The No-Stress HolidayMaking the holidays easier with the Organizer: An All-in-One Guide to Planning and Recording Your Holidays

With Halloween behind us now, the focus is quickly turning to the upcoming big three, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. This year I have a goal to be prepared and try to get things done early so I can enjoy some of the local and travel opportunities that the season brings. To do this though takes organization so when I had the opportunity to review the The No-Stress Holiday Organizer: An All-in-One Guide to Planning and Recording Your Holidays, I jumped at the chance.

The 144 page book is really a workbook. The ideas are not all new, but they are put together in a unique way that makes you think about the minute details that are easy to overlook.
By following the steps outlined in the book, they really do help remove the last minute issues that cause holidays to lose their joy of entertaining. Festivities can be fun, it just takes planning ahead and staying within the allotted budget you set out.

Once suggestion that seems simple but I thought really made things easier was the grocery list that was broken down by sections that correspond to grocery aisles. As you make the holiday recipe list, shopping in this orderly way saves time and back tracking reducing the chance to forget important items. This list will make it easy to shop not only at the holidays but to use as a standard anytime.
Another part of the organizer that I loved was the places they offer to add in the personal family traditions makes this personal. Every family has their own traditions and by recording them it makes it easy to recall, plan and look back on.

After Thanksgiving traditions, invitations, lists and memories, they added in an unexpected Black Friday shop till you drop list with the stores. For anyone planning a Black Friday attack, they have this covered!
Besides the Christmas To Do list, the No-Stress Holiday Organizer: An All-in-One Guide to Planning and Recording Your Holidays offers the frugal tip to plan a budget ahead of time. I personally wish I had thought this out before starting my own Christmas shopping. I like the variety of the list because there is almost always someone that is forgotten along the way and this helps keep that from happening. The list covers gifts for everyone and how much to spend along with ideas.

On the party planning section for the Christmas party I like the idea of doing an inventory of equipment. I had a dinner party recently and I had forgotten that at a previous occasion my wine opener broke. I had wine and no way to open it. This trick would prevent that from happening.

The organizer also adds altruistic ideas like donating to a food pantry, gifts for the less fortunate and ideas to help everyone celebrate like having a cookie exchange at the party. I really like the idea of bringing a donation for those less fortunate; this brings the real reason for the holidays to light and puts a neat spin on a party idea.

In all of the party planning the reflections section after the events helps make the holiday an event to remember not just a flash in the pan that is over and done with. Pictures and reflections can help us enjoy the event all over again.

The format is basically the same for each section, but by following the game plan, you will be organized and less stressed about the big events. Following the budget for parties and at Christmas will especially help keep harmony in the home.

I also liked the New Year’s Goal ideas where they want you to identify goals for yourself as well as your family and list the steps it will take to get there making achievement more realistic. For a chance to add the organizer to your own holiday planning, log onto http://www.amazon.com/No-Stress-Holiday-Organizer-All-One/dp/1462114911 and order away!