Running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off isn’t cool. It REALLY isn’t cool on December 20th. But a few years ago thats what I found myself doing. I had procrastinated and felt unprepared to present a gorgeous Christmas to my 4 3/4 children. I was HUGLY pregnant and when I say HUGE, I mean like from the tips of my toes all the way up to my ears, I was swelled up 9 months pregnant HUGE. In fact, I actually had my daughter on December 29th and when I look back at pictures from that Christmas all I can do is apologize for the fact that I took up the love seat by myself.

Fighting Holiday crowds isn’t something anyone wants to do especially pregnant. But I had waited so long to actually start preparing for Christmas that I was struggling to even figure out where to begin. I completely overspent because I was grasping, over buying and even re-buying things that I already had or didn’t need. I didn’t want anyone to go without or to forget that 1 important ingredient, so apparently I thought it would be a good idea to just buy 2 of everything to make sure nothing was forgot.

This my friends, is how to NOT have a beautiful Pinterest Christmas but to have a stressed out Christmas, which on December 26th you wish you could have a redo, and in January when you realize how much money you unnecessarily spent, you swear you are changing religions and that you won’t be celebrating Christmas ever again. A little dramatic maybe, but I have felt that way.

Christmas is supposed to be beautiful, stress free and full of family and friends. Spending all day in the kitchen isn’t my idea of how to have a good time, unless I win the lottery and my kitchen becomes the size of my first floor currently. Otherwise we are crammed into 100 square feet of coziness that I don’t want, even if it is Christmas day.

THEN… I had a few more kids, and grew up a little more. The same organizing and planning that I put into my sisters wedding I started putting into Christmas. Magically it started transforming into a pleasant and even enjoyable holiday! And, wow, I even was able to actually have time to celebrate the actual MEANING of Christmas in the special way that we do with our family. Who would have thought? My half assed scrambling made it not fun, allowing my OCD prep side to claw it’s way out actually was working!

This is where you see angles ascending from heaven and the clouds opening to sun beams and butterflies, with Enya in the background playing, if you are as old as me you know who that is… PINTEREST was born! Can you hear the trumpets and fanfare? Yeah well, some days it feels that way when I login! 🙂

With the advent of Pinterest, and the OCD organizational skills allowed to grow, plus the additional few children, my last few Christmases have been something to write home about. I have not felt stressed. I have had fun. I was FUN to be around. Just ask my husband and he will tell you the truth, “yes, she parked her broom in the closet this month.”  Which is ok by me, it is the truth and I am happy that he recognizes the time and effort I am putting into making a chaotic time of year fun and enjoyable and wouldn’t you know it, he pitches in and helps more when I am fun to be around. MAGIC.

What does this have to do with you? Well, I want you to have a happy and stress free Christmas as well. That is why I post so many great deals, to help you cut down on the time that you have to spend looking for them. But I also want to help you get a little more organized. Not that I am really good at it, because I have been really bad, but I have also learned a few things along the way.

First thing I want you to do over the weekend is get a little organized. So you can be organized for the kids and other family. This means to get your calendar up and ready to be written on to start taking a survey of what you already have available in your home and what you might possibly need to purchase or beg from your sister or best friend.

• Print a December Calendar HERE if you don’t have one. Display it where your family can see it, encourage them to USE it.
• Print the Online Ordering Form HERE since you are buying stuff online, please keep track and know what you have coming and who it is for. How many packages did you get this week that you have no idea what they were because you forgot about ordering them?
• Print the Decorations List HERE  I swear we have a light up wreath, but I can’t find it somewhere and Paul says we don’t have one… I am going to start keeping track of what have and don’t so that AFTER Christmas when everything is on sale, I know what I would like for NEXT year.

Check back this next week as I try and help all you wonderfully busy Moms, get ready for a Pinterest Christmas!