Holidays, Holiday Head Start & Gift-away!
I am not rushing the holidays, I promise!
My youngest son was born on Thanksgiving Day, and he would always insist that there would be no holiday anything until Thanksgiving was properly celebrated…so I get it…
I do love November, to me it’s a quiet month, after the joys of summer and excitement of Halloween
A time to gather your thoughts, as well as gathering with family, to think and plan for the holidays
Today I want to give you a head start on your holiday decorating and shopping
Ho Ho Ho!
The elves have been busy in my Society 6 Shop, creating things to decorate and delight!
Pink Poinsettias rectangular pillow
Because you have all been so awesome and supportive, I am truly thankful…
Thankful wreath stationary card
And I have a couple of things I am going to “Gift-away” today!
But first let me share some ideas to help keep you organized, stress free
And Merry!
You’re going to need a notebook, to keep track of all your gift lists and to dos
And pillows are such an easy way to decorate your world
You can also throw down a festive rug
Or bath mat for singing in the shower
You’ll need a sac or tote for gifts
And toting things around town
And spreading Merry!
You’ll want to drink your hot beverages in a festive mug
While you’re writing holiday cards
Southern Welcome Magnolia Cotton Wreath stationary card
Keep a festive carry-all nearby for lipstick and essentials or to use as a small party purse
Pink Poinsettias Carry-all Pouch
Santa is going to need a travel mug! These are handy for when you’re on the go, I have several metal ones and they keep coffee hot for hours!
This Teapot Roses design is Christmas colors, but you can use it all year long
Don’t forget to stock up on holiday stickers, they can make anything festive!
Deck out your phone with a red nose reindeer! iPhone 8 and X cases available as well as all iPhone cases 4-7 plus, and Galaxy 4-8
Of course, all these things would be great gifts too!
See, things are already Looking Up!
For more gift ideas, check out these special collections, to see everything right at your finger tips in each category
Below are the holiday card designs available, you can get a set of 10 for $18 today and tomorrow!
Today I’m giving away a Presents! Notebook
and a Presents! rectangular pillow
To enter, just leave a comment telling me your favorite holiday organization tip~ that’s it!
USA entries only, winners will be announced Sunday Nov. 12~
Big sale at Society 6 10/29-10/30, everything 25% off! Shop here now!
Be sure to join me next week for a Thanksgiving table blog hop, 23 different tables to visit for great ideas how to style your table for Thanksgiving!
Prepare to be wowed!
🎄 🎅🏻 🎁 🎄 🎅🏻 🎁
I will be joining these fabulous parties and blogs:
Rustic and Refined, Between Naps on the Porch, Gardens Galore Make it Pretty Monday
Coastal Charm, Cooking and Crafting with J&J, The Scoop, A Stroll Thru Life
Celebrate and Decorate, Oh My Heartsie Girl Creatively Crafty Full Plate Thursday
Foodie Friday & Everything Else Thursday Favorite Things Home Matters
Share it One More Time Delicious Dishes Recipe Party Sundays at Home
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I put up 15 themed trees in our house and I couldn’t do it without packing everything away in large clear lockable tote boxes. Love the pillow!
15 trees!!! Wow, you must be organized! I love the large plastic bins too, thanks Rebecca~
Well, to others who might read comments from other posters along the way, I can vouch for the beautiful print quality and workmanship of the totebags! I bought two a few weeks ago (and they arrived really fast, too!)
Like you, I do loads of trees, cramming about 13 of them in my tiny house. OK, it looks holiday tacky-overdone but I don’t care. My house, my trees, my Christmas! So my organization tip (since I don’t like to put anything up till the day after Thanksgiving) is to bring trees and key decorating pieces upstairs and hide them in the guest room the week of TG or so, so that on TG Friday (when I do NOT venture out of the house!) I can start power decorating. It saves a surprising amount of time and also lets me look at what I have so I can figure out what might have lived its life and deserves a new home — in time to do something about it!
Thanks for hosting the drawing, Jenna. My fingers are crossed. My holiday pillows are all looking a little worse for wear!
13 trees, my goodness, you must have a warehouse you store everything in! Thanks for attesting to the quality of the Society6 items, I have been so pleased with everything~
I have to keep a list of presents bought or I will either forget that I have them-and find them in a closet in February-or end up with way too many gifts!
🤣
My most important Holiday organization tip is make lists: decorating lists, shopping lists, wish lists, online shopping tracking lists, traditions, activities, grocery lists. I keep a holiday binder. My new lists go on top of past year’s lists. This helps me keep traditions, but also, it helps me not repeat presents unintentionally.
What a great idea to keep old list so you don’t replicate! Smart Marty~
You are getting me into the Holiday spirit with all of your wonderful art. Love it all!!
We use a gift APP or site like Checked Twice. That’s about as organized as I get 😂 I’m always finding hidden gifts after the holidays. It always gets here too soon! BTW I just found your blog and absolutely love it! I’ve alread checked out your Society 6 Shop!
thank you Susan! I’ve got to check out that app, sounds great!
So many beautiful creative things!!!
