Get Started on the Holiday Season Now!

Holiday season is fast approaching. How to enjoy all the
festivities while keeping your sanity? Here are a few tips:

* Start addressing holiday card envelopes nightly as you watch
TV. Or, better yet, print labels from your computerized address
book.

* Many types of cookies can be frozen. Bake a few batches now
and freeze. Just pull them out of the freezer as needed.

* Start making any handmade gifts now! What about having a
Christmas craft get-together day after Thanksgiving? 

* Getting carpets shampooed? Having a cleaning service come in
to get ready for your holiday party? Call to make appointments
as soon as possible to get the times and dates most convenient
to you.

* While you're making those appointments, make any hair or nail
appointments. Salons get busy during this season of parties. 

* Define your personal and family boundaries for commitments.
Just how much can you handle? If running around to three parties
in one day is to much, decide to attend only one and make the
most of your time there. 

* Create a centralized location to keep all your holiday items.
I have purchased presents for folks, forgotten about them and
then bought something else about a month later.... only to find
the original gift the next June. Decide on a space in a closet,
laundry room, or guest room where you can keep gifts, cards,
wrapping paper, clippings or recipes or decorating ideas.

Get organized now so that you can truly enjoy the spirit of the
holiday season later.