Christmas Simplified

I know it may be too late for some of you, but if you haven't started all your Christmas stuff yet, don't worry, it can be done!

Christmas doens't need to be complicated. Baby-steps really help with all the tasks associated with Christmas. December 1st I put the wreath on the front door and pulled my traditions calendar. That's it. That was enough for that day because I was really busy, but coming home and seeing the wreath was enough.

A couple days later my DH and I put up our tree. Just put it up, we didn't decorate it yet. I love our tree, it's so intuitive. It took us all of 5 minutes to set it up. It's a pre-lit tree in three sections and what sets it apart is that the lights are logical. The top plugs into the middle, the middle plugs into the bottom and the bottom plugs into the wall. That's it. 5 minutes. (Now my parents pre-lit tree is not intuitive and takes half an hour to try to figure out why that section of the tree is not lit up. I'm so glad that's not my problem anymore.)

We left the tree undecorated for a few days, but seeing the tree set up with the lights turned on was enough to make me smile. Another day I took 15 minutes and put the ornaments on. It takes me longer than I need to because I have a list of my ornaments and I put them on in order so I know I'm not missing any.

One day I pulled out my small box of kitchen Christmas stuff. I put the mugs and glass in the dishwasher, the tea towels and dish cloths in the laundry room, set out the hot pads and switched my Christmas magnet for another on the fridge. I used the same box I was emptying and put away some similar items so that I wouldn't have overflowing kitchen cupboards.

My sister has agreed to do up my Christmas card address labels in Publisher so that they can just be printed off every year and I won't have to hand write them all every year. We have also been baking together, doing one or two treats a week, spreading the work out and doing the freezable ones first. In the past I've participated in DH's work cookie exchange where everyone makes a lot of one type of treat and goes away with a variety.

I usually write a newsletter to put in our Christmas cards to make life easier. That way, people get to find out what we've been up to but I don't have to get my hand cramped up writing notes to everyone. Taking babysteps to Christmas cards is a great idea, but I need to get a move on.

So far I've brainstormed for my newsletter referring to our kitchen calendar, collected my addresses and sent them to my sister for the address labels, purchased one additional box of cards since I was about 12 short, and picked up enough Christmas stamps of each denomination I need (sending cards in Canada and the the States). What I have left to do, write and edit the newsletter with DH (3-4 babysteps), sign the cards and put people's names in them, pick up completed address labels from my sister (I'll see her today and ask how they're coming, we said to try and have them done by the 15th), affix the address labels and return address labels and stamps to the envelopes, stuff and seal envelopes, and actually mail them. It sounds like a lot, but I can babystep my way through it and get it done before Christmas, preferably closer to the 18th.

My mother is hosting Christmas dinner for my family and extended family, but my brother, his wife, and their son will be staying at my house. Also I'm going to be hosting a potluck with 6 of my friends, our Christmas for 8. Because I've been FLYing with FLYlady my house is in decent shape and I'm doing maintenance and have time for my Christmas tasks. I have a few more decorations that may or may not get out, most likely only half of them will go out.

So anyway, thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!!

Please comment or send your questions to me at homemakingdiva@hotmail.com

Have great day!

Valerie :)
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