Christmas planning book

[AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken]

Is there a book out there that helps you plan and prepare for Christmas?

I’m thinking month by month with recipes and instructions.

For example, September might be a chapter on creating bottled flavoured vodka etc and homemade Christmas wrapping paper, October might be how to make different decorations and wreaths, November home made gifts etc.

Or am I going to have to write it myself! Haha

I've bought the Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles (not read it yet) so this year I'll be all Nigel-ey and produce some delicious foods with things from my fridge wrapped in greaseprrof parchment .....

Ha! Back in the real world I managed to eustle up a cous-cous salad with roasted onion, peppers and some tomatoes .
DC had pizza (dough in the breadmaker , sauce that I made last week and froze)
So a bit Nigel

My planning involves an A4 notebook and my nice inkpen
I'm jotting down notes as I think of them then when the page looks crowded rewite it tidily .

I've got things like Order Holland&Barett Advent Calendar" and "Buy The Snowman Loo Roll

Rock'n'Roll , me .
Booking a night out to theate

I've booked a dy off in November to do things ( probably read magazines and shop online )

There's loads of threads on here about Dishwasher Vodka , though no-one in my house would drink it .

But yes , you're going to have to write it yourself

I can’t believe it doesn’t exist yet. What has Kirstie Allsopp being doing all through lockdown????

She spent how many months doing Kirsties Homemade Crap Crafts so she's missed the boat .

I can see a crossover of FlyLady and Nigel .
Sort keep-yourself-on-track and lovely cooking

De-Clutter in November . Straight after Hallowe'en (after decluttering the leftover sweeties )

Yes! I’ll start making a list of all the things I do throughout the year in prep and see if I could put a book together.
This time next year, Rodney…

Good Housekeeping does the Get Ahead for Christmas magazine. It's mainly food, with some drinks, and is just things you could do; there's no planning guide, as such.

This is actually something I would use.

When I was a teenager my dm was given a Christmas planner as a gift. It was part notebook to make your own lists, timelines, menus, part advice book so it had things to do in the weeks leading up to Christmas, tips, recipes, etc. As a teenager, I had no appreciation for it. As an adult I've driven myself half crazy looking for one. I've no idea where it was from, and I've never managed to find one like it.

www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-planner-organizer-notebook-Holiday/dp/B08KVLJ5BX/ref=asc_df_B08KVLJ5BX/?hvlocphy=1006524&linkCode=df0&hvptwo&psc=1&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvadid=500831667113&hvpone&hvlocint&th=1&hvpos&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=pla-1348243096929&hvrand=15921356343721625360 Something like this?

The organised mum (she's on social media, also has a blog, book) has an organised Christmas method where there is a countdown week by week (from about now I think!) with everything that needs doing! I dip in and out of it but it is really helpful

@Miniroofbox

]] Something like this?

That’s like the skeleton of what I’m thinking of. So something with all this room to add your own notes but with much more recipes, step by steps, guides etc

Yeah @AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken I’ve had a look and I’d need more space and pages than that?

I found one in the charity shop but never opened it last year. You’ve reminded me to find it!

I’m due my third baby in October so I might put my ideas down more clearly on paper over the year as a hobby while I’m on maternity.

@70isaLimitNotaTarget

She spent how many months doing Kirsties Homemade Crap Crafts so she's missed the boat .

I can see a crossover of FlyLady and Nigel .
Sort keep-yourself-on-track and lovely cooking

De-Clutter in November . Straight after Hallowe'en (after decluttering the leftover sweeties )

Every year I am excited to watch the Homemade Christmas and always feel disappointed. Also because its on every night for an hour I have a backlog I end up fast forwarding through anyway 😂

@hammyhamster72

The organised mum (she's on social media, also has a blog, book) has an organised Christmas method where there is a countdown week by week (from about now I think!) with everything that needs doing! I dip in and out of it but it is really helpful

Was going to say the same as this! In previous years I've followed what's relevant to us each week and noted it in a notebook. I've got a Christmas planner too.

It’s not in the format you said but I like Tanya’s Christmas book, which is similar.

@Ffs2020 something like Lia Manea's Christmas Helper?

There's definitely a few out there, I mulled over one for ages and decided against it because it was pretty much what I already have set up for myself. I'll try and remember where I saw them!

@RuggerHug

There's definitely a few out there, I mulled over one for ages and decided against it because it was pretty much what I already have set up for myself. I'll try and remember where I saw them!

Thank you!

@FoolShapeHeart, yes, it was something like that. I'm ordering that one, thank you! I think dms had geese, or French hens or a partridge on it.

@Miniroofbox

]] Something like this?

I've just ordered this one

There's this one too, which is still more skeleton than I think you want but a step closer?

Christmas Planner Organiser | Paper Christmas Book Planner | A5 Size Christmas Notebook for Planning https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08KJ851WF/ref=cmswwrcppapiglttfabcVC6QN3BG9B7T4SJY7VWS??encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I just use an ordinary exercise book and make lists - things to buy and do, and by when.

Cards, presents, decorations, advance cookery (I make mincemeat and Chr. Puds, stuffing and pigs in blankets for the freezer, brandy butter, cranberry sauce.)

And any particular pre Christmas cleaning (my least favourite bit).

I bought the Nigel Slater book recently but am saving it until November.

Like other posters I create my own. I use PowerPoint and print it out again each year with the days of the week updated, and any changes included. I stick it into the same a4 notebook and pop a sticky tab on the side with the year on. I also change the background so last year was a bit of a scandi background, this year is snowflakes. I adapt the Holiday Grand Plan for most of the organisation and just move my recipes over each year.

I like doing it this way as I also include the saints days and the O Antiphons, which we use to arrange some of our Christmas activities, but I don't want to have to write them into a premade one each year. I also print out our Christmas day timetable which we have (almost) got down to a fine art, but which alternates between years depending on whether we are hosting on Christmas day or the 27th (Boxing day is a day of rest in the Table household). On the craft page I either direct to an instructional website or a page number in one of the many Christmas books we have.

The Christmas planner is always compiled in late August and the first week of prep is the first week of September. August is what I consider to be the Christmas prep planning month! DH thinks I am mad, but is pleased that he doesn't need to take any part in the prep (which is my choice but also because his job gets super busy around Christmas).