Christmas Eve is seven weeks from today.  That means it's time to pick up the opace of preparation.

• You should do some serious work on your cards this week.  You should finish addressing them and start writing messages in them.  The USPS has its Christmas stamps for sale, so the next time you're near a post office, pick up what you need.
• Try to schedule at least a few hours of shopping, either online or in stores.
• If you are making gifts, you should be doing several hours of crafting each week.
• Begin to sort through your holiday recipes so that you can plan menus. Divide the recipes into 3 groups: holiday dinners, party food, easy dinners and casseroles you can freeze (for busy nights of school programs or errands).

Remember, if you follow this schedule, by the time Christmas rolls around, you'll be relaxed and ready to celebrate.