Up-date your Christmas Card Record Book.  If you’ve received gifts in the mail from family members, address Envelopes for Thank you notes.  Keep the notes handy.  Then, as the gifts are unwrapped, you can mark in pencil on the envelope where the stamp is going to go what the gift was.  A few days later, it will be simple to remember who got what from who, and make writing thank you notes much easier.  If you need thank you notes or a Christmas Card Record Book, you can get them here:  http://bobbibopstuff.com/

By now, those giant tins of cookies, popcorn, and other Christmas treats should be on sale for just a Dollar or two.  Buy a few of them. The treats can be used as snacks for the next couple weeks. Keep the tins.  They will be a big part  of your success next year. 

Returning items today?  Shopping the sales?  Get a head start on next year by purchasing wrap, cards, decorations, tags, and gifts.  If you’re just starting this program, you may have overspent for the Christmas you just celebrated.  If so, don’t use credit for any purchases today no matter how cheap things are.  Only use cash.  No cash?  Return that silly sweater “Aunt Beth” bought for you, and use the cash or store credit to purchase needed sale items.  It will be one of the best presents you’ve ever received, your first steps to Christmas without debt. 

After Christmas sales go on for almost two weeks.  Take your time.  The longer you wait, the lower the prices.  Your selection will be limited the longer you wait, but the prices make up for it if you aren’t real picky.  Try to purchase at least one unique roll of Christmas wrap for each member of your family.  If the price is right, get two or three rolls of each design.  If you have dollar stores in your area, their Christmas paper should be 50¢ a roll.  The quality isn’t great, but you can’t beat the price. 

Purchase any supplies you will need for Christmas Day, such as film and batteries for toys that require them.

If you usually call extended family and friends during the holidays, start now.  Later you may be too busy, they may be too busy, or the telephone circuits may be too busy. 

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

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.

            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

            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.