Christmas: Getting Organised
How do you get organised for Christmas? I'm sharing how I do it, in this post...
Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!! I'm so excited! As I can't have Christmas day, right this second, I am taking the next best thing and planning for it instead.
1. The Spreadsheet
First things first, I swear by my Christmas spreadsheet. It's super simple and utter common sense but people still seem shocked that I use one.
I remember the idea coming to me, when I was at college. When I went to sixth form, I became more obsessed with organisation than ever. I've stuck with this ever since.
It's great for keeping a track of who has what, where I would need to return it to and also what sort of wrapping it requires. It doubles up as a handy checklist for wrapping, as there is nothing more annoying than running out of wrapping paper. Generally speaking, it looks a little something like the one below and you can access it here.
2. Set a budget
This is super important. It's fun to splash out on the people you love at Christmas but unless they're completely thoughtless, they wouldn't want you to bankrupt yourself in the process. Personally, I think birthdays are much more precious. With Christmas, it's more about the spirit of the season. So, know how much you're willing to spend and put your receipts in a safe place, so that if something goes wrong, you don't have to tip your home upside down, to find it. Also, don't forget that most shops will offer the gift receipt option, if you're buying for a loved one.
.
3. The Colour Scheme
This baffles people every single year but I like all of my gifts to match. I can't stand seeing presents with a bit of this and that and scraps of wrapping paper. I haven't decided what to go for this year but I think black and gold will look snazzy. Last year, I used a beautiful brown paper one from Paperchase, that had 'season's greetings' printed on it in black. As I've been writing this, I went browsing and I think I've found this year's contender once again, in Paperchase. It looks like wood grain. Amazing!
4. Wrap-as-you-go
When I've bought a few gifts and I have a spare hour, I put a film on, pour a little Bailey's and have a wrapping session. Perfect opportunity to watch a Christmas film. My absolute favourite is 'Love, Actually'. Then, I put the wrapped gifts under my storage bed, ready for distribution. Before I had a storage bed, I used to get my suitcase out and store them in there. My room is a fair size, so it didn't take up a lot of space.
5. Start early
I have friends who buy gifts throughout the year. I must admit, I don't always do that. Occasionally, I have done but not this year. However, I do make a folder on my laptop of URLs of gifts I've seen on my Internet travels. So, if buying main gifts throughout the year doesn't appeal to you, maybe just get the stocking fillers. With it being November, I hope you've already started. But maybe next year, you'll get the urge to start buying bits and bobs, super early.
And that's it for now. This was only a quick post but they're my little tips to stay on top of the season - so that I don't end up with a tsunami of wrapping paper, upset loved ones and a massive credit card bill.
Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!! I'm so excited! As I can't have Christmas day, right this second, I am taking the next best thing and planning for it instead.
1. The Spreadsheet
First things first, I swear by my Christmas spreadsheet. It's super simple and utter common sense but people still seem shocked that I use one.
I remember the idea coming to me, when I was at college. When I went to sixth form, I became more obsessed with organisation than ever. I've stuck with this ever since.
It's great for keeping a track of who has what, where I would need to return it to and also what sort of wrapping it requires. It doubles up as a handy checklist for wrapping, as there is nothing more annoying than running out of wrapping paper. Generally speaking, it looks a little something like the one below and you can access it here.
 |
| The spreadsheet |
This is super important. It's fun to splash out on the people you love at Christmas but unless they're completely thoughtless, they wouldn't want you to bankrupt yourself in the process. Personally, I think birthdays are much more precious. With Christmas, it's more about the spirit of the season. So, know how much you're willing to spend and put your receipts in a safe place, so that if something goes wrong, you don't have to tip your home upside down, to find it. Also, don't forget that most shops will offer the gift receipt option, if you're buying for a loved one.
.
3. The Colour Scheme
This baffles people every single year but I like all of my gifts to match. I can't stand seeing presents with a bit of this and that and scraps of wrapping paper. I haven't decided what to go for this year but I think black and gold will look snazzy. Last year, I used a beautiful brown paper one from Paperchase, that had 'season's greetings' printed on it in black. As I've been writing this, I went browsing and I think I've found this year's contender once again, in Paperchase. It looks like wood grain. Amazing!
4. Wrap-as-you-go
When I've bought a few gifts and I have a spare hour, I put a film on, pour a little Bailey's and have a wrapping session. Perfect opportunity to watch a Christmas film. My absolute favourite is 'Love, Actually'. Then, I put the wrapped gifts under my storage bed, ready for distribution. Before I had a storage bed, I used to get my suitcase out and store them in there. My room is a fair size, so it didn't take up a lot of space.
5. Start early
I have friends who buy gifts throughout the year. I must admit, I don't always do that. Occasionally, I have done but not this year. However, I do make a folder on my laptop of URLs of gifts I've seen on my Internet travels. So, if buying main gifts throughout the year doesn't appeal to you, maybe just get the stocking fillers. With it being November, I hope you've already started. But maybe next year, you'll get the urge to start buying bits and bobs, super early.
And that's it for now. This was only a quick post but they're my little tips to stay on top of the season - so that I don't end up with a tsunami of wrapping paper, upset loved ones and a massive credit card bill.
How do you guys get organised for Christmas time? Drop me a tweet and let me know.
Much love,
Melly
xxx
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