How to Save Time, Money and Energy by Planning for Christmas Now

Inside - Now September is here, it's time to start planning for Christmas, and save time, money and energy as the season draws closer.

It's the start of Spring in the Southern hemisphere.

And it's 115 days to Christmas.

I know, I can hear my mum yelling now "Cate, stop!"

3 things you need to do now for next Christmas

Inside - Why we need to start planning for next Christmas in January

The kids are back at school, the skies are clear after the rainy weekend has passed, and thoughts are turning to hot cross buns.

We're not thinking about Christmas.

Christmas is 322 sleeps away.

5 tips for filling your editorial calendar (and a review)

Having an editorial calendar for your blog can help keep you on track with your writing and posting, and avoid those "I don't know what to write" days. (although sometimes, nothing can beat those days.)

It's really easy to get bogged down in filling the calendar out, and make it another chore that you avoid each month, but with a plan in mind, you can get it done in no time at all.

month to 2 pages view in #blogyeah planner

1 - Grab a pen and calendar even if you prefer to keep track with a digital calendar, a pen and paper will help you work out an outline or draft that you can then transfer to your online calendar if that's what you prefer.

weekly plan for repeat activities

2 - fill in the "regulars" If there's a link up you always join in, or a post theme you always write, fill it in now. Having daily themes that fit with your keywords and categories can help fill your calendar quickly, and give you ideas for more posts.

keep track of your social media schedule

3 - it's ok if you only use keywords I tend to write down post title ideas. They're often changed once I start writing, but I find it a good prompt to get started. But if you don't write post titles first, or you really don't know where that idea will take you, just write down your keywords.

every month has a check in at the back, and starts off with encouraging words

4 - fill the gaps Once you've got all your regulars written down, fill the gaps. Don't forget to schedule your product reviews, and guest posts!

week to 2 pages view in #blogyeah planner

5 - remember that a plan isn't set in concrete! Make changes if you need to.

Review of the #blogyeah planner
$29.95 available here

I had been eyeing off the #blogyeah planner from Secret Bloggers Business for weeks before I finally bought it when it went on sale at the end of December.

The biggest frustration I had before purchasing was that there were no reviews around blogland! I really like to be able to make informed decisions, even when purchasing digital products, so hopefully next year when someone is trying to decide whether to purchase, my review can help them.

I have to say, my favourite feature of the planner is the faint lines in each box of the weekly view. When I first downloaded the planner and had a look on screen, I was wondering how successful I would actually be at using the planner, because my handwriting without lines becomes a caterpillar scrawl! I've printed the planner out on 120gsm paper, so it's thicker than normal, and just popped up to Officeworks to bind it.

The digital download also comes with a workbook for getting your goals and ideas for the year down on paper (but I forgot to photograph it.) It's set out in the same design and colour scheme as the planner, and it will all print easily on A4 paper, or 8.5x11.

I'm not sure that I would purchase this product again. For a digital product, it is quite expensive. But the key to using a planner is writing in it, so I guess this planner is one up on all the other ones I've purchased over the years. I'll reserve decision until the new planner comes out later in the year. Meanwhile, I can enjoy my full editorial calendar!

Do you use a planner? 
Do you have a full editorial calendar? 
Do you stick to your plans?

100 days to Christmas | planning is key

Every year I spend hours searching the internet for great Christmas ideas. And every year I vow to myself that this Christmas will be the one where I don't feel overwhelmed and stressed by the end of the day. This is the third year I have used a Christmas binder, and while I have still ended the last two years feeling overwhelmed and vowing that "next year we eat out", this year I'm hoping it's actually the year I come close to getting the balance right!

That's where my binder is going to come in super-handy this year. It is going to become my holiday season brain - a place to list every random idea, plan out school holiday activities, keep track of parties and gifts and recipes and life!

The first section of my binder is a calendar. I've created a word document with three columns - life, craft, blog - and I've started writing everything down. And school holidays have just started today, so I've used this free printable from The Organised Housewife to loosely plan some stuff for the kids (lots of trips to the park, baking and Christmas craft!)

Other sections include a blog calendar (as seen above), card addresses and planning sheet (unless otherwise noted, I use printables from Life... Your Way), gift lists, handmade gifts & crafts, baking & recipes, traditions, journal, and ideas. I've printed out the 100 Days to Christmas ebook and put it in the ideas section (maybe I should change that to resources?). I also have a notebook and scratch paper for keeping my written lists in one place. Pinterest is also helping - I often remember seeing something and check my boards to refresh my memory.

For more organising inspiration, check out Organized Christmas and 100 Days to Christmas.

How do you plan the holiday season?

~~ 87 days until Christmas ~~

I've been making plans for Christmas for a couple of months now... my Christmas planner is getting a small workout (although I'm tempted to sign up for the BPS class "cut the crazy out of Christmas" - maybe next year, if they run the class again)... part of my planning has been for something to share via my blog, and so far Riley is letting me keep planning and hoping to share (because yesterday I had another brainwave, and have another series that I want to share! This might mean more regular posting from me in the countdown to Christmas!) Seven days from now the fun should begin!

planning stuff.....

Today we have spent much of the day planning stuff (and playing with a bodgy internet connection that is driving us both nuts! I can't share photos this post, cause I'm on hubby's computer, it's mine that's being bodgy!), in readiness for building carports, counting down to Christmas parties, and eventually to the big day[s]!

Yep, days... we are insane enough to do it twice! Nah, not really, Chloe is with her dad for Christmas day this year, so w have two Christmases, and after the saga last year of 8 people bailing on Christmas lunch an hour before it was served, and the SIL turning up two hours late we decided to do family Christmas a couple of days later. Chloe comes home on Boxing Day, so we'll do our family Christmas on the 27th (and the whole day just like Christmas day!)

And we're hosting our mums group Christmas this year... we do a secret santa swap for all the kids (I'm in charge of assigning that, did that at the start of last month), and everyone brings food to share, Santa visits the kids and hands out presents, and it's just a fun day... that involves planning on how to squeeze an extra twenty people into our already overcrowded house, and ensure there's food for everyone, and..... I can see lots of stress coming!

Apparently our street gets together each year for a Christmas party.... and we're going to host that, too... it doesn't involve anything more strenuous than providing a bit of music, and inviting everyone to sit in our front yard... I like that as a tradition, and I'm really keen to make sure it happens... supposedly the "other end" of the street doesn't get invited, but I'm going to change that this year.

I've read recently about the American tradition of cookie exchanges, and I'm hoping that I can talk the girls at mums group into playing along... I love Christmas baking, and always have my favourites, as well as some newbies to try each year... last year the newbie was lavender ginger shortbread, which the kids loved, and a regular favourite is spice cookies (I found the recipe again last week, stashed it somewhere safe, so it's ready for making next week!)

I don't feel ready for Christmas in the slightest.... I'm going to have a photo session with the kids next weekend, in the hopes of getting usable photos for Christmas cards (designer digitals and two peas had digital sales yesterday for national digital scrapbooking day, and I found some cool templates to play with!)

Must go tuck all the children into bed... happy scrapping!