In my quest for a slower and more meaningful December spent with friends and family, I plan on completing 30 Days of tasks to get ready for Christmas before Thanksgiving...and I invite you to join me.
Day 8: Create a Homemade Holiday Gift Plan
So once you have your list of homemade holiday gifts that you plan to make, today's the day to create a game plan for getting your gifts completed before the holidays without stress.
You don't have to create and finish your gifts today, but rather create a shopping list for the items that you need to purchase to make the gifts and then break each step of your gift down into small tasks with a due date, with the goal for completing all homemade gifts by Thanksgiving (if possible).
My Holiday Gift Game Plan:
As I mentioned yesterday, I create a homemade photo calendar for my parents and in-laws each year. And each year, I end up frantically trying to finish the calendar in time for the shipping deadline. Last year, I made the last-minute shipping deadline with a mere 2 minutes to spare before the midnight cutoff! That's not going to happen this year.
I'm going to break the tasks down into mini-steps with clear deadlines:
- Request photos from sister and sisters-in-law now - ask to have by 11/11
- Research custom calendar deals - by 11/4
- Choose my favorite pictures of my kids as potentials for the calendar - by 11/11
- Choose the templates that I'll use for the calendar - by 11/11
- Add the photos to my in-laws' calendar - by 11/18
- Add the photos to my parents' calendar - by 11/25
- Place orders for both calendars - by 11/25
It makes the entire process seem much easier to break it out by task. And I love the thought of having it complete to early!
What about you? What homemade gifts do you plan to make?