Are you having Thanksgiving dinner at your house? What about Christmas or Hanukkah? Are you traveling out of town to visit relatives or are they coming to visit you?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions now is the time to start planning your “to-do list” so everything runs smooth and on time.
Holiday Meal Planner
Gather up a pad of paper or spiral notebook, a calendar, and a pen. If you are planning a holiday meal decide what the whole menu will be and write it down on one piece of paper. Do this at least several weeks before the date.
If guests and/or family members bring different dishes, write their name next to it on the menu. Make sure they know what they are expected to bring and how many guests will be at the table.
Once you know what dishes your will be making then write down all the ingredients needed. Make a shopping list and take advantage of the sales on the non-perishables ahead of time.
Holiday Home Cleaning Planner
Creating a planner to prepare your home for the holiday meal is similar the plan for the meal. It can be set up in the same notebook. Make a list of everything that needs to be done starting with the day of the party and work your way backwards. If you work outside the home and don’t have a full couple of days ahead to clean, then list a few tasks for each day starting 3 or 4 days to a week ahead of time.
List the day and date and then fill in what you want to get done on those days. If you don’t complete the task on the designated day then transfer it to the next day. It will make more work for you the next day but also give you a greater sense of urgency if you keep procrastinating. Enlist help from family members. Write their name next to the task and let them mark it off when they have completed it. This will help them know what is expected from them each day.
Travel Planner
If you’re traveling to visit relatives, make a Travel Planner to keep you organized.
Please let me know how you plan your holiday meals or trips by leaving a comment.
Thanks,
Janice
Janice, I love your step by step ideas to help make the holidays run smoother. What a good idea to write down the name of the person who is bringing which dish.
Our trips are planned by talking ourselves out of traveling and sending money for gas to my daughter (Janice) and family so they can come to our home. This saves me time and I can do the fun things I want to do in our community rather than travel.
I hope someday you will also recommend my book Go Organize! Conquer Clutter in 3 Simple Steps. It will be out in the major book stores in December. I am so excited!
Happy holidays to you,
Marilyn
Marilyn, Traveling can be a hassle. I’m looking forward to my kids coming in town in Dec. Since one lives in Dallas and the other in L.A. it is easier to have them come to St. Louis.
Since most of the holiday meals end up at my house I have found it works a lot better if I write everything down. Helps me keep track of what everyone is doing to help out.
I’m looking forward to getting your book when it hits the book stores.
Happy holidays to you also.
Janice