Fireflies and Family: organization

I know that I should be anticipating Halloween (since it's only a couple of days away), and at the very least starting to think about Thanksgiving...

But I'm ready for the onset of the Christmas season!

It seems every year that time just slips away as things that I meant to get done before the big day get pushed aside to take care of day-to-day necessities. So this year, I've decided to do more than glance at The Christmas Countdown, and at least reference its suggestions on a more regular basis.

The Countdown has already begun, and offers a wonderful group of checklists, to do lists, suggestions and organization ideas to keep the holiday-hectics under control. Hop over and visit their website to see all of the tools they offer.

The basic premise is to begin NOW to set aside at least 15 minutes a day to do things to prepare for Christmas. It isn't a lot of time, but it sure adds up. The program (which is free) helps you to put together an organization binder for the season that will become your one-stop reference point for information regarding Christmas card lists, shopping/gift purchases, home cleaning checks and more.

This week in the Countdown is "Get Organized" week. I've checked their planner notes, and will be working on a couple of small projects this weekend. So far this week I'm proud to say that I have ordered my photo Christmas cards and holiday stamps, and begun to review/update my address list.

The stamps are easy to take care of, since you can now order them online instead of standing in long lines at the post office. So nice to have them magically (after a credit card charge) appear in your mailbox! Just check out the USPS website and choose from a variety of holiday designs. Easy...hurray! We love when things are easy!

I have also purchased a small plastic box to keep all correspondence materials together, and a medium size tote to tuck my pre-holiday gift purchases into as I make them. That way everything is in one place.

So as much fun as I have had getting ready for Halloween, next week I'll be happily packing it all away to make room for all of the fun to come!

What are the first things you do to begin getting ready for Christmas?