Welcome back to another day in the 15 Days to an Organized Christmas series! Getting ready for Christmas can be a challenge, but it doesn't have to be that way. If you do things step by step and have a written plan than you can plan to do just about anything and get it all done. That is what this series is all about. So far you have put together a Christmas planner, you have the month of December filled out with all the different activities taking place & you have your to-do list written down (remember to keep adding to it as you think of things), you know how much you can spend because your Christmas budget is in place, and you've brainstormed different gift ideas for those on your gift giving list. If you are just now joining us in the 15 Days to an Organized Christmas, you can get caught up right here.
It is not even 5 days into this challenge and you've done all the above! Good for you!! This year, you are going to be ready for Christmas early! You can see that by doing a quick task or two each day that only takes 15 minuets each day, you can get everything done before Christmas Eve! Today, we are covering Christmas cards and you get to decide if you are going to send them or not.
I love Christmas time and the month of December because it allows me to reconnect with people that I don't see or hear from but once a year. Every day there is usually a Christmas card or two in my mailbox bring Christmas greetings. I love reading family updates and seeing pictures of how much kids have grown the past year.
This year, you need decide right now if you are sending out your own cards or not. If you usually do than great! Pick what day you want to mail them off and work backwards from there. If Christmas cards are just unneeded stress and something that you can choose not to do, than simplify your holidays by taking them off your to-do list.
It's really ok if you don't send out Christmas cards this year. Really. Remember back to the to-do list that you filled out on day 2 of the Christmas challenge? If Christmas cards are not on your list, should they be? Or, is it something that you need to take off?
Since I know a lot of people, including myself, are sending out Christmas cards and you are reading this, I'm going to assume that you too are sending out cards this year. If not, than take the day off or do something that you need more time on. The rest of us, read on on how you can get your Christmas cards ready for the holidays.
Today, you are going to choose exactly what day you will have your cards stamped and dropped off in the mailbox. Look back over the month and ask yourself when is a realistic date and pencil that in. Now that you've penciled in the date, the next step is setting up a date for you to get your family pictures done. So many of the local photographers have fall specials going on right now. Do a quick google or Facebook search and see if there is one in your area. Make the appointment - today!
After you've made the appointment for getting your family pictures taken, quickly look at the different Christmas card designs and decide what you are going to do. Will you do a simple family picture and that is it? Will you write up a newsletter update on the entire family? Will you do an infographic? The choice is up to you. Go ahead and decide now than take a few mins to brainstorm what information you want to include on your Christmas cards.
The next step is where will you get your cards. There are so, so, so many choices available! I like to look at Shutterfly, Minted, Staples, Sams, and Walmart. Go ahead and look at the different options to see what you will do. Keep in mind that shipping usually takes a little while so you need to factor that in when picking your cards. The good thing is that you are starting early so you have plenty of time.
Now you need to gather up your addresses. If you've done this in years past, quickly scan your address list and see who you need to add, remove, or update. Send the person a Facebook message, email, or text if you need an updated address. Most people are quick to respond when they get your Facebook message. Make sure to write everyone's addressed down on a master address list. You can use the Address List that I've included in the Christmas planner or you can make up a simple word document on your computer.
Go ahead and get your addresses ready today so that when you order your Christmas cards, everything is right there ready to be assembled.
Today's Assignment
Decide if you are sending out Christmas cards and pick a date when you want them sent out. Schedule a date to take your family picture. Jot down some ideas for your Christmas newsletter and start compiling/updating your Christmas card address list. If you have extra time, start looking at Christmas card designs and choose which one you will use.
Come back tomorrow for another post in the 15 days to an organized Christmas!
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