So we are on the countdown to Christmas. You can let the fact that it is only 10 weeks to Christmas freak you out, pretend you didn’t just read that statement or you can spend an hour or so undertaking some Christmas planning to ensure that Christmas 2012 will be less frantic.

These are the three steps I am taking at the moment:

1. Update the calendar

We have been back at school one week, I now have the key dates for the rest of term four from kinder and schools, so I need to plug them into my calendar. I am also adding these key dates:

• The last day for international cards and presents to be sent and still make it in time.
• The date to finalise and send out my Christmas cards.
• The date to send off presents to family in Australia I won’t see at Christmas this year.
• The one week left mark of term four and block out my child free time, for those final end of year errands I need to do without the kids around.

2. Plan the Christmas workload

Long term readers of the blog will know that each year I have a 10 week plan for Christmas organisation. This year my 10 week plan looks like:

• 10 weeks to go – Update the calendar
• 9 weeks to go – Christmas presents ideas (for adults)
• 8 weeks to go – Christmas tags and cards
• 7 weeks to go – Christmas menu plan
• 6 weeks to go – Christmas presents ideas (for kids)
• 5 weeks to go – Handmade Christmas Crakcers
• 4 weeks to go – Christmas printables
• 3 weeks to go – Christmas party treats
• 2 weeks to go – Christmas in the city
• 1 weeks to go – Christmas in the neighbourhood
• 0 weeks to go – Creating Christmas traditions

I am not hosting Christmas at our house this year, as we had a big one at our house last year. You can see my plan for 2011 here and is different to this years as I had much more work to do! You can also see other year’s plan’s here:

• Christmas Planning 2010
• Christmas Planning 2009

3. What do I want for Christmas 2012?

I am taking the time to ask myself what it is I want for my family over Christmas 2012. Without stopping to think about Christmas and how I want it to be for my family, it can end up being a series of parties, rushing around and presents. I want Christmas to be a time of connection for my family, a time to reflect on how lucky we are and a time for traditions.

I love this quote from Dr Seuss’ The Grinch. I actually printed it on the inside of my Christmas cards last year.  I want my kids to know that there is much more to Christmas than what they see in the catalogues and the stores.

Have you started thinking about Christmas?

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