Christmas Notebook

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Hello all! I keep hearing about Christmas notebooks and love the idea of having something to both keep me organised and look back on to see what worked and what didn’t. But I’m curious to know what people write in them? I’m thinking to keep track of presents, cleaning schedule, food etc. what do you find especially useful please?

I have a family picture, a couple of headlines for what stood out that Christmas (a funny joke, a game we enjoyed etc), and some notes about food ie the Christmas pudding recipe I used and whether we liked it. In recent years I’ve been scrapbooking it, using the Argos catalogue for gifts we received or a magazine clipping I got a recipe from. I love getting it out each year and reading it, I highly recommend it!

A Christmas notebook and a cleaning schedule, I've heard it all now 😂

Well, the cleaning g part is more for accountability and mostly keeping track of when I’ve booked an oven clean etc. admittedly not to everyone’s taste but thanks for your helpful input 😉

love the idea of a family photo, something to add in each year and enjoy looking back on

In the past I’ve just used an ordinary (cheap!) exercise book, and made lists of what I need to do and buy, and by when.
Cards (list of who I need to send to)
Presents (what? and for whom)
Advance cooking and freezing
Other food/drink to buy
Any extra cleaning
Decorations

And (I hope!) tick it all off

I do a Christmas note book every year in mine I have:

What worked well last Christmas
from food/ meal plans to presents and days out.

What didn't work well last Christmas and a note or two about why.

Expenditure spent for food, drink, presents and days out because this informs how much we need to save each month for each category over the next year. I then set up a standing order for both DH and I that pays into our Christmas accounts each pay day. This money is ring fenced and cannot be touched until 1st October.

For Christmas 2024 my book includes:

potential meal plans and last food ordering dates for M and S, Waitrose etc.

A rough seating plan and dietary requirements if we are hosting that year.

A page each for DH, the children, wider family and gifts they would like, when and where purchased and the cost of each present I buy, oh and most importantly where I have hidden the present and if I have wrapped and tagged it.

A list of things need to buy that are not presents:
e.g. new Christmas decorations, batteries etc, new Dec story , a new bored game.

A shopping list that I always add to once meal plans have sorted

Reminder dates of things, e.g. kids nativity play, activities, Xmas days out, ticket/ booking ref when I need to print off tickets/ download digital tickets.

A list of people I am writing Christmas cards for with 1st and 2nd class last posting dates

Timings for things, the children's Christmas lists and anything interesting is put in the pocket in the back of the book.

If I am physically going Xmas shopping I take a small button wallet to keep recidpts in.

I use a cheap A5 notebook- something like a pukka pad with dividers in it.

i like to keep my Christmas books and look back to see what happened in past Christmases.

I have had the same Excel spreadsheet for 25 years

I have an Excel Christmas Card list where I make also note of who's not sent a card - 3 years and you're off my list, although some buggers then send a card!

Last year I resorted to printed labels for the envelops. My handwriting is getting worse, it no longer resembles a drunken spider having fallen in the ink bottle, it looks like two drunken spiders fell out the ink bottle and did a fandango

Would live to see a screenshot of your spreadsheet - maybe you could market it on Etsy

I get one most years from home bargains or b&m. Probably about £3-5
has sections for presents/ Xmas eve boxes/card list/ food shopping/xmas events

I like idea of having all info in one place and I carry it around and any notes I pop in one place

OP I do this except rather than a physical notebook I have a master spreadsheet with a couple of tabs for each year.

It's really nice to look back at what I got the kids.

I'd like to get a Christmas scrapbook going forward too

What I have in mine is:
Each year has 2 gift tabs, 1 is for planning and then one is a table with conditional formatting to keep track of the final list, costs, and columns to note whether each item has been ordered, delivered and wrapped. It's great for ensuring that no child has disproportionately more gifts than another!

I have a separate ongoing tab called "Magic and Sparkle" where I record ideas for nice and Christmassy things to do or buy, for example crafts or activities that went down well, ideas that catch my eye on adverts like hot chocolate pennies, down to the granular things like favourite Christmas house scents.

Like you suggested, I do also have a random tab that I add household things to, as I do like to do a deep clean and declutter of the house before we put up decorations,

Then I have a Christmas menu, shopping list and cooking planner. I'm not one of those people who can casually bang out a roast for 12 people in 3 hours, it takes me hours of prep and I like to do a good meal with lots of options and leftovers, so it requires much organisation to ensure I'm no longer in the kitchen for 8-9 hours on the day.

