Recycled Christmas: Christmas Card Planner

Today is the last day of September, which means there are only 2 months between now and Christmas. I don't know about you, but I still have a lot of things to do before I can consider myself ready for Christmas. To keep myself organized and hopefully finish everything in time, I have made a planner using a Christmas card. This project is the first tutorial in the Recycled Christmas series and I am excited to share it with you.

Christmas Card Planner

For this project you will need: 

*A computer

*Microsoft Office or another word processor

*Computer paper (I used resume paper for a vintage appearance)

*A printer

*A Christmas card with envelope

*Ribbon

*Glue

*Tape

*Scissors

Planner Pages

The first thing I did was create a template of the inside pages on my computer. When I first created my template I wasn't sure of what pages I would want to include or how the pages would be ordered when I printed them out. This meant that not everything I have in the finished project were included in the original template and assembly proved a bit challenging. If I were going to make this planner again I would order the pages on my computer first and then print them out differently so that assembly was easier. If you have access to a card template on your computer I recommend using that template to create your pages because my pages didn't print the size I needed them to be, which meant a lot of unnecessary cutting afterwards. The pages in my planner are tabbed for easy access. The tabs are Calendar, Gifts, Cards, and Notes. 

Envelope Pocket 

On the inside front cover of the card I glued the card's envelope to the inside and trimmed off the excess. After I trimmed off the excess I had to go back and glue the edges of the envelope together so that it once again functioned as an envelope. Adding the envelope to the inside front cover provided me with a pocket, which I will use to store receipts or coupons that I need to reference later. I then assembled my pages in the order I wanted and used a hole punch to make two holes on the edge of the pages. I then used these holes to mark where I wanted the pages to lay on the inside of the card, which I marked using a pencil and then used the hole punch to make the holes. 

First Page of Planner

I would have liked to have used a ribbon that matched my card, but since this is a Recycled Christmas I used ribbon I already had to thread the pages to the card. I then taped the edges of the ribbon to the back of the card. You could also use more ribbon and secure the pages to the card using a bow. I decided to use tape and to not make a bow because I wanted my planner to lie flat when closed. The finishing touches to my planner were made using the pieces trimmed off of the envelope. I used the envelope flap to decorate the first page and the remaining pieces to create tabs for the different page types. I then began to fill out my planner using gel pens in colors that matched my planner.

The compact size of this Christmas planner means that I can easily tuck it into my purse and take it with me. I have tucked mine into my existing planner so that I will reference it regularly and stay organized this Christmas. Since this year is a Recycled Christmas, I am trying to purchase my gifts from eBay or to make my own using existing supplies I already have. The calendar pages in this planner are useful for tracking ending dates on eBay, as well as providing me with a written timeline for completing projects. While the gifts section allows me to keep track of the gifts I have already purchased and to record ideas for gifts I want to purchase in the future. This will also be useful in tracking gifts when the packages come in and I may have forgotten which item went to each person. Let me know if you are interested in the templates I used in my own planner as well as your own ideas for staying organized at Christmas. 

Organizational Tips: Lunch Planning

Last week I posted my tips for a more efficient work week, which included meal planning and snack organization. This week I thought I would expand upon these tips with some ideas on how to organize lunches. I work full time and don't have a lot of time available to eat lunch. When you don't have a lot of time to eat lunch it is especially important to plan ahead and pack your lunch. I have spent plenty of lunches eating food I had found leftover in my fridge or pantry, food that was mismatched, and not really a nutritional lunch. If you're like me and have eaten more than one hurried lunch then you could continue to live this way or you could get organized and start eating nutritional lunches. 

Lunch Planning Template

My motivation, beyond eating a decent lunch, is my desire to eat healthy to correspond with my workouts, which I just recently started actively doing again. Tip #1: Plan out your lunches for the week. Whether your goal is to eat healthy or not, the first step is to plan out your lunches for the week or weeks, depending on how regularly you shop. I attempt to shop at least once a week, but I know some individuals and family who shop every two weeks. I know that lunch planning isn't always easy, but I have made a monthly lunch planning template. The template, shown left, can be downloaded and printed at your convenience. There are spaces for a lunch everyday each week for a month. Use the pre-made boxes to plan out your lunch and the shopping list underneath for recording everything you will need to pick up the next time you go grocery shopping. If there is a lunch that worked great for you, or a meal you particularly enjoyed, remember to highlight the corresponding box on your monthly planning page for future reference. 

Tip #2: Make as many lunches as will fit in your fridge ahead of time. Just like with meal planning last week the best method is to make as many of your lunches as you can ahead of time. This will save you time in the morning before you leave for work and ensure that your lunches are nutritional as well as fulfilling. If you plan on packing leftovers from dinner as your lunch then I recommend packing the leftovers the night before. This step takes only a few minutes, but will save you a headache in the morning. I recommend investing in a set of lunch containers and a sturdy lunch bag for optimal organization. I have tried out many Bento-style boxes, but haven't found any boxes that I absolutely love and/or are completely functional to my needs. I have, however, found some plastic containers that work great for my lunch at the Dollar Tree. My favorite is a square plastic container with separate compartment for sauce or dip. The separate compartment has its own lid so the contents do not leak into the larger container. 

The 3 compartment plastic containers, shown left and also found at Dollar Tree, are great for making your lunches ahead of time and storing in your fridge. The containers stack on top of each other nicely while providing compartments for dividing food. My only problem with this style container is that you can't separate the compartments if you only want to heat some of the food. You could put your main meal on a separate plate and heat it, but I have found this isn't always possible or efficient.

3 Compartment Plastic Containers

Stackable Plastic Containers

I love the stackable plastic containers, shown right, but  have found the containers are pricey. Since I like the concept, but not the price, I have taken it upon myself to make my own version, at a fraction of the price. I am still shopping around for the right containers to use. My idea, though, is to use containers like those pictured on the left and stack smaller containers on top. I will post pictures and information on my containers when I finish finding the perfect set.

Tip #3: Be realistic. It is important to be realistic with your time, means, and level of hunger. Do not waste time planning or packing a large lunch if you don't have the time to actually enjoy your meal. Do not plan a lunch that requires additional cook time, beyond simply reheating it, unless you truly have the time and space to do this. Do not underestimate your level of hunger throughout your work day. Don't starve yourself at lunch even if your goal is to eat healthy or even to lose weight. Starving yourself will only lead to over indulging later on in your day. If you get hungry frequently or have low blood sugar then pack snacks. Eating small meals throughout the day has been proven to be an effective method for losing weight.