Thursday, November 10
I've got all of these holiday ideas rolling around in my head...so it's been good for me that I've been thinking through my holiday plan this last week or so. Once I get the base of my plans figured out, I can get to the fun stuff.When I start working on my holiday planning for gifts and cards, I always do cards first, as I think they're easier. So, here's the next installment of my get-ready plan.
Chel's Holiday Plan - The Cards
First, take your list (made during the initial Question stage), however long it is, and cut 10 percent. Just delete them. If you've only got 10 names on the list, cut one. If you've got 40, cut four. It's not an unreasonable amount, and quite frankly, it helps me feel like I'm paring down, making things easier for myself. It may only be in my head, but it helps. And never have more than 50 people on the list. That's just unmanageable, I think.
Everything else can be done in small blocks of time, so it's not so overwhelming. I can do an amazing amount of stuff while I watch an hour of "CSI" or "Veronica Mars" each week.
1) If you're buying cards, decide if you want plain cards from the store that you can drop a photo into or photo cards. If you want photo cards, start taking those family pictures and uploading them to Snapfish or some such place. Order photo cards early.
2) Plan to address envelopes (or key in labels) one evening watching television. Stick the labels and stamps another evening. You can buy stamps online to avoid the line at the P.O. and to be sure that you get the cute stamps.
3) If you're making your cards (which I never do), make a list of everything you'll need to make them and buy those things all in one shopping trip. Then, decide when you're going to make them. Set aside an hour or two or three or whatever, but do it in one block. And decide that you'll do it all in that amount of time and that whatever doesn't get done, just won't. And that's fine.
4) I always take my stack of envelopes and make two stacks - the folks who get a name signed to the card & the folks who get a short note. And I mean a short note! (If I get photo cards, the note is printed on them, so this step is already done!) Then, I do the signing and note writing.
My goal this year, is to have all of the cards done by Dec. 9, mailed by Dec. 10.
Because I want my purchases to be positive this year, I'm trying to make purchases from people or organizations that give back or from people selling their own goods. I'm going to buy cards from French Toast Girl because she has beautiful cards made from her own artwork and from the M.D. Anderson's Children's Art Project that allows children with cancer to experience the healing touch of art.
When buying, I always go ahead and buy the cute little form thank you notes for Griff to use for his gifts at Christmas.
[ posted by Chel on Thursday, November 10, 2005 ]
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