Part 2 - Become Organised this Christmas

4.  With list in hand - Go Shopping
This can be as easy as going to your favorite website and ordering your presents so they are delivered to your door.    Otherwise, head off to your local shopping mall and buy only those presents that you have on your list.

If you have decided to make your own gift baskets here are a few simple and easy suggestions.

For a family gift make a nice Christmas-themed cookie jar.  Fill it with Christmas candy or cookies!  Every year when the family gets out the Christmas cookie jar, they will think of you!

Grandparents love to receive anything that grandchildren make.   Do a video of the children, include a bath time, them reading or playing at school.  A few minutes taken over a month or two will make an interesting video.  How about a collage of photos of the grandchildren!.  The children can help with this project.

A coffee cup filled with a coffee blend, some chocolate and DVD.  

How about a pampering gift basket for mom or your sister?

5.  Wrapping

A time saving tip…when you return from shopping, wrap and label as many gifts as you can and store them away until the “big day”.  

Presents that are being posted, need to be wrapped and posted ASAP.  

6.  Christmas Decorations

Personally I hate dragging the decorations out each year and putting up the tree.  But the look on my son’s face when the house and tree have been decorated is worth the effort.

Each year when you are putting away the decorations, make sure they are working.  If not, throw them out – don’t pack broken or unwanted items.  I add an item to the tree each year for my young son.  This allows us to reminisce about what has happened over the last year and spend some quality family time together.  

Put aside an afternoon and make a decoration with your children it doesn’t have to be expensive.  I have little boxes under the tree that have their hand prints and a special message.

Lastly enjoy Christmas.  With a little bit of planning, everyone can participate in wrapping presents, giving the presents and mostly, enjoying the family time together.

Become organized this Christmas

Become organized this Christmas.

For most of us, we are so busy living our lives that we forget just how quickly Christmas is upon us.  

Here is a list of 6 simple strategies to help you be organized this Christmas and enjoy the festive season.

1.  Take the time to plan ahead this Christmas.
Set aside a morning in the first week in December.  

Get yourself a cup of coffee a notepad and pen.  Take the phone off the hook, organize the children so you aren’t interrupted and take half an hour to make lists for the following:

(a)  Gift giving
(b)  Christmas Cards  
(c)  Christmas Decorating

2.  First let’s deal with the Card List
Now that you have written out the Christmas card list, when you shop next buy the required amount of Christmas cards.

The following day divide your list into say 5, and then over the next 5 days write out your Christmas cards until the list is complete.  In the last week of November post out your cards.  

3.  The Gift Giving List
This project is a little bigger than the last, however if you are organized it can be fun and done in a couple of weeks.  

Sit down and go through the list of people you will be giving or sending a gift to this year.  If you have family or friends who will need their gifts sent through the mail then they need to be put at the top of the list as you will want to take care of their presents first.   (Aim to post their presents within the next two weeks)

If you have been buying gifts throughout the year go through the gifts and assign them to the appropriate people on your list.  (Shopping for Christmas at sale time is an excellent idea as it makes the burden a lot easier and also helps with the family budget).  

Take a look again at your list, no doubt you have whittled away a few of those names.  If you have presents that haven’t been assigned in the Christmas gift box leave these in case you have forgotten someone or a friend drops around, then you have something to give to them.  

For the remaining names I break these into smaller lists.  Presents that need to be purchased and presents that I can make.  I personally think that giving a present made by you is something special.  Now before you say… I can’t make anything have you thought about a “gift basket” or “gifts in a jar”.  They are very easy and simple to make; they look fantastic and are always well received by the recipient.  



About the Author – Donna Hamer is the author and publisher of 101 Themed Gift Basket Ideas. For a Free 5 part Mini Course on how to create your own “Gift Baskets” visit www.101giftbasketideas.com  

christmas gift basket idea

You can either create this gift yourself and present it or you can put all of the items in a basket and present the gift basket, so that the recipient can decorate the tree themselves.

If you are going to make this gift - decorate a small Christmas tree with homemade ornaments. If you aren't very crafty a lot of the cheaper stores have excellent oraments at very reasonable prices. Include miniature toys, cookies, or potpourri bags, small photo frames etc. Each year you can give another ornament for your friend to add to their tree.

Each year they will be reminded of you at Christmas.

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How to make Gift Baskets

How to create a gift basket

KRT Wire 11/21/2005 How to create a gift basket: "Make it personal. Find something about the recipient and run with it." Look out.... as Christmas is coming. It won't be long before we are frantic about what to give to our family and friends. Here is a simple idea from a lady who has been in the gift basket business for over 16 years.

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gift basket ideas
christmas
How to make Gift Baskets

Hottest Baby Shower Idea

Today's Hottest Baby Shower Gifts Revealed by Nationally Renowned Entertaining Expert

In this article it gives you ideas about how to create the "Hottest Baby Shower Idea" and you guessed it..... a personalised gift basket.

The article gives you four different gift basket ideas to create a Healthy Baby Basket.


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How to make Gift Baskets
baby shower

Fundraising Idea - gift basket

Fort Morgan Times - Local

Take a look at this artilce if you are looking for either fundraising ideas or ways to promote your gift baskets.

Gift baskets are such are fantastic idea for so many things. If you need more ideas to make a gift basket, read this blog - there are gift basket ideas for men, women, girls, boys and much more.

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christmas
How to make Gift Baskets

Creating Your Own Branding

Creating your own business and more important your own branding, has always been something that interests me.

This morning I came across a site and it talked about 57 ways to promote your online and offline business and one of this items was .... yes you guess it..

Create a gift basket that promotes your business either by including your product in the basket or creating the basket around your theme.

So take a few minutes and then about ways to promote your business using a gift basket!

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branding
How to make Gift Baskets
women

Making your own Gifts

I was surfing around the net this morning and came across a book which contains 100 ideas on how to save. Below is an extract of the book which talks about .....

Making your Own Gifts

If you ask people if they prefer a store bought or handmade gift, the majority would choose the latter. Handmade gifts are individualized and come from the heart. When you have a birthday, anniversary, baby shower, wedding, or Christmas gift to give, make the gift. For Christmas, you could make a beautiful ornament or door wreath, for a baby shower you could purchase an inexpensive bib pattern and make special bibs, or for a wedding, you could create a wonderful album of photos showing the couples dating life.

Making a gift basket is such an easy gift to make. On this blog which have covered many different ideas for your own gift basket. So start planning today for Christmas or the next birthday.

Donna

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How to make Gift Baskets