I know, I know, it’s only October 5th, and I’m starting to talk about Christmas. I am normally one of those people that doesn’t even like to start thinking about Christmas until after Thanksgiving is over. I don’t like seeing Christmas decorations in stores before October is over, and I definitely think that our culture over does the whole Christmas season.
That being said, I do love Christmas and celebrating the birth of our Savior, and I think it’s a really important and special time for our families. But, when I put off thinking and planning for it until after Thanksgiving, I end up missing out on most of the things that I would have liked to do to celebrate Christmas with my family.
Things like making homemade gifts, or buying used gifts, and coming up with creative alternatives to wrapping paper. Things like serving others, and doing a meaningful Advent Calendar, or a Jesse Tree, with my kids. Things like Christmas crafts and baking that get lost in the busyness of the season.
I’m determined this year to start planning ahead now, so I can do more of those things I would like to this Christmas.
So, this month’s Simple Step is to Start Planning For Your Frugally Green Christmas.
And then take action on a few of the things you are planning for.
This can and will look different for different people, depending on how much or how little you have to do before Christmas. This will hopefully be our first year doing a Jesse Tree, so I’ll have to work on making all the ornaments for it, but if you’ve done a Jesse Tree in the past, then you already have the ornaments ready to go.
Here are some great resources to get you starting with thinking about what you need to plan.
The Frugally Green Christmas Series on Live Renewed:
- Giving Gifts 2009
- Giving Gifts 2010
- Gift Guide
- Christmas Cards
- The Tree and Decorations
- Wrapping Gifts
- Serving Others
- The Reason For the Season
Other Christmas Planning Posts:
- Don’t Let the Pumpkin Spice Lattes Fool You from Simple Mom
- Plan Now to Stretch Your Christmas Budget from Finances…Your Way
And Mandi at Life Your Way is hosting 101 Days of Christmas with ideas, tips, DIY and more for your Christmas inspiration.
Printables:
For me, I’ve printed out a Christmas Master To-Do list and I’m going to start writing down all the ideas I have this week. Next week we’ll talk about tackling some of those ideas!
Are you a Christmas Planner or Procrastinator? What’s one thing that you’d love to do this Christmas season that will require that you plan ahead?
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We’re starting to talk this month about having a Frugally Green Christmas! I’d love to have you join with me! You can also connect with me on Twitter and Facebook!
We don’t celebrate Christmas, but everyone in our family does. Usually we just have to find time to spend attending all of their holiday’s festivities. I really LOVE not celebrating Christmas because we get to avoid all of the stress that goes along with it!
We are planning to spend Christmas at my parents’ house halfway across the country for the first time since I started my own family. This means making travel reservations soon. It also means planning gifts we can transport easily or mail ahead, and planning a “second Christmas” here with most of our gifts to one another so that we don’t have to bring all of those with us only to bring them back! I’ll also need to discuss with my mom whether we will make my nuclear family’s traditional Christmas dinner of Stuffed Shells or something different.
A couple of weeks ago, I purchased two Ninja Lego sets at Target for my son’s two friends with birthday parties this weekend. When I saw them in the sales flyer and pointed out to him that we should get them now (knowing that one friend specifically wanted Ninja Legos and the other would like them too) at the lower price, he begged me to get a set for him as well. I said I’d think about it. What I decided to do was buy 4 sets but put his away until Christmas, and the 4th would get donated to a toy drive. But when we actually went to Target, he did not ask again for his own Lego set, so I didn’t buy it. Delay can reduce desire! In fact, sometimes when I’ve told him he can have something but not until Christmas, he’s decided he doesn’t want it so much after all.
Here are my tips for an earth-friendly Christmas.
You’re right about planning early. I get annoyed with Christmas decorations in the stores in October too, but when I wait too long to get into the spirit, I miss out on things. I don’t want to forget anyone this year and have to make a mad dash to the store for a last-minute gift. I want to plan when I’m making cookies so I don’t run out of time. Thanks for the helpful links.
I know what you mean – I don’t want to think about Christmas yet either! But if I want to make stuff – I have to plan, right? Thanks for the reminder!
I am already so excited to this up coming Christmas.. Thanks for sharing this great ideas! They are so helpful..
Yeah, Christmas is coming, and my family were so excited. Because I’ve promise to something to them.
Anyway, thanks for sharing some ideas.