Lists are one of my favorite tools for planning in advance. In today’s installment of Christmas in July 2014, I’m sharing some planning worksheets that I created that are even more useful than lists! If you’ve missed the previous installments in this year’s Christmas in July, you can read them here and here.
One list I usually start making during the summer months is a list of gift ideas for various family members. This gives me time to brainstorm meaningful gift ideas. Moreover, if I have an idea of what I want to get a loved one, I can keep an eye out for the item to go on sale. Instead of scrawling a list on a scrap piece of paper this year, I’m using the worksheet shown below. In addition to space to document gift ideas for various loved ones, I’ve included a place to indicate how much we can afford to spend on a given loved one and a place to document what gift was finally purchased and at what price.
(Click on the image to view and download a larger, printable version of the worksheet.)
Another list I typically begin midyear is a list of ideas for Christmas dinner. Sometimes I want to try a new recipe or I want us to do something special before Christmas dinner. I’ve created a printable to streamline my planning. It provides space for the menu, a shopping list, a guest list, activity ideas, and other notes. This printable will be useful when planning other Christmas meals and get togethers, not just dinner on Christmas day.
(Click on the image to view and download a larger, printable version of the worksheet.)
The final worksheet I’ve created is one to help my family map out our activities for the Christmas season. Without advanced planning, it’s easy to get caught up in too many holiday activities. This printable will help us document the formal (attending a Christmas play, volunteering at a toy drive, etc.) and informal (baking, shopping for gifts, making Christmas ornaments for neighbors, etc.) activities we want to participate in during the Christmas season. I’ve included places to indicate the date, time, and location of each activity, as well as what supplies will be needed and any additional notes.
(Click on the image to view and download a larger, printable version of the worksheet.)
I hope these printables benefit you as you plan for a peaceful holiday!
What lists or worksheets do you use to help you prepare for Christmas?
Shared on the following link-ups:
Handmade Tuesdays, Frugal Crafty Home, Motivation Monday, Making Your Home Sing, Saturday Soiree, Creativity Unleashed, Essential Fridays, Thriving Thursday & Thrive @ Home.
Great idea!
I think I’ll use the gift planning one. It’s always hard to come up with gift ideas at the last minute. Hopefully this can eliminate some of that craziness on the days before Christmas!
That’s the whole idea! 🙂
These are great organization worksheets. I struggle with organization so I may have to give these a try to reduce some stress around the holidays! Thanks for creating and sharing them. #SaturdaySoireeBlogParty
I’m pleased to share them. I hope you benefit from them!
These are great! Thanks so much for sharing. I saw this on the SITS Sharefest. Have a great weekend.
Have fun planning!
All of these are great. I do like the Christmas Gift list the best, because I am pretty bad at trying to figure it out at the last minute.
Thanks for sharing these!
What a great resource. I’m pinning this!
I’m glad you like them. Happy planning!
It’s never too early to plan for Christmas!! Thanks for the printables! I printed all of them and two of the meal planning one. We have a huge Christmas village lighting annual party and it gets bigger each year resulting in planning for it earlier each year. Thanks again!
The party sounds fun! I hope you benefit from the printables.
Oh yes! I need these! I am going to start a Christmas binder with all of these great ideas. Come December, I’ll be sitting by the tree and basking in the glow of candles instead of stressed! Thanks for sharing at the Saturday Soiree Blog Party!
I like the idea of sitting by the tree and basking in the glow of candles!
I loved these printables so much, I’m putting a link to them on my post 30 Christmas Sanity Savers! It will be published tomorrow at http://faithalongtheway.com. Thanks for being a fabulous resource!
Hi Sarah Ann,
That’s awesome! Thank you. We’ve been benefiting a lot from the gift planning worksheet. I hope others benefit from the printables, too!