I seriously can’t believe we’re here already. It’s that time of year when I walk into my favorite store (Target) and start to see holiday items! This can lead to one of two reactions:

“Yippee! The holidays are coming! I can’t wait. I love the holidays.”

OR

“Not already! We just got finished with Halloween. Give me a break…I need some time to regroup before diving into another holiday season.”

I’m much more in the first camp this year. I’m really getting excited…already! (It sure is cold enough to feel like the holidays are coming.) Plus, I’ve been putting together my talk for tomorrow and my brand new Get Organized for the Holiday’s teleclass. So I’ve already started thinking about and planning all the fun things we’ll be doing this holiday season.

This is by far the busiest time of year for my family…with both kid’s birthdays on top of all the other holiday hoopla. And after years of practice (going on nine years now) I’ve got it down. The first year, when Collin was born, was the first year I did all my shopping in one day. That was a seriously impressive shopping trip…if I do say so myself. Collin was born five weeks early…so the doctor advised us against taking him out in public. (And I was nursing…so it wasn’t so easy to leave a new born home with Daddy for extended periods of time.) So…I had a three hour window to do my Christmas shopping. All of it.

Sure…I could have shopped on the Internet and from catalogs, but back then I enjoyed the thrill that came with going out into the hustling and bustling holiday scene. (Plus, I really needed to get out of the house for a while.)

So I made my list of who I was buying for, what I wanted to get them and where to find it. And I headed out. Here’s the clincher. The nearest shopping area is about 45 minutes away from my home—one way. This meant, of my three hour window of opportunity, I had only 1 hour and 30 minutes left to shop! And guess what? I did it! I raced through the stores, picking up everything on my list, and got it all done in record time. Since then, we’ve made a tradition out of doing our shopping in a single day. Now Jay goes with me and we get a sitter. It’s one of the holiday traditions I most look forward to. And it helps free up so much time for other fun and festive activities on our holiday wish list.

The biggest thing I’ve learned by having the three most important events in my family’s year compacted into six short weeks is this:  it’s never too early to start getting ready! The earlier you start, the more likely it is you’ll enjoy the holidays. (And after all, isn’t that really what it’s all about?)

So if you see the holiday stuff at the stores and think “oh no!” try a new approach this year. Start now…and focus on creating a season filled with joy. Here are some things you can do this weekend…to get the holiday ball rolling.

Take your holiday card photo. The days are still warm (at least where I live) and so it’s a great time to take on outdoor photo…before it gets too cold. And even though you may not be quite ready to see the holiday outfits at the store yet…it does make it just a notch easier to take your photo early. This is a great project to put on this weekend’s to do list. (It’s on mine…we’ve tried twice already…with less than successful results. Some crazy setting on the camera that is making my kids look all washed out. So…I’ll get my techie hubby on it and see if we can get a good one this weekend.)

Hang up the lights. You don’t have to turn them on just yet…but again, why wait until it gets cold to hang up the lights?

And…if you’re in the mood for some organizing this weekend, go through your holiday decorations and gift wrap. See what you have and make a list of what you need. If you make the list now, you can wait until items you want or need go on sale. Plus, by knowing exactly what you need to get you’ll avoid over-shopping and the clutter that goes along with it.

And last but not least, sign up for my holiday teleclass. I’ll walk you through step-by-step how to create your holiday survival plan and prioritize it so you’ll have time for the things you love to do most. I’ve created forms and worksheets…and I’ve even added step-by-step project instructions to create a holiday planning binder you can use to organize your holiday preparations year after year. Plus, the phone call part of the class will be recorded…so you can listen and create your holiday plan any time that suits you. (So…if it does feel too early to get started next week…you can wait to use the info at a time that suits you.) Just email me if you have any questions about the class. I’d love to help you create a joyful holiday season!

Have a great weekend!