Merry April 25th, friends!

We are excited to continue the Crazy for Christmas Challenge and love hearing how all of you are getting in the spirit of prepping for your holiday all year long. Whether you’re just jumping in or joining us for the first time this month, we are so glad you’re here! We are heading into May which is in many ways December’s busy twin, so today’s tasks are designed with that in mind. Remember, the challenge should not be a source of stress, but simply a reminder that ANYTHING you get done now, will save you time in December!

Let’s get to this month’s tasks…

Play Catch-Up

Whether you are new or you’ve been with us since the beginning, today we are allowing time to catch up on previous month’s tasks you might not have completed. You can find them here:

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH

Go through, make your list, and check it twice!

Buy a Few Gifts

During our February challenge we determined how many gifts we should buy each month between March and November. Today you get to do a little shopping and check some gifts off that list!

Practice Stress-Reducing Habits

If you’re not already, join our email list to get this month’s printable:

It’s a handy list of five simple habits I use to make life run more smoothly during hectic seasons. You can put these habits in place for the busy month of May then pick them up again when the holidays roll around.

That’s it for today! Don’t forget to join the Crazy for Christmas Challenge Facebook group and share your progress with us!

Crazy for Christmas Challenge: March

March 25, 2019Crazy for Christmas, ChristmasAmy WileyComment

Happy 25th of the month, Christmas lovers! Today you are in for a treat because our challenge is all about those delicious foods we enjoy around the holidays. We’ll also start our stash of gifts. So here we go…

Start Shopping!

Last month we mapped out our gift buying between now and November. Now it’s time to start chipping away at that list and putting your gifts in the spot you set up in January. I’ve rounded up some fun and affordable gift ideas to get you in the Santa spirit… just click on the photos to shop.

Collect Your Holiday Recipes

We all have family favorites we tend to enjoy and often require around the holidays. Your Christmas binder is the perfect place to store those recipes so they are easy to find when the hustle and bustle start up. Today I want you to round them all up and put them in your binder. This is a great time to call up your mom or your grandmother and ask for those cherished recipes. It’s so much easier now than during the holiday rush. You might also want to browse Pinterest for some new things you’d like to try. I made these cookies for the first time last year and they were a huge hit! The recipe is now going in my binder to make year after year. If you’re not already on the Crazy for Christmas Challenge email list, sign up now to get a festive printable of one of my family’s favorite recipes, Christmas Eve Punch.

That’s it! You just bought yourself some extra time relaxing under the twinkle lights. I love hearing how the challenge is going for all of you. Have fun tackling today’s tasks and don’t blame me if you start craving Christmas cookies!

This post contains affiliate links.

Crazy for Christmas Challenge: February

February 25, 2019Christmas, Crazy for ChristmasAmy WileyComment

It’s here! The 25th of the month! This is the day we do just a little prep work for Christmas… so that when December rolls around we are ready, rested, and stress-free. I’ll be on Facebook Live this morning talking you through February’s challenge. See the January tasks here. Today we are going to…

This post contains affiliate links.

Set Aside Cash Gifts

Our family has a few people we gift with a cash bonus at Christmas, like our cleaning ladies and our milk man. Today I want you to think about anyone you tip at Christmas and go ahead and set that money aside. You can either hit the ATM today, or work it into next month’s budget. Either way, get it going so that your bank account won’t have to take such a big hit in December. You can even grab some cute envelopes for gifting cash like these:

Once you grab the cash, it’s important to keep it in a safe place. Last month we set up our gift storage area. If you feel that’s a good place to keep it, put it there. If you need somewhere a little more secure, put it away… then write down where it is and stick that note in your Christmas Planner notebook. You could also keep the money right inside your notebook.

Make Your Gift List

Sit down and write down all the people you give to at Christmastime. Include them all… family, friends, teachers, and loved ones. Make a rough budget of how much you will spend on each person. Subscribe to our Crazy for Christmas Challenge email list for a handy Gift List Printable for your binder.

Break Down Your Gift Buying

Now that you know how many gifts you plan to buy, divide them up between March and November. You can do this by number of gifts or by dollar amount... spread out over those nine months. So, if you have 18 gifts to buy, you’ll need to buy two per month starting next month. Or, if you plan to spend $500 on all your gifts, you’ll want to buy around $55 worth of gifts each month. It’s up to you how you want to divide up your list, but the key is that you’ll have them all purchased by November! Next month we will actually start buying gifts, but for now you just need a plan. This will help you plan out your monthly budgets as well.

Happy planning, friends! You can find the Crazy for Christmas Challenge Facebook Group here for more inspiration and to share your progress.