How to Holiday Plan for LESS Stress!! (Simplify Christmas 2018 Series)

That envelope idea! Now I will not lose any bill for any occasion nor will my purse get stuffed. Thanks dear 😊

I use a notebook for every Christmas too!! I think this year I’m going to cut back on gifts to make it less stressful. I want to focus on more experiences together this season than MORE stuff coming into my hoarded home!

I love this! I already do most of the things you mentioned(including writing everything in a notebook) I love how organized writing everything down can make you feel:) Definitely going to be incorporating some of these tips into my planning though! Thanks :)

Love your videos!! Thank you for Christmas content early! Am I the only one that thought of Harry Potter when you said taking the thoughts out of your head and putting them in the notebook. I saw using a wand to pull the thoughts out.. Goblet of Fire.. I recently became a Harry Potter nerd when we watched the series as our date nights 😬

I have a notebook o use every day. It has my to do list, grocery list and things we need for our house. It makes it so much easier

Omg the holiday season is so stressful for me every single year. This is awesome. Thank you!

Hi, I love your videos and WOW how your channel is growing. I subscribed when there were just a few (not that long ago). You are doing a great job! I finally got that bundt pan and I'm loving it. The cakes do have a nice crust on them from this pan. Using your icing strategy is so quick and easy and looks fantastic :)

I have used a note book for cmas gifts for the last 3yrs. LOVE the calendar and envelope! Will defintely be adding those! Cant tell you how many gift reciepts we have lost. I actually start my note book in january each year. I take the 1st 12pages and write down every holiday or birthday that occurs each month and who we give gifts to for each. Then I take the next 24 pages and write each person down and several ideas for gifts for that person. I leave room to change ideas (thats why 24pages for this section) As I obtain gifts, I put a check mark next to that person on that specific page (on the 1st 12pages) as well as what I got them. The rest of the note book I use for ideas, sketches, swatches and whatever else I need to keep our gift giving on track. (I quilt and craft and many of my gifts are hand made). Used to drive my husband nuts, until I started a similar notebook, for our moving. We are moving states. Starting a homestead, and remodeling both houses, all at the same time. He has come to rely on my notebook system and has started one for his garage stuff!

This is what I do! 😊👍🏻

I don't know how you do it! You truly have a gift for simplifying life!Thanks, Dawn, for proactively taking care of the stress that would otherwise have taken over Thanksgiving/Christmas!

Thank you for doing this video now so there is time to implement the ideas! So often videos like this come too late to be of use! Thank you, you’re awesome!

Love it especially the envelope n receipt spot perfect thank you

Great idea! Thank you for sharing.

Love it! Thank you! And love the haircut! ;)

Always looking for a reason to get a new notebook! ❤ So excited to put this together! 😍 thank you!

Excellent idea! In Europe we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving but Christmas and New Years Eve are two very beautiful though “demanding” holidays.

I have been doing something similar to this for years. Another perk is that you can look back at your gift-giving and see what you have bought for someone over the years. It's fun to see what your kids were into 10 years ago. I also put my menu in my binder, which changes from year to year. Every year, a day or two after Christmas, I put suggestions on a page to make the following year even better. Thanks for your excellent tips. You rock, Dawn!

Oooh I love all of this! I’m an organised person but you keep coming up with stuff I hadn’t thought of. Love the envelope for receipts 👍🏻

The little decoration on your title page & your new hair cut look great too!! ❤️

A brain dump; an excellent idea! So simple yet extremely practical! TYFS Dawn! 💕

I love this idea!! Thank you. The envelope in the back is genius! We observe Advent until 12/24. The we go ALL out for the 12 days of Christmas. It's so peaceful!! It really extends the peace until 12/24. This notebook will be handy for planning our 12 days!!

Thanks for creating this vlog. It was super helpful! I am semi dreading getting a ton of presents i don't want. I am in my first year and have completed minimalizing my home. My hubby and I already decided on a color printer with a scanner so that I can scan my photos and decluttering them. Also, I wanted to be able to print my art. But his family overbuys presents. I usually get rid of them after a while. How do you politely ask for consumable presents?

So simple and so good! I always carry around my Christmas List printout, but keep my receipts somewhere else and little post its of gift ideas that pop up wind up all over the place. The envelope idea is so smart!

I actually started doing this a year or two ago, but just added holiday/parties to the last section of my home binder. That way I am still only carrying around my one binder that has everything in it. It is sectioned off into categories of to do list, grocery and shopping, budget and account info, general notes (like journaling...) and the last section is holidays or parties like birthdays. I also purchased a red coupon holder for all my receipts for Christmas this year, just at the dollar store ! I also keep my target giftcard in it that I save up from the whole year to use for Christmas. Everytime I get one for buying diapers, beauty, house products etc I save the giftcard and use it for Christmas! i have about $450 in gift cards for target for gifts this year. Which is a nice little boost!

You are a flippin genius. It’s settled.

Great helpful video, thank you! Something that might help the notebook be even more useful: an index! Number each page as you write on it , and then add a description and the page number to your index page in the very front so you can easily find particular pages!

...It’s kind of like a dedicated Xmas Bullet Journal!

