Christmas Countdown

So Halloween is out of the way, and this goddess just realized that the Christmas Countdown has begun!

Did that statement make you break out in a cold sweat, Dear Heart?

Do you have visions of a Norman Rockwell morning with everyone delighted opening Exactly What They Wanted while you waft around the kitchen, fully made up and deliciously attired, putting the final touches on a feast that would make Martha Stewart chew her nails?

Or do you remember last year’s mortifying moment when Aunt Minnie unwrapped the vibrator meant as a gag gift for your girlfriend, a debacle due entirely to the frenzied wrapping marathon on Christmas Eve?

Well, Relax, my frazzled dahlings. Help is at hand.

I had planned to Create my very own Scrumptious Christmas Planner, complete with lists, and recipes and stirring quotes to urge you on to Domestic Goddess-hood, but a quick rummage round the internet turned up so many that I thought ‘what the hell’ and made myself some more tea instead.

But I knew my overwhelmed luvlies were relying on me to save the day, not to mention their sanity, so sallied forth till I found … Ta Daaa!

The Perfect Solution to Christmas Chaos.

Actually, TWO ~ one free, the other for less than the price of a two lattes.

The first is from Organized Home and is a weekly Christmas Countdown that  started on October 24th (did I say they were Organized!!) but has all of the previous six days’ worth of nudges all laid out so you can do a little sprint to catch up.

This one is lusciously high-tech with each week’s guidance arriving by RSS Feed and a Facebook page where you can connect with other Domestic goddesses on the same path. All the printables are laid out in an easy-to-find fashion and you can either do the whole lot at once or weekly as the lessons dictate.

But, sweethearts, do resist the temptation to print absolutely everything and dive headfirst into Total Life ReOrganization, won’t you?

It’s not recommended at the best of times and Certainly not right before the Holiday Madness, unless you want to end up in a wine-soaked heap under a partly decorated tree while your kids eat cereal for dinner.

The second offering is from the website that sends Vintage Housekeepers like me into paroxysms of delight, Brocante Home.

I’ve been using her Housekeepers Planner for a while now ~ a puttery guide that’s as practical as it is gorgeous ~ and earlier this year worked through her Trash It or Treasure It guide to decluttering both mind and house.

So you can imagine how twitterpated I am about her Christmas Planner, as she says “a surefire route to festive heaven.” And we all want that, don’t we, dahlings?

And then there’s also her Christmas Countdown, which covers Only 30 days prior to meltdown the big day, because she understands that even domestic goddesses tend to leave things till the last minute. Nonetheless, it’s a comprehensive collection of charts and forms and lists that will help you organise everything from Christmas cards to the very essence of your own family Christmas and still look ravishing and Calm under the mistletoe.

So there you are, my luvlies. Two different paths toward Festive Calm – choose whichever one suits your particular style and makes your little heart sing with optimism.

Now, my next post will cover how to make the most of all this organized bliss by positioning your home business and the products you sell so that you can take advantage of the gift-buying season. That way, not only will you be helping other frazzled friends avoid the mall mayhem, but you’ll also make a few extra pennies to spoil yourself with. (Make sure you’ve opted in so you don’t miss anything)

So, Dear Heart, click on the links and decide which planner is best for you. Print it out and get started.

Someone once said “Christmas is a race to see which gives out first – your money or your feet.”

This doesn’t have to be you, Scrumptious One! With your planner in hand, your Countdown to Christmas will be a breeze.