Planners, organising etc

[Ladyofthepeonies]

Does anyone use a paper planner, do they help? I look every year then decide against it? But need to be extra organised this year.

also any must do tips as we are on holiday until Christmas Eve Eve’

I've got a paper planner (a Cath Kidston one) and I have some notes written in that and some kept as notes on my phone.

WRT organising are you at home for Christmas dinner? Are you hosting guests or is it just your household?

Anything you can buy in advance and won't perish or be eaten can be bought as and when.

Supermarkets do food to order. If you want to buy fresh stuff you should place an order to be picked up - if you are on holiday until the 23rd you'll probably need to have a Christmas Eve collection date so don't hang about - book it as soon as it becomes available. The brochures are usually out in early October.

Freeze stuff if you have the room. Veg and roast potatoes can be part cooked and then finished off on the day.

Don't leave your wrapping until the last minute. Do it before you go on holiday.

If you send cards write them at the beginning of December and post them in the second week.

We’re hosting but it will only be 9 of us. I’m planning/hoping to have all presents wrapped and buy all the way in advance snacks ( got the 2 for £7 tins of chocs this week). They are hidden away in the pantry.

Are your guests staying? Do you have a spare room? If so, make sure that it is sorted before you go away. The last thing you'll want to do when you get back from your holiday is change beds and hoover.

I use a planner but it's one I print out myself and stick into an a4 notebook. I have the last 6 years in there as well so I can look back at previous gifts and timings for things. Each year I put a new background behind the text boxes/tables, last year was holly this year it's sheet music for O Holy Night. Sometimes I add new planning sheets or remove one that didn't get used much last year.

I bought a planner once but I didn't use half of the pages and it didn't have all the sections I wanted, so making my own has been more effective. I definitely find it helps me organise and it means that I get everything done sooner. We are Christians so when it gets to Advent I like to do certain activities that have spiritual meaning for me (as well as all the fun stuff with the children) and not be worried about present buying or meal planning.

I use a Filofax so buy a Christmas planning insert from Etsy.

I also made one for myself. I have a green A4 ring binder and created some templates for myself in word, with Christmassy backgrounds, that I print onto coloured paper each year.

i have a month on one page planner for December, so I can mark all events, when people are arriving and leaving etc. then for the big days or when a lot of people will be staying, I have a day per page with menu plan, timeline, things to remember etc.

i have print outs of any recipes I will cook (I usually do similar each year) and a present list. I also have a copy of the Christmas card list with addresses and a tick box for each year so I can see what I sent when.

i add post it notes at the front at the end of each year with things I need to buy that we’ve run out of and a reminder to order personalised Christmas cards at the end of November…

it’s a military operation in the Greater household!

Oh and last year I created a pretty agenda for the main weekend because we had loads of people staying and lots of plans (Christmas market, Santa visit etc.). I didn’t want to be constantly repeating myself or feel like I was constantly making sure people knew the plan and were ready to go at the right time.

i printed them out on nice paper and left them on top of the piles of towels on our guests beds so they found them when they arrived.

it went down well and most people kept them as a memory, except my dad who complained that the text was too small and printing on coloured paper made it hard to read… so lessons for this year!

I LOVE this post. Thank you op 🎅

@Greaterthanthesumoftheparts your planner sounds great! Could you share any more details of your planning pages? I am always looking to improve mine! I also have a one page planner for December and I make sure I plan all the crafts and baking we are going to do. There is also a one page planner that shows all the tasks I need to do from September-December by week. I have a page per DC for gifts (mostly for stocking gifts, but also what their 'big' present is. And a page for gifts for everyone else's gifts (this year I am also going to note down where the presents are hidden!) I then have baking and craft lists and planners for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

@Candlesonthetable like a treasure map for hidden presents. 🤗 I learnt a few years ago colour code the paper for the recipient and I now have a bag aside for stocking gifts - as I go a little bit overboard when they aren’t stored together. One tip I wish I read years earlier was two identical sacks or stockings one full one empty far easier and quieter to swap over silently

Oh and loving all the suggestions thank you

sorry for the delay, busy weekend. Here’s a few examples from my planner over the years. @Candlesonthetable could you share your tasks on one page from September to December planner. I need to add something like that and it’s perfect timing with September right round the corner!