There's also a budgeting tab, which is boring but necessary as I have various bits of income put toward Christmas.

I love the idea of turning this into a physical scrapbook, however the editable and formattable spreadsheet version is very easy to work with!

Now I have my own kids I am very boring, and it really is the prep and organisation that gives me a lot of Christmas joy

Was just reading the comment above and yes to recording where you have hidden stuff! A couple of Christmas's ago, I had to get DP to go and take the kids outside, mid present opening, to try and spot Santa flying away, as there was an entire large box of presents that had not been set out

Every year I’m tempted by the idea of a notebook and bitterly regret not starting one 15 years ago for posterity. But then I whip out my phone where I’ve updated my Christmas Lists and all the wisdom is there and searchable.

It’s also incredibly useful to have the information at my fingertips when I’m in the shops.

What I have is

1. Gift list containing suggestions I’ve noted for each recipient, the budget I’ve allocated, and what I’ve spent, and a record of what I’ve bought, whether it’s arrived if ordered online, wrapped, and where it’s stored. I keep a separate one for each year which is very helpful now that I’m middle aged and forgetful and don’t want to buy someone the same thing again.

2. shopping list - broken into three categories. Some I buy ahead to spread the cost, find bargains, or track down. Some I buy about a week out in case I can’t get it closer to. And the last minute shop. This also contains info like the price I’m aiming for, or when the price is likely to drop.

3. A 12 week plan that spreads out the work, reminds me of postage dates, prompts me to make appointments and book tickets, when to look in the shop for certain items, cleaning schedule dependent on how many we’re hosting, and reminders to check the table linen, etc.

4. Master List - this gets continually updated. It’s my essential guide to difficult relatives, what not to do/buy, pitfalls to avoid, recipe tweaks and timings , occasional stern advice to my future self. All sorts of things I couldn’t write in a fancy notebook! I update it on boxing day, sometimes venting a little, and it’s always an invaluable resource.

I love all the details of these answers and have saved a few posts for ideas.

I keep it very, very simple.

We've cut right down on presents so I don't need lots of lists and budgets for that, I just keep a running list of what I've bought the children on my phone for easy reference as it's easy to overbuy bits for them.

I rarely host so don't worry too much about food lists and recipes.

So my Christmas notebook is just an old exercise book, and when I take the decorations down, I sit down and write a few notes about what went well, what didn't, things I'd like to remember for next year - just observations really.

Then I get diarise to get the book out at the beginning of November, when I'm making plans to remind myself what needs to be done.

So one year I wrote that we needed more tree lights as we didn't have enough, so the following year I saw the note and brought an extra string ahead of putting up the tree.

I always make a note to remember not to overschedule us, as inevitably we're fighting colds and could do with more time at home, but I always seem to forget that in my rush to do everything.

I have used a pukka pad in the past but needed a new book last year and bought a notebook with a Christmas cover on it. It doesn't have tabs like my pukka so I'm just sort of using it like a Bullet Journal style.

I've got journal pages which are reflections of how Christmas day has gone. I usually like to write this on Boxing Day whenever I get time to sit down and journal.

I've got pages of for example "Notes for 2024" where I just bullet point things like "buy gold tinsel this year"

A section for presents I have bought or ideas. I do end up duplicating as I have the Gift List app for this as well because I like to have present stuff on me when I'm out and about.

Section for what Christmas clothes we've got like Christmas jumper etc. I write this usually end of the year for the following year as have two girls so can reuse a lot of clothes! I then update if I buy something from Vinted through the year or in the January sales.

A whole section for food 😋

I follow The Organised Mum Christmas and she has uploaded a video about keeping Christmas magicalon a budget so I sat with a cup of tea and my note pad and made notes as I listened along.

I also write down gifts received for my two children then hubby and I. I like to remember who gave what especially for the girls as I like to send photos of them playing with whatever they got to the gift giver even if it's the following year.

Thanks for the thread - I've picked up a few ideas especially the budgeting. I'm so bad with this and am needing to look at a spreadsheet or equivalent balance book style page for my notepad!

Amazing, thanks everyone!