Finish addressing your Christmas cards, and begin writing little personal notes in each one before you seal it.  If you do just a few cards a day, the task won’t be overwhelming.  If you usually write a Christmas letter, get it written now, and make enough copies for everyone.  Don’t have your cards yet?  Go to http://www.bobbibopstuff.com and you’ll find some great buys on quality cards.

Prioritize your final list, and keep your eyes on the ads to try to find as many of the items you are looking for on sale.

Give some thought to the decorating you will do.  Dig out all your

12-Nov

            If you’ve been following this plan since last Christmas, most of your shopping and gifts have already been purchased and wrapped.  Special gifts for your immediate Family members should be all that you have yet to buy.  You’ll be opening the tin in a few more days, and should have accumulated enough money to purchase special gifts for each family member.  If you are a little behind, make your final shopping list today for all people outside your immediate family that you’ll still need to buy or make gifts for.

6-Nov

            Make your own “Count-down” calendars for each of your kids.  The easiest is to photocopy a December Calendar page for each child, glue them onto poster board, and place each child’s name at the top of a calendar page.  Have the kids spend the evening decorating the poster board around their page. Hang the poster at kid height in the family room or kitchen.  Make sure it’s sturdy, since you’ll be attaching lots of “stuff” to each square. 

7-Nov

            Purchase little treats like individually wrapped candies, party-favor toys, gum, and favorite snack items.  Make sure each thing you purchase is small enough to fit on a calendar ‘day’.  If there are family traditions like viewing Christmas lights, attending a special event, etc.. write the event on a small piece of paper, and roll it to be wrapped and placed on the calendar on the appropriate date.  Include such things as “Today, Jesus wants us to do a secret good deed for someone old”, or, “Today we need to find 3 toys to donate for children who don’t have very much,” or “Today we get to make Santa’s Christmas Cookies together.”  These “gifts” should be rolled, wrapped, and placed on the calendar on appropriate days.

8-Nov

            As you accumulate the special treats and make the message gifts, wrap each in gift wrap scraps or colorful tissue paper, and using a glue stick, attach to the calendar squares for each child.  They love checking every day to see if something new has been added to their calendar, and this is nearly as much fun for them as removing the “gifts” later.  You can add just one thing per day per child from now through December 1^st.  Easy for you, fun for them!

9-Nov

            Visit a few Church and Community gift bazaars.  You’ll often find unique and special gifts and decorations.  I visit each year just for fun and ideas.

10-Nov

            Purchase all non-perishable items you need for Thanksgiving and store them away.

Mark all special