Well the holiday season is well and truly upon us now.
Last year I got caught out when the holidays crept up on me, and was determined never to let that happen again. So I devised a system in my Filofax of recurring events (aka "
the magic of the blue pages"). I even included pages with a countdown to Christmas for things that need done 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks etc. ahead. So even though it doesn't seem urgent to order gifts now, I know from my experience last year that I better get it done this week so I don't have to pay for expedited shipping again this year.
Patty had a
great post recently on how she used her Franklin Covey to help her plan ahead for a huge Thanksgiving dinner at her home. I'm definitely going to use some of her techniques for planning ahead for the big day.
How do you use your Filofax to prepare for the holidays?
And as always on Fridays, feel free to discuss anything ring-binder related.
Does anyone have experience with or can comment on the Time/System planner pages?
ReplyDeleteHave not found any reviews on youtube. Thanx.
I bought a Time/system binder and pages earlier this year. I think it is best suited for use as a work planner--it has a very serious feel to it, not like the Franklin Covey or DayTimer stuff I was used to. If you're curious enough, I'd even be willing to sell it--I have a leather A5 size binder with every form needed, plus a storage box stuffed full, easily enough pages and forms for a couple of years.
DeleteBTW, the Time/system USA website does a good job of showing the forms and pages you can get from them. Their customer service is great, by the way. Very nice people on the other end of the phone line.
DeleteI recently acquired a Personal Ascot on eBay, which does not show the embossed Filofax logo on the outside. Lookin at the catalogues here on Philofaxy, I find the embossed logo in the 1996 catalogue for the first time. In the 1998 catalog one can assume that the Ascot has got an embossed logo sewed in to the spine.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know when the usage of the embossed Filofax logo actually started?
I think embossing on the outside of the spine started being used around 1990, but was not applied universally.
DeleteI use a sheet of paper (similar to blue paper idea) we like the same stuff every year foodwise, parties, parades, & games. So I never have to rethink that, just add to my weekly shopping & make sure I find dates for the events we like. Start buying canned and frozen stuff early. I also keep blank paper behind December and anytime someone says, "I want one", "I like that", or I see a need, or something that catches my eye then I jot down the name & present. Makes Chritmas/birthday shopping a breeze as I again just start picking items off the list and tucking them away. Then I make a new list. I divide my paper into thirds vertically, then horizontally for each person. 1st box is the Christmas presents bought, 2nd box is stocking stuffers bought, 3rd box birthday presents bought (all of ours are in December-February so this just makes it easier for me to see & decide when they get what). It is also a visual of where I am in my shopping, I just wrote mine out right before Thanksgiving and found that I really over shopped for one boy so I divided his gifts between Christmas & birthday by theme and I could see that I have not picked up a single item for my father (which is usually the case every year! What do you get a man that has everything?) I do a lot of brain storming on paper for New Year's Eve Planning. What games, what food, at what time. This is something that we started with our teenagers so it is developing. I kept what foods and games they liked the last two years so I will start there and fill in with new things this year. Eventually it will become my permanent list just like all the other holidays, making my stress levels go down and makes great family traditions (& they don't even know until they move out and miss it!)
ReplyDeleteI don't have a paper system for this - so I'm curious to read everyone's replies.
ReplyDeleteAll year long, I use Amazon's Universal Wish list feature to "save" gift ideas for immediate family.
For Christmas, I have a spreadsheet with a list of everyone we buy for, in the order that we need to have their gift ready.
Columns are Idea, Budget, Purchased, Cost, and Status. We order about half of our stuff online, so I keep notes on when I expect things to arrive. Status changes from Ordered -> Arrived -> Wrapped -> Given/Shipped
My husband started it the year that I was laid low with hyperemesis gravidarum, and now it is hosted on Dropbox and we can both access it. It's very convenient to have the past 6 years of giving history to refer to - we often have the same ideas over and over. Or we'll try to vary the gift - so different types of wine, etc.
Of course, I do print these sheets out and refer to them in store, and copies end up in our budget files, so I have some paper involvement. But it hasn't made it into a binder.
Wow, Bree, I wish you could help me get that organized for Christmas! Way to go! My husband and I did start using the Amazon wish lists this year and that's been a big help. Your spreadsheet sounds terrific.
DeleteI've got my Christmas page marked and started making notes about dinner and guests and things to do. I had already started a Christmas gift ideas list on a Post-It Note on the back of my December calendar. I like to put post-its on the back of the appropriate calendar month for birthday gift ideas, too. I have to plan ahead in order for it to happen!
ReplyDelete