My One and Only Holiday Tip

I am not one of those super organized Christmas shoppers who gets it all done ahead of Thanksgiving.  Every year, I say the next year will be different, and I won't be scurrying around mid-December still trying to think of gift ideas.  But I usually am.

While I'm not organized in this sense, I do have one holiday tip that I would like to share, because it has helped me for a number of years now.  Let me just say - I did not come up with this.  I read this somewhere several years ago.  I can't remember where, so I don’t know who to give the credit. 

Each year, after the holidays, I write or type myself a letter to be read as the holidays approach the following year.  In this letter, I list anything that I want to remember for the next holiday.  It might be a dish that someone brought to a party that is a great idea for any holiday gathering.  Or it could be a gift I received that I want to keep in mind for future gift-giving.  If I was introduced to a new store or company that I want to shop at for the next Christmas holiday, I don’t want to forget that. 

The letter might also contain things that went well, or not.  This could be something like where the tree was positioned and when it was trimmed and taken down.  If I made a dish or brought a bottle of wine to a gathering and it was a big hit, I want to remember that. And if I did something that was too much hassle or didn’t go quite right, I don’t want to repeat that.

If you've ever felt like you spent too much (or too little) on certain gifts, this letter is a good place to state that so you'll remember to budget differently next time.  If you have any type of family drama, reflections on those situations could be written. The letter is also a good place to remind yourself to simplify the following year or spend your time in a new way.

I pulled up my letter from last year, and it has lots of gift ideas and reminders. It helps me plan.   I would never remember this stuff without the letter.  This does not have to be time-consuming or in formal letter structure.  It can be just a bulleted list if that's what works for you.  If it is written out, it can be stored in a holiday bin, or it can be kept electronically, which is how I keep mine.

I hope this little tip is helpful.  Let me know if this is something you implement this holiday season!