Organizing for Christmas

We are in Christmas mode 'round here!

Hallmark movies are playing, cookies are baking, house is decorated 

{except for the tree ~ hubs is a firefighter, ya know},

and I am trying to channel my organizational self so that I don't forget a thing.

Each year I devote a little purse-sized notebook to everything Christmas.

It contains the draw names for everyone in our family, gift ideas, Christmas card lists, 

and Countdown to Christmas Activities {we plan an outing, activity, or craft each day of December leading up to Christmas}.

But this year  . . .  I found the CUTEST idea:

These adorable Christmas Planners from Eighteen25

I'm not great at following patterns, and I'm a Gemini,

so my attention span is . . . not.

So I used their general idea to decorate the cover,

 and made a planner that would work best for my needs.

I even purchased extra Composition books and scrapbook paper so my girls

could make their own Christmas Notebooks.

{The Scrapbook Paper was on a Black Friday special at JoAnns for 70% off!! Score!}

We've been busily scribbling away all our Christmas ideas, and eagerly counting down!

How do YOU organize?

I need alllll the help I can get!

Also ~ Countdown to Christmas Ideas coming soon!

Four more days, y'all!

Focus on the Family ~ April 2010

It's time again for Focus on the Family ~ a monthly plan, created by Connie @ the Young and the Relentless, to help us Mamas get organized, and be deliberate in our actions. Make a plan for your own family, and head over to Connie's to link up!

April is going to be a busy month! {Don't I say this every month?} Makenna just started Soccer. She has practice on Mondays, Sierra has dance on Tuesdays, I teach Tap on Wednesdays, and Makenna's games are on Saturdays. Easter is tomorrow. Uh, how did that happen? We have a trip South planned to visit my sister at the end of the month. And hopefully, within the next week or two, we'll get approval from the county to start building our house. Yeah, we're going to be busy.

Some goals for April:

Last week our Bible Study group finished Breaking Free by Beth Moore. It was a toughie, and I think we all felt a strong sense of accomplishment to have finished. But without a lesson each day to keep me on track, I'm afraid I'm going to feel lost. We will start another study in May, but until then my goal is to try a study on my own.

I'd like to plan more activties with the girls. In between practices, lessons, and games, I'm hoping that the weather finally cooperates so that we may get outdoors. Locally, there is a tulip festival that is open through the end of April. Last year the weather was gorgeous. This year . . . there has been a LOT of rain. I'm hoping we'll have a few dry days so that we can head out there.

And, of course, I'd love more time with my husband. I'm enjoying our evenings together, going over plans for our new home. I look forward to more of that in the future.

It's pretty simple, really. More time together making memories. Less "stuff".

Simplicity.

That's what I long for.

Friend Makin' Monday ~ It's Project Time!

It's Friend Makin' Monday! This week Amber asks:

What kinds of projects are on your to do list this year???

If you're like me, January can be a bit . . . overwhelming. It's the start of a new year which leaves me wanting to do everything. I need to start small and move forward, but instead I run around starting a whole bunch of projects, leaving many unfinished. Anyway.

♥ We have one BIG project planned this year. We are hoping to build a house. We meet with a builder this week to see if our ideas and his ideas mesh. And alsoto see if we can afford to build a house! I am SO excited! Eeeekkk! ♥

***Other than that, I'm dreaming of finishing a million little projects.***

♥ Organizing our homeschooling cabinets and drawers.

♥ Organizing in general.

♥ Finishing the scrapbook{s} I have started, and moving on to some digital scrapbooking/photo organization.

♥ More activities and crafts with the kids.

How about you? What kinds of projects do you have planned this year? Head on over to Amber's and link up!

Oh, and stay tuned. I'm finally going to post some pictures of one ADORABLE, brand new little sugarplum from my first ever newborn photo shoot. Talk about baby fever ;)