{A Very Creative Christmas}

Well, the Christmas season is upon us and I am so excited!  Right now, our little Sugar Plum and I are knee-deep in decorations and I had to take a break for a few minutes!  Whew, who knew decorating could be so strenuous?!?  We have about 12 Rubber Maid tubs full of decorations, and it can get pretty overwhelming!
Anyway, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and had fun shopping during Black Friday weekend!  I shopped A LOT and I am almost done, with just a few stocking stuffers to go!


This month, Moo Moo's and Tutus will be hosting "A Very Creative Christmas!"  I've already gotten several creative chicas lined up to give us fabulous creative ideas for Christmas!  However, this special Christmas event is open to ALL my creative readers, so if you have a idea for a Christmas craft, recipe, decoration, gift, or Holiday organization, send me an email to moomootutu@gmail.com, and I would LOVE to feature you!  

Today, our first Creative Christmas Chica, is Jen of i Heart Organizing!  She shares "i Heart Gift Giving"!  Thanks, Jen, for being so giving and sharing your talent with us this Christmas!

First, so we can get to know all the talented ladies participating in "A Very Creative Christmas," I asked each girlie to complete a Christmas questionnaire.  Here are Jen's answers...


1. What is your favorite Christmas song?  
Ooooh, that would have to be CHRISTMAS CANON by Trans Siberian Orchestra.  I just adore it!


2. What is your favorite Christmas scent?  
Anything that smells of baking!  Or that smell in the Christmas section of Home Depot.  I can't be the only one that thinks that it is just incredibly infused with the smells of Christmas!?


3. When does your family decorate their Christmas tree?
Usually about two weeks before Christmas.  It's a weekend tradition to go on a Friday night to pick out the tree and spend the entire Sunday decorating the tree, baking cookies, and decorating the home.  One of my most favorite days of the year!

4.  What is one tradition your family has for Christmas?

Christmas Eve we always sprinkle reindeer food in the snow, read "The Polar Express," and drink too much hot cocoa.  Then, we snuggle up and watch Home Alone in our p.j.'s.

5. Do you give mostly handmade or store-bought Christmas gifts?

I think it's pretty safe to say we do a fair share of both.  I try to find different ways to personalize each gift whether it is handmade or purchased.

 

And now, here is Jen's creative solution for staying organized during the Holidays...

Who else is incredibly giddy about the holidays?  My favorite moments are the annual traditions we partake in with the kids, their giggles, their bright eyes and their endless excitement as they count down the days to the big Christmas day celebration.

Although I try to be as organized as possible, the holidays always have a way of sneaking up on me.  I mean, BAM!  Thanksgiving is already next week people!!  Jeepers.

I totally adore all of the things that Thanksgiving represents, especially the time I get to spend with all of our family, eating delicious large quantities of food and watching hours of football and playing games.  It is always such a splendid and blessed day.

The other amazing perk of the Thanksgiving holiday, is the newspaper.  Yep, I sit anxiously waiting for our paperboy to toss that flyer stuffed paper onto the driveway, and rush out after it as if it contains stacks of lottery tickets inside.  And that is when the madness really begins.

There is no doubt about it that holiday sales really kick off the day after Thanksgiving.  I am a complete sucker for scoring all sorts of deals to make gift giving a little bit easier on the Jones family.  Which is why I sit down with my handy flyers, and this.... 

{click to enlarge}

Oh, how this has been a true lifesaver for us.  We can sit down together, toss all the names of the fine folks we plan on giving to this year, brainstorm our gift ideas, our budget and plan out all the places we need to hit up when we head out shopping.  

This worked like a charm last year.  No last minute Christmas Eve runs to Target for this gal.... We were actually able to wrap up all of our holiday shopping early and focus all of the other amazing happenings that come with the sparkling season!  Win win!

So this year, I am giving this to you!  I hope you heart it as much as I!  Just download the spreadsheet from DocStoc to snag your own version that you can edit with your family's name!

Any other fun ways to prepare for all the bliss that is the holidays?  What tricks and tips do you have to stay organized {and keep your sanity in check} during the most wonderful time of the year?