Early planners and the Super Organised

[Charrington]

Disclaimer: Yes, I do know it’s August however I’m posting this in the Christmas Forum where people discuss Christmas related matters all year round.

If you get started on Christmas organisation well in advance, could you share a timeline of tasks or any good tips?
Thanks in advance!

I mostly foe the Holiday Grand Plan on the organised Christmas website - 14 weeks from Sept to mid-December to thoroughly spring clean and seasonally check your house, prep for Christmas and also prep for the mad few seasonal weeks so you do minimal cleaning and use up freezer meals prepared earlier in autumn when life gets hectic. (And I don't follow it religiously - some rooms need a full doing, some weeks life is too busy or the rooms are generally on, and the aim is to get a little more done than I would otherwise by being organised and methodical, not kill myself finishing it all).

I originally started with the Flylady's Christmas cruise - which was 6 weeks from mid October to get organised, finishing on 1st December (as that's when you "leave on your cruise returning Dec 24th), so you can enjoy the festive season with everything organised and ready. Organised Christmas has a similar 6 week plan but starting end oct to finish mid-Dec.

But I roll over my present and budget spreadsheet in January every year and pop in ideas or anything I've bought or made during the year as that happens. It sits beside my general budget spreadsheet in my work computer (personal drive) so I can fill it in frequently).

And whenever I am travelling in the autumn (I usually have a couple of overnights for work between Sept and mid-Dec), I bring my cards to write on the plane journey so it's an easy way to get them done in plenty of time for posting.

I have a savings account that money goes into each month. I use that to buy throughout the year or if my current account isn't strapped, I don't. I use this site and an offers group on Facebook throughout the year. I have a list on my notes app that has who I am buying for and then I just add in either what I am planning to buy or what I have bought. I review who I am buying for every year e.g I stop buying for godchildren/nieces/nephews after 18. I use a symbol for bought, packed and given/sent on my list My budget is quite low so mostly I see it as a token gift. I make and bake a lot. I try not to buy stuff for the sake of it or something too novelty....my older kids really aren't going to appreciate elf pyjamas! I focus my attention on everyone else I am buying for and then do my kids. My husband and I don't usually buy for each other, other than a stocking.
I try not to reinvent the wheel every year for every single person. E.g. small children get similar theme. I may buy them lego or a book etc. To be honest one of my kids has started to love Lego flowers in her twenties
I book a Tesco delivery asap but some years have missed it and survived. I always write a menu plan. Resist the temptation to buy more cream but buy lots of Christmas veg that is on offer! 😂Leave space on the menu for eating leftovers. I try to make a meal for the freezer each week for four/five weeks before Christmas week.
Use foil containers for food on Christmas day.
I prep all food the day before Christmas eve. If possible I cook as much as possible and freeze...pots for roasting, gravy, red cabbage etc We never have a big turkey so whatever meat I am cooking may be done early and frozen in gravy. I use the slow cooker as much as possible.
We do have a few desserts on Christmas Day but we don't have them every day over the Christmas period. I try to choose things that I make and require no last minute faffing
If I am baking as a gift I write it in my diary based on when it needs to be given. It also helps me to make sure I have the right ingredients when I order my weekly shop
Every year I check the gift bags before I put them away and chuck damaged ones. I buy wrapping paper in sales including, if possible, non-Christmss designs for through the year. If tissue paper is ever on offer I buy it. Lakeland used to do a huge pack which was great value....not sure if they do now. I may buy a few cards in the sales but I send less and less every year. I pack presents to be given to people outside of my household in bags and do it as soon as the tree is up.
Decorating/tree and cleaning goes in the diary too

So many brilliant suggestions!
@YuliaJollyberry I’m really curious to hear more about your formulae.

@Wisenotboring the suggestion to have a big bag for the kids is brilliant. I might do that for the adults as well!

@ITSSSSCHRISTMASSS thats a great idea to put cash in cards sooner rather than later. I give some gift cards and putting the money aside now would help.

I’m putting an alert on my phone now to book grocery slot.

The best thing I've done successfully this year, after a half hearted attempt last year, is have a separate money pot in my bank account to put into each month starting in January.

Also the gift list app to keep track - then you can wrap as they arrive and it isn't a huge job then!

