But before I talk about that -- isn't this the niftiest vintage scene featuring an old coal stove? I found it in some old Christmas cards I am going through to list and sell on Etsy. This pretty scene just caught my eye.
The sheer curtains, the sleeping kitten, the sprigs of holly decorating the finial atop the stove, the candles and ornament in the window, the braided rug and wooden bucket filled with berries -- oh, I just love it all! Even those little oval silhouettes on the wall remind me of my grandmother's front room.
Anyway, for Rudolph Day I was able to spend some good quality time with my Christmas notebook. The first thing I did is a given for me after Christmas: I took a fresh sheet of Christmas-themed computer paper and listed down everything that we gave for Christmas gifts. Of course, I had already made a list, on plain notebook paper, but some things changed with the actual gift-giving: I couldn't locate a source for a particular gift, I changed my mind, etc. etc. I had started this list the previous January, and inevitably in the intervening months, my list had been scribbled on, crossed out, and so on. So that there will be no confusion next year and I don't give someone a duplicate book, game or whatever, I make a nice, neat list. It gets filed in the back of my notebook in a section titled Christmas past.
Then I take a fresh piece of lined notebook paper and start a new list for the coming Christmas. Some things are going to stay the same, pretty much. We always give my husband's boss and his family a big gift basket full of treats, for example. We usually give my mother-in-law a jar of homemade hot cocoa mix, some homemade bran muffins, and a bag of clementines. Other gifts, like a science center membership for one family, a gift card for another, etc. will be the same again next year, so I've made sure to write those down. I have already purchased a couple of items for next Christmas, so I've written those down as well.
I also took a fresh sheet of notebook paper and started listing ideas for 2019 birthdays. I just jot down each person's birthday and their name, and I do this in order of where the months fall in the year. We don't have any birthdays (other than my own) until March, so I start there. I already have a few birthday ideas, having seen how certain Christmas gifts were received.
Elsewhere in the notebook, I also like to note any new recipes we tried and how we liked them. And I make a note of any new decorations we added, where we put them, and where I will be storing them. So I've done that.
Then later on in the day, I sat down with my Christmas debriefing form from Organized Christmas. I like to use this each year to evaluate how the holiday season went and what needs to change in the coming year. I don't always find the time for this exercise, but this year I did, and the results will be a blog post for another day!
How was your Rudolph Day? Did you observe it in any way?
Merely giving this a little nod to my organized friend. I have been slightly shocked to realize that I forgot a major gift for my girls. The thought had been that everyone would get a shirt or blouse. Check for the guys. The gals? Oh no! I forgot. Now if I were organized like you, that would never happen.
ReplyDeleteI'm not as organized as I might be, Vee. As I told my daughter, I talk a good game! But I will say that these particular lists are easy to keep up with and extremely helpful.
DeleteI too make those lists! I like the fact that we are so organized. so much less stressful.
ReplyDeleteIt really does eliminate a lot of stress, Lucie. It makes Christmas so much more enjoyable.
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