are quite a bit of posts on other blogs about Christmas planners that are available as tutorials or for purchase and I encourage all of my readers to do a Google search for Christmas Planners to find a planner that best fits their needs. Personally, I have never used a Christmas planner and just use a notebook, but I definitely see the need for a planner and have even saved templates over the year to try.

If you want me to make a Christmas planner and show how I use it to organize my Christmas this year please leave a comment below. I look forward to reading your own ideas for organizing Christmas as well as what things you want me to post in future Christmas Preparation posts.