The time for decorating is always a personal or family preference.  If you like having the decorations up for a long time, start now!  If you get a few things out each day for the next week or so, and they finish with the tree-trimming, it might be easier for you, and more fun for the kids, since they get to prepare for Christmas every day.

If you’ve made Catalog orders, it’s time to check on them.  Has everything arrived?  Shop for substitute gifts if necessary.

Finish wrapping all the gifts you have purchased for your family and friends.  If the tree is already up, you can tag the gifts now, and begin placing them under the tree.  Want to keep them in suspense until Christmas morning?  Don’t use tags at all, just wait until Christmas and let them know what their individual wrap design is then.

Double check your shopping lists, menus, and supplies.  If you are invited to

As you begin receiving Christmas cards, save the envelopes or record their name and correct address in your Christmas card record book.  If you don’t have a book, just save the envelopes, and you can update your records in January.  You can order a book here:  http://www.bobbibopstuff.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=88

Plan on saving all your Christmas cards that you receive from friends and family.  If money is really tight next Christmas, you can make post cards, re-purposed Christmas cards, ornaments, decorations, and lot’s of other decorative embellishments from used cards.  If you get to next Christmas and don’t have time or need to use the cards, you can dispose of them, or continue saving them along with the new ones for future use.

Call all your friends and neighbors, and plan a Christmas cookie exchange for next week.  If you’ve never hosted one before, here’s how it works.  Each invitee (and you) bakes his or her favorite Christmas Cookie.  They will make one dozen cookies for every other guest, plus one dozen for tasting.  (If you invite more than 12 people, the tasting cookies need to equal the number of people invited.  When everyone arrives with their cookies, you spread out all the tasting cookies, provide milk, coffee, and tea.  Explain the rules.  Each person can taste one only of each different kind of cookie.  When everyone leaves they will take home one dozen of each kind of cookie.  Your best group size is 12 people including yourself.  Each person bakes 13 dozen cookies.  At the end of your “party” each guest goes home with 12 dozen different cookies, and an amazing sugar high!  You clean up the mess, and now have 12 dozen Christmas cookies.  You can freeze most of them, and take them out as needed throughout the holiday season.  NO MORE BAKING!

Time to pamper yourself a little.  Think about your

Mail all your out of town packages and your Christmas Cards.  (Overseas Packages should be mailed in late October or early November.)

Plan your menus for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  If you are planning on having a fresh

Begin making a special “I love you” gift for each family member.  Plan on opening these gifts on Christmas Eve.  You’ll see some ideas in some of the up-coming pages.  This is also the time to begin making any special “from your kitchen” gifts for friends, family and neighbors.  Make a few extras for hostess gifts.  Herb oils and vinegars, fruitcakes, sourdough starters, plum puddings, and other items like these need time to “mellow”.

It’s Time to open the Christmas Tin.  If you’ve been working this plan since last Christmas, you’ll have enough money in the tin to pay for all gifts, events, food, and entertaining.  If you’ve only been doing the plan for a short while, you may not have enough, but do EVERYTHING you can to avoid using the credit cards this year.  Follow the plan to the best of your ability, and by next Christmas you’ll be set.

Take all the money from the tin to the bank.  Try to make this a family event.  It’s very exciting to see how much everyone has been able to save.  Don’t go to one of those “change machines” at the grocery store, they take a percentage of your money, and you’ve worked too hard for it to leave a portion in a machine.

Advent begins the fourth Sunday before Christmas.  If your family celebrates with an advent wreath or calendar, get them out now.  You can adapt your count-down calendar to an advent calendar if you wish.  Just make the gifts and dates appropriate to the advent season.  Check with your church to see if there are any special advent events planned that you and your family want to attend.

18-Nov

            Take time out to be thankful for all you are and have.  Also, spend time in prayer.  Seek peace, calm, and love.  Be thankful, also, for all that you have accomplished toward being ready for Christmas!

19-Nov

            If you’ve been keeping a wish tin, today would be a good time to begin reviewing and revising the wishes.  Sort the wishes by person, and spend the evening reviewing the wishes each person has made throughout the year.  Are there any they no longer want?  Is there something they now want more?  Try to encourage each family member to “throw out” at least ½ of their wishes.  In exchange for them eliminating ½ of their wishes, you will write “special surprise” on a page, and put it into the tin for them.

20-Nov

            Make a list of the wishes that are still in the wish tin, and be prepared to mail or e-mail it to Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, etc.  Now is about the time they are asking what you and your kids want for Christmas.  Make sure sizes, brands, and color preferences are also listed.

21-Nov

            Schedule one special event and shopping day for each child individually during the next few weeks.  Let it be their day, their agenda.  You might take one to visit Santa, and then to the dollar store to buy gifts for their friends or grandparents.  An older child may want to attend a special