Holiday Countdown: Six Weeks to Sanity: Week 1

Week 1: Halloween Week is for Laying the Foundation

1. Clean and inventory your holiday work spaces; make a place for gift wrapping, holiday card writing, food storage and preparation. Making space for these tasks will help you stay in control of the projects.
2. Create a holiday planner using a 3-ring binder, a notebook, or a computer file. Label sections: Calendar, Budget, Holiday Card, Gift List, Recipes/Meal Plans, Decorations, and Notes/Ideas. This will be a great resource to reflect on and modify year to year.
3. Finalize your budget for the holidays; include holiday cards, gifts, decorating, and entertaining.
4. As you make meals through the week, make doubles of dinners that will freeze and reheat well for use during busy holiday times.
5. Order your turkey and other specialty items for Thanksgiving.
6. Update and finalize your holiday card list.