Christmas Eve is 8 weeks from today. This will be the last easy week of the coutdown so enjoy it!

This week we'll focus on broad planning.

First, plan your time. Make a huge calendar extending from November 1st through January 2nd. Block out all of your commitments (family events, travel, school events, work responsibilities, social obligations). Block out time for crafting, baking, writing cards, shopping, decorating, and relaxing. Nothing need be written in stone, but if you don't plan it, you won't do it.

Second, plan your tasks. Make a list of everything you need to do and divide the list by when they can or must be completed. For example, you can write your Christmas cards today, but you probably shouldn't stuff the turkey yet. The goal is to schedule things for the earliest possible completion time so that you have the maximum time available for the last minute things.

Third, develop a list for things you need to make, be they crafts or cookies or cards. The earlier you can organize for the production, the better off you are.

Thinking ahead to create a plan is the goal of this last week of October. Once Halloween has passed, we pick up the pace!