#4 - March: Work on Handmade Gifts or Start a Gift Notebook

I am two weeks later than planned, but better late than never, right? I’m sorry; life has been dribbling me like a basketball in a championship game.

The goal for the month of March is simple. For us, March is Make Gifts Month. The weather is still kind of chilly and damp, keeping us indoors most of the time. For those who are able to knit, crochet, embroider, or sew, this month offers time for those kinds of projects. If you are crafty, put your hobby to good use this month.

If you are like me, you intend to make some of your Christmas gifts either because you love the personal touch or you’re frugal, but time slips away before you know it. Suddenly you are facing the holiday whirlwind with no time left for quiet projects! Then you have to wander the store aisles trying to find gifts within your budget. That's why we need a plan for starting early.

If making gifts doesn’t appeal to you, you can still use this month to create a gift notebook, a place to jot down not only ideas for gifts or gifts that have been made or bought and tucked away, but also sizes, favorite colors, styles, and motifs, etc. After all, you can ask questions without anyone suspecting that you are preparing for Christmas! You can casually mention possible gift items and gauge your loved one’s reaction. Come Christmas, your questions and conversations will have been forgotten, and your gifts will truly be a welcome surprise!

#2 - More on Cards: Don’t Misplace Them!

One question has come up about buying cards early. How does one remember where she has stashed those boxes of January-bought Christmas cards when the Christmas season arrives?

Over the years I’ve stashed many things away in clever places only to forget where those places were. What a nuisance! However, I haven’t misplaced my cards in a long time. You know those holiday popcorn tins? We’ve given and received many as gifts over the years. I chose one of the larger ones we had received (after it had been emptied, of course) and rinsed it out. In it I stashed my Christmas cards as well as a copy of past Christmas newsletters.

Because it’s a Christmas-themed tin, I recognize it each time I see it. I don’t keep the tin in my Christmas storage closet/room; I might forget it or lose it under boxes of decorations. Instead, it’s stashed in my office closet. Before moving to this house and gaining an office, I kept my card tin in my living room coat closet.

Since you may want to get to your cards before you start decorating for the holidays, keeping them with the decorations is a bad idea You should keep your cards stored in a more visible place where they won’t become lost and forgotten. Using a decorative container like the holiday popcorn tins for storing your card supplies will increase your chances of finding them quickly when you want them. Keeping the container in a place you visit often makes it even more likely that you won’t lose them.

If you haven’t made a habit of sending Christmas cards in the past, maybe this will be the year. Finding a colorful Christmas card in the mailbox always brightens my mood. Think of how delighted your friends or family members will be to find an envelope full of holiday cheer from you! Better yet, they may return the favor!