I do red cabbage in the slow cooker the day before, then it just needs a quick whizz in the microwave before serving. I also do loads of it and freeze the extra for later in the year.
I use disposable foil trays for everything I can. I use one for the turkey too, but I put it inside a roasting tin so that it is easy to lift in and out of the oven.
I have shared this next genius tip on another thread last year. I have a fussy DH who says he doesn't like shop bought dishes. He actually eats far more of it than he realises. I don't lie or anything, I just don't tell him and I dispose of any packaging very quickly. It's not my fault if he jumps to conclusions and assumes I've made everything. So my top tip for mincemeat is to buy a jar of Robertson's mincemeat, add a really good slug of whisky, some orange zest and a bit more dried fruit. Everybody loves it and I just look smug. Mind you, if Robertson's ever change their recipe then I'm stuffed. I tried making it properly one year and apparently it wasn't as good! 🤣

@Charrington Our stocking formula is a list of gift categories x usable/edible/doable + tailored to recipients likes or interests - useless filler items. Ensures all equal (back when that mattered) with a mix of things and not 5 craft/toiletry sets with a ton of chocolate each. Dh and I further complicate each others with a sort of theme to guess.

Tree gifts formula I’m currently musing over. Reduced quantity last year by a small percentage, reducing a lot further this year now all much older.

Thinking about it I have a method for the duty token children’s gifts as well - a book with small matching toy until 5, craft/art stuff from 6 then onto T-shirts/accessories for tweens till we stop at 16/18. Makes thinking of stuff for those I see rarely/ don’t know so well easier.

My issue with buying presents early is that I forget and buy more/ give it to the person early/ don't feel Christmassy not shopping near to Xmas so do more. I'm a nightmare

This year I'm on holiday at the end of November beginning of December and I'm starting to plan where we'll be when.

DH and I have totally different ideas for presents. He makes everyone write a list and sticks to it. I tend to see things that I think people will like and buy for them.

I've bought and wrapped all of my Christmas presents plus for three family birthdays in December. Just waiting for the 'special' cards to come into the shops now.

I'm not showing off - I'm seeing my family in a couple of weeks and won't see them again until the New Year so had to get a wiggle on so they have everything in time 😁

Download a Christmas present app. You can budget and track presents that way.

I normally buy too much and we are up all Christmas eve wrapping so not doing that this year! I'm going to buy less and finish wrapping two weeks before.

Last year dh didn't get onboard with any food shopping like his cheese etc which I got stressed over. So this year I will ask him again but only the once. Less food was fine. It was gone over the three days.

I might do my food list now actually 🤔

I have 6 kids so I always need to be extra organised. I started my Christmas organising last week. I always do the same thing every year. I didn’t mean to keep doing the same thing but the kids say we have to because it’s tradition now🫣
First thing I do is check when everyone breaks up from school so I can book our Christmas days out. This year is the December 20th so our calendar looks like this
20th - break up from school
21st - Christmas Light walk. We normally Kew gardens but it was already fully booked so we’re going to Waddeson Manor instead which is actually better. Only £23 for 8 of us with our national trust membership and lots of parks for the kids to play in.
22nd - the big Christmas clean!
23rd - Pantomime. I’ve booked already because we get good seats for only £13 each
24th - Christmas Eve. We open Christmas Eve box (order refill from The Festive Studio in October) have a big breakfast, get dressed then go for a long walk to the park to try and tire the kids out. After that it’s home for baths (matey bubble bath), movie and new Christmas pyjamas (Christmas pyjamas will be ordered in September when the shops bring them out). Once we’re all washed and dressed we jump on the car and do a Christmas light scavenger hunt (bought from Porky Penguin, they do beautiful personalised scavenger hunts for a reasonable price) and stop at McDonald’s for Christmas Eve dinner. That way the kitchen stays clean for Christmas day.

I've also already ordered my stocking filler kits for my youngest 3 from The Little Things. If you struggle coming up with stocking fillers I would highly recommend, they’re excellent!

I keep a spreadsheet of gift ideas, link and price by person with a column for if I buy it what I've spent v what I could spend... I have a tab for each year so I can see back to last year's ideas and gifts.

I start a Xmas cupboard to put bits in from September.

This year is different as I have an LO and we will be abroad for Xmas, but the spreadsheet still helps!

Hi All,

Any advise for someone looking to get organised early, we also have a birthday in November and 3 in December 12th, 21st and 23rd.

I have £400 in a savings account at the moment but that doesnt seem to go far these days, thanks