Hi, Jenna! Love all your pillows and totes!! I’m not very organized, but I do keep all Christmas decorations in red or green-topped bins which makes Christmas decorations easier to find in the confusion of the garage! I also write in the edges of my day-to-day calendar where I have placed objects to allow room to decorate for Christmas. For instance, I’ll make note of where I’ve put away everyday items to make room for the festive ones. It makes Jan 1 so much easier when I’m trying to reclaim the house again after Christmas! Thanks for the chance for a great give-away!
Now, that’s a unique idea to note where you’ve stashed stuff on your calendar! I am forever hiding things from myself!
Lists,lists and more lists! Also, I try to do stay calm and do one thing at a time, or I get nothing done!
Yes, I am a list lover too, thanks Jamie~
Hi Jenna, wow you have been so busy creating beautiful items. I love the cards and the totes!!
To stay organized I love to also make lists for presents, food, and menus. Thanks for the chance to win your lovely gift away!
Julie
Thanks Julie!
My holiday tip is a running Excel spreadsheet of gifts I’ve given (to family) year after year. I can barely remember what I did yesterday let alone what Christmas gifts I gave the in-laws last year! Visiting from Dishing It Digging It party.
Wow, a spreadsheet, that is impressive, not to mention very smart! Thank you!
Congratulations! You won the Presents notebook on my Holiday Giftaway on the Painted Apron! Please send your mailing address to jfmdesigns@bellsouth.net
Making a list and checking it twice! Making lists of things to do, gifts to buy, places to go, etc!
thank you Marty, lists are the way to go for sure!
I love to have all my holiday items labeled in clear totes😀
So smart Janet, I have Christmas stuff stashed all over the house…I’ve got to get some clear bins!
You always WOW me with your creativity, Jenna!! ✨⭐️✨⭐️✨ My hubby was born on Turkey day also! 🦃💕 I look forward to your holiday tips! ❤️
Thank you Jill!
Congrats Jill, you are the winner of the Presents pillow on my Holiday Giftaway! Please send your mailing address to jfmdesigns@bellsouth.net and I will send it on it’s way!
Wow! Really?! Thank you so much Jenna!! 😘💕
I keep a pad in my purse and listen all year long when people say what they need but don’t think I am listening. I then buy these goodies all year long. The big stuff is paid out of my Christmas Club account, which I LOVE!! This check comes the end of October with interest too, which enables me to buy ahead of time. I also keep the pad where I check off the purchased items. When Christmas comes, people really love these special gifts!!
I learned this from my dear old Daddy, who died less than a year after I married my husband, forty three years ago.
Wow Edith, you are on top of things! How thoughtful and smart to carefully listen all year long and to have a Christmas Club account!
I keep a list of things every tells me they would like to have, in a spiral notebook so I can get all the small things out of the way and be left with only the large gifts to buy. I also keep any new recipes I saw that would make a great side for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner in a notepad, or on a tablet. Then I try to make them to test them out for the holiday dinners. Because being the Mom and oldest living female or wisest as I like to say, I do almost all the cooking those days. But my youngest daughter is getting so much better at cooking that she has been a big help the last few years. I also put together gifts that I give out at our Christmas Eve get together of dry ingredients for baked goods they all love in Mason Jars, with pretty ribbon and directions for baking on little tags tied around the jars. I put them on a entry table and they take which kind they would like to bake. Every lady gets one.
So many great ideas here Debbie, thank you!
Jenna, your shop is stocked and ready for Christmas! Wow, I love it all! This year I am decorating early and I have a plan with lists so as not to get stressed!
That sounds perfect Pam, I am stressed right now because I’m not even sure where I will be for Thanksgiving, and how I will ever decorate early for Christmas! I need to start making a plan with lists this week!
My key to being organized is having lots of lists! Gift lists, wish lists, shopping and menu lists and a list for where all the holiday decorations are stashed. I just discovered your blog and am loving it! 🙂
Jenna, You and your elves have been busy making merry in your Society6 shop! I’m a list maker, I make lists of my lists 🙂 but I’ll take myself out of the running of your festive ‘giftaway’ since I’ve been a lucky recipient before. ♥
What a generous giveaway, and I agree about the quality of the notebooks because I have one!
My best tip is this: Choose and purchase your Christmas wrapping supplies early and buy much more than you think you’ll need. Keep your paper, ribbon, tags, and markers organized in fun bins or baskets (I keep my paper in a pretty toile trashcan and the ribbon and tags in large glass jars). If the containers look pretty, then it won’t matter if your supplies are out. They should be convenient for your gift wrapping. I keep mine in the art studio which is off my foyer! As you purchase your gifts, once you get home wrap them immediately even if your tree isn’t up yet. Have you noticed that stores rarely wrap gifts anymore? Belk doesn’t even wrap gifts!
What a cool idea! So smart! I always say I’m going to wrap as I shop but never do…my sister-in-law always has her presents wrapped and shopping done by Thanksgiving and last year it was Halloween!! We couldn’t be more opposite 😂 I haven’t been inside Belk or Macy’s in years! I’m so glad you like your notebook!
I keep dated lists in the “notes” section of my phone, of what gifts I have for who. Or whom? Anyway, I always have it with me and it keeps me from forgetting someone or something.
I keep a list of gifts given for the past 5 years, this helps with not giving a shirt or pajamas too often.