Your christmas notebook

[Consideringparttime]

My mum had a christmas notebook that came out every year, it was one of those little red floppy handbag notebooks- specifically for Christmas. It had lists from each year in and receipts stuffed in etc

Unfortunately it was lost and I'd love to see it again with all her writing in
I have my own now- anyone else have a christmas planner or notebook?

I have a lovely rose gold notebook that I write lists in. I try to make notes to go back to. I’ve just had a look through and in 4 of the 5 years I’ve used it I’ve written “need more fizz next year”.

Trying to be a bit more organised this year rather than leaving everything until last minute and stressing myself out 😂 Looking for a nice planner to keep track of presents, food prep, budgets, etc.
I’ve seen a few online but not sure which ones are actually worth buying. Would love some recommendations if you’ve used one that you really like! mummy1996 did you end up buying the Christmas planner you mentioned?

I have a Christmas Planner and I LOVE it! I've had it since 2020.

Each year, I make a shopping list of the food I need to buy, what I am cooking on Christmas day and the timings, lists under each person's name of all the presents I buy and how much they cost so I know exactly what I've spent on everyone. It keeps me on track with the budget I set for who I buy for.

There are slots at the back for receipts and recipes.

Then, at the end of Christmas, I section off the year with a post it note to keep all the pages together and mark that year.

I've just got it out for this year to start planning! 🎄

I also love looking back at what I've bought my sons in previous years.

I will definitely be buying another one when this is full, but I reckon I can get another 2/3 years out of it yet! :)

I've just posted above about my planner, I love it, this is my 6th year now having it and it's still got a lot of life and room left in it. I don't necessarily use the pages exactly what they're for, just work my way through it with my lists, love it. :)

this is the one I have Rachel Ellen A5 Christmas Organiser Book - 5 Year Planner : Amazon.co.uk: Stationery & Office Supplies

I had a hardback Christmas planner but have found an A4 binder with section dividers to be far easier. I just bought a hole punched A4 pad, tear off the pages and file as needed within the dividers. I have sections for presents, food, Boxing Day etc.

It’s truly lovely to look back at everything, but also SO useful to have all the Christmas Day food timings written out for easy reference. I make notes of every year about which food products went down well (and which didn’t….) and even comments like “Don’t buy crackers for 2026, there’s a whole box in the loft” etc.

I love "Things you don't need"

I have spreadsheets for present planning - my husband, adult kids and their spouses. No stockings now that they are all grown up.

A spreadsheet of names and addresses for Christmas cards (I send very few these days - just older people who we don’t see, really)

A spreadsheet of plans and arrangements over the Christmas period including the meals I’m planning.

A word doc that I update every year with reminders of what to do and not do, year on year. Things that have worked and things that do not work for us.

I’m a bit of a Christmas planning and organisation nerd - I love it

I have one. A nice hardback notebook I got as a gift. And I have now been using it for 10 years! It’s forced over the years but currently it has For each year:

• facing left page with the kids birthday pressies on as they have close birthdays.
• first page for the year: reflections and lessons from previous years, notes of any tweaks.
• next 2 pages: names of everyone I am buying for a space to write what I bought and the price.
• page of kids main pressies
• page of kid stockings
• page of partners pressies and elf box contents
• page for high cost food, decs and any trips
• page for post Christmas reflections for next year

i started it to avoid buying the same things every year.

Love the idea - mine is far less traditional.

Each year I make a Christmas spreadsheet. pages for present lists, for cooking, for timelines of travel etc.

It serves the same function - I like to go back and see what I gave my son and other family members each year, and think about whether the presents went well or not, and I can see what else I was planning/doing. But it isn't as pretty as a notebook or file!

I have a green school style notebook.

I have a card list, who I sent to and who I received from

a food page, menus for the 3 celebrations

and a present page, ideas and then check it off when it’s been purchased and how much

when I’m in the last week nitty gritty, I use giant post it note pads to make shopping lists and to do lists, then I throw those out when it’s over.

I had the big Christmas Eve party for 30 people last year, so I won’t have that again until 2030.

Mine is also an unused exercise book I found when clearing one of the DC‘s rooms when they left home. I covered it with Christmas craft paper and clear sticky back plastic 😂