Getting Organised this Christmas

I can’t believe it’s December already, I definitely am not ready for Christmas… are you?  We’re only a few weeks away!  It’s prime time to get organised for Christmas – otherwise nothing will be done!  I’ve brought the odd thing or two, almost got all of the ideas for gifts sorted.  But if you’re like me, you may also be really behind with this year’s Christmas planning!  I did a bit of a search to find some products to inspire me to get organised.  More importantly, organised quickly – as there isn’t much time left.  I found a few products that I wanted to share today and came up with three different options for you to get into your Christmas planning.  Let me know if you find any of them useful too.

Option 1: Need to start now?  Get a printable!

Perhaps the fastest way to get a planner is to print one off.  These are pre-designed pages.  All you have to do is download the file and print them on the paper of your choice.  Since we’re running short of time, this is a really easy option – and my first choice for that reason.  It takes much less time than the other options.  There’s tons of great printables out there.  However, I found this affordable from Printable Pineapple, which is super cute and has lots of great pages:

You get a number of organisational planners, such as a calendar or to do list pages.  You also get more Christmas specific pages, such as a holiday card tracker, gift planning or meal planning.  There’s a budget tracker, which is great for this expensive time.  There’s also an online shopping tracker – definitely something I need given the numbers of online orders I’ve placed this week!

This printable is really pretty too – and comes in a colour or black & white option.  I adore this because having something you enjoy looking at can make those stressful days a little bit easier.  It makes you want to look at your planner a bit more.  I mean, if you’ve just got scribbles on a tissue that’s messy and overwhelming, it can feel a bit frustrating.  Having something a little cleaner and nicer to look at makes me feel like it’s a bit more manageable – even if it’s the exact same list of things!  Not sure if you’re like that but I definitely am!  So I thought the little Christmas elements on these pages were perfect to bring out the festive spirit.

What size?

This Christmas printable comes in a few different sizes, which is great.

• A4, A5, Letter or Half (you can print this version in any of those sizes)
• Personal Size (for personal sized planners)
• A6 size (for traveler’s notebooks)
• B6 size (for traveler’s notebooks)
• A5 size (for traveler’s notebooks)
• Pocket size (for traveler’s notebooks)

Pick up this printable in any of those sizes by clicking here.

Option 2: Buy a Christmas Planner

If you don’t have a printer or dislike using printables, I’ve found a really cute ready made Christmas planner from Penguins to Peacocks for you.  The downside to this is that you will have to wait for shipping.  However, this particular product is sent first class, I believe so hopefully the wait wouldn’t be too long.  Remember, post is always slower in the holiday period.  It is an option, however, if you need it.  Alternatively, you could pick it up now so that next year you’re well organised in advance!

I really like this A5 printed planner from Penguins to Peacocks.  The cover is super cute, the colours are really nice and all of the pages look incredibly functional but also a little bit festive at the same time.  There’s a few different covers too, by the way, so have a look at the whole range to see you prefer another one.  I think this reindeer with baubles on its antler is pretty adorable!

It’s packed full of a lot of pages.  120 pages, in fact.  There’s a list of the finer details, including the exact contents and materials used in the description.  Definitely have a read of those if you’re interested as I think it’s great that there’s so much detail given.  You’ll know exactly what you get for your money and if it’s right for you.

You can also get it personalised! (Though this may take a little longer to get to you).  I genuinely think this is a beautiful product that would help organise Christmas.  If there was more time to fully utilise it, I’d recommend getting it right now. However, it’s one to consider for next year, for sure.

Option 3: Make your Own Christmas Planner (or add it to your current planner)

Lastly, you can always resort to making your own Christmas planner.  This idea can be the easiest or the hardest, depending on how much effort you want to put into it.  As it’s a last minute job, I would recommend you spend less time on the decorative elements and more on functionality.  For someone like me, this is harder said than done because I do love a pretty planner and like things to be perfect.  However, time is not on our side right now so I feel like it’s best to start with the basics and add more if (and only if) you have time.

If you already have a planner that you use, you may be able to add it into there.  It really depends what your current planner is and if there’s space!  If you have a pocket in it, for example, you could slot in a small notebook specifically for Christmas plans.

So what are the basics?  I count this as the bare minimum.  Whether this is the supplies you use or the page designs.  Start by gathering some supplies and writing down a list of everything you might need to plan for Christmas.  Work from there.

What supplies do you need?

This is really flexible to cater to your needs.  Personally, I would look around your house and see if there’s anything you already own that you can use.  Perhaps an unused notebook or a spare folder?  Don’t worry about the cover of the notebook or the design.  If it’s not festive enough, you could cover it with wrapping paper or print out some images to stick on it.  (Though… it is a good excuse to buy a new one!  I normally would go and get a new one but I feel like spending a couple of hours  going to the shops just to get supplies that I already have at home might be a bit of a waste).

• Notebook, folder or ringed planner of your choice (any size)
• A pen or a pencil
• Optional: Some washi tape, wrapping paper or Christmas images to decorate the cover or add a bit of the Christmas spirit to the planner.

Then what do you need to do?

This one here is quite flexible too.  The best part about making your own planner is that it’s personalised and exactly up to you.  You can choose exactly what you need to add and what you don’t.  For example, if you don’t give anyone Christmas presents then you don’t need pages for gift ideas.  Here’s a few things that I think might be useful to add:

• December monthly overview (so you can see the whole month at a glance and fill in some key dates)
• December weekly or daily pages (so you can add finer details to the weeks or days, as you need)
• To Do pages (if you don’t have the above, add a section for your to do lists)
• Holiday card tracker (who to send one to and who has sent you one so you can make sure to send one back or thank them)
• Addresses pages
• Handmade gifts / cards idea pages
• Gift idea pages
• Gift tracker (who you’ve brought for, what you got them, how much you spent and if you’ve given it to them.)
• Thank Yous (keep a list of people you need to send thank you cards to – for example, those who gave you a gift).
• Christmas Party ideas (if you’re organising a meal or party, keep a track of ideas here.  For example:
  • Menu ideas
  • Final Menu
  • Shopping list for Food Menu
  • Decorations to order
  • Drinks to purchase
• Movies to Watch
• Traditions to uphold
• Elf on the Shelf ideas / tracker
• Christmas Holiday plans
• Vouchers / Coupons / Shopping Sales in Christmas / Boxing Day
• Budget Tracker
• Future Christmas ideas

So what am I going to do?

I want to get cracking into this Christmas planning straight away but also spend time being crafty.  I started working on this over the weekend – thanks to Jingle and Mingle – and now as I am in the crafting mood, I am going to continue working on my own little planner.  It won’t be anything super special but it will be very personalised to me.  If it turns out to be a total flop, then I’ll go ahead and print off that gorgeous printable and use that in one of my ringed planners!  (I definitely have enough ringed planners armed and ready for use!).  Would you be interested in seeing what I create?

What are you using for your Christmas planning?  Do you already have a planner or do you need to set one up?  I would love to know what you are doing to get organised for the festive season.  Comment below and let me know!

Disclaimer:  The product photos in this post belong to the respective store owners.  Visit their online stores and read their policies before placing an order.  Please contact the store owner if you have any questions about individual products.  You can also find out more about each product in the item description.  If you do purchase and use any of the products, drop me a message and let me know!  I’d love to hear what you think or see photos of how you use them.