Thank goodness! A practical way to manage the holiday season!!🎄🎁🎄

This is the best gift you can bestow upon yourself! I've always had a Thanksgiving planner and a Christmas planner.....it really does free your brain. Thanks for your inspiration.❤️

Settle our minds yes !! Put things on paper helps me

You did it again!

I love your videos because you give sound parenting, organizing, and lifestyle advice. Thank you for sharing!

I suspect that a large percentage of your viewers have children in school. For those viewers who want suggestions for teachers, I can recommend from experience hand sanitizer (small or desktop), sanitizing wipes, tissues, paper towels, $5 gift cards, Ticonderoga pencils, and Crayola crayons. Pick one, skip bags and tissue, tape to a homemade note (or tie with a ribbon), and rest assured that your heartfelt gift will be appreciated. ❤️️

Genius! I love the tape envelope in the back of the notebook.

This has nothing to do with Christmas, but I remember a time when my family was in crisis and I was completely overwhelmed. When I would be on the verge of a meltdown, my sister would say, "Just breathe, and make a list. You'll feel better." She was right. I thank God that we all survived that crisis time...now sometimes, when I'm overwhelmed with life and responsibilities, I still hear my sister's advice in my head. She's still right.

Love how simple this is! I keep track on my computer, but then it stresses me out when I don't have access to it. Thank you!

Just the fact that you're posting holiday videos helped me feel less stressed! LOL! You have a very focused and organized way about you when it comes to this hectic time of year. Christmastime seems like it should be such a lovely time of year, but every year I end up dreading it months in advance. That sounds terrible, I know! I wish I could just carry you around with me all season long so you could kick the Scrooge out of me! ;-)

Brilliant!

New subscriber . Really enjoyed the video. Notebook is a great idea

Genius! Thank you to you and your mum!

listening to your video made me get out my tablet :)

Can I just say that I am loving the phrase “brain dump”?! That just sums it up so perfectly 😆 Another great video- I just recently found you by accident and I am a big fan! Thank you for your REAL and helpful videos!

I've started doing the same thing, just on my phone (because I always forget notes/notebooks at home). The bonus is that everything pops up and reminds me that it needs doing. And I just use Keep Notes on my phone because it works across devices and can easily be shared with others (so when mom wants christmas ideas I can just send her the note that contains the relevant list in an email or text).

OK, so it's July---but as a new viewer I am watching ALL of your videos no matter the topic and this one is a winner :) I find your tips so helpful and eagerly await new episodes. You really are doing a great service sharing your ideas.

Will you be updating the calendar printable for the 2019 year?

Do you have an updated calendar for Christmas 2019?

I love this video because most other videos on Christmas planning all use a certain planner which not all people have where they live or have the budget to buy

Love your videos but would’ve been more helpful to see more of how you use the notebook, but gave it a thumbs up anyway!

Great ideas! Love the brain dump on paper idea!

We've been married for 32 years now, and my brothers and I take turns hosting the "large" Christmas family gatherings.
So, in regard to food planning, I really need two sections for Christmas dinner planning...one small for 5 and the other for 25 for TWO different days.

Here are ideas for food planning, and the nitty-gritty on other "food needs"...
Over the years I realized I needed all the recipes we use every year for Christmas in ONE place, so I made copies just for my Christmas Prep Binder (with dividers).

Included in the binder, I have an Excel file listing all the ingredients needed for each recipe (including how much) so that I can do a "sort" and total how much I actually need of each item (since many recipes use similar ingredients). Include EVERY food item even if you are only buying 1, such as a spiral ham. I make my grocery list from this file. I'm no longer guessing at the grocery store or buying too much. I also include any notes on which store to find any specialty items.

In another section of the binder, I plan out any pre-Christmas "to do's", and what needs to be done when (i.e. Cookies week of, Jello the night before, do pickle dish night before, and in which order things need to go into the oven or on top of stove.
I list each food dish I plan to serve and whether it needs chilling time, marinating ahead--&--oven space/stovetop space the day of. (Most of us have limited space and need to think about if everything can fit in one oven or on five burners. If not, do I need to bring out a slow cooker or other idea).

In another column I add what serving dish/pyrex/basket/trivet, etc. is needed (this helps me make sure I have enough serving bowls, utensils, etc. in the house). Then year after year I'm not reinventing the wheel trying to figure out what I used for what and not scrambling to find something the day of.

It also helps on the day of the event to take a photo of the dinner table with the food (if family style) or of the food layed out in a "serve yourself" style, so you can document which items were used, print the photo and stick into your binder. You can write out any changes to make for next year too. My memory isn't the best, so this really helps me.

Thank you for all your minimal tips. I need help finding tips for down-sizing empty nesters. Any suggestions?

great advice I have only 9 adults to worry about and 1 baby adults will get money and/or gift cards --choice they get to get what they want choice is our highest mental function- in normal times we go out to a nice restaurant everyone lives within 25 miles of us-- we bake and share items -of course we will get the baby a toy that her mom wants her to have some diaper coupons and a gift card to a children's clothing store the rest of Christmas is looking at the manger scene watching snow come down - hot chocolate reflecting on God's gift of Jesus our Christmas is simple wwjd about his own birthday probably it would be simple remember it is his birthday not ours it should be more spiritual less commercial for us church activities at Christmas are really important

I am definitely going to try your notebook idea this year! Thank you!