It's Time for the Holiday Grand Plan!

It's that magical time of year when some of you will be tempted to unfollow my blog.  No, I'm not talking about back to school - that is soooo three weeks ago here in Georgia!  I'm talking about Christmas.  Or whatever other winter holiday you celebrate that turns your house into a Ringling Brothers act. 

Yes, I follow the Holiday Grand Plan over at Organized Home, and have been attempting some version of this since back in 1996 when there was a Get O group over on the AOL message boards.  Anyone around actually remember those days?  That was when I had a 21 month old, a newborn, three months til Christmas...and a major panic attack!  Hard to believe that toddler is now in college, the newborn is driving himself to his junior year of high school, and the baby we hadn't even imagined is already a teenager. 

This week is Front Porch/List Week.  It's the most fun for list junkies like me, and the easiest one for us because we have virtually no front porch.  Usually it consists of sweeping cobwebs from around the porch lights and replacing the doormat.  Luckily the list is short and won't cut into my #LDSI time too much!

Some people print fancy lists and build binders, but I like to keep it all in a spreadsheet so I can reuse it next year.  If you'd like a blank copy of my spreadsheet, you can email me at quiltinjenny AT gmail DOT com.

This is also the year to give yourself permission to cut back.  Sit down over a family dinner and really listen to what is important to the people you love most.  Several years ago, when I was stressing about getting cards in the mail, The Pit Boss asked why I bothered.  A light bulb went on and I realized that I didn't even know.  It was just what I did every year.  I asked the kids, and they didn't care.  Almost everyone on my card list is a friend on Facebook, so they don't need an annual picture of my family or a letter about what we've been up to.  The money, the time, the anxiety...it was unnecessary. 

What are you doing just because it's how you've always done it?  What do you love most about the holidays, and what just stresses you out?  Find out what you can eliminate or reduce so that you get to enjoy the season, too. 



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