September 7-11 - Craft time!

September 7-9 - Clean out those craft closets! or whatever you use to store your crafts. Group like things together using large baggies. Organize all your supplies so you know where they are and can get to them easily. If there are projects or items you know you just will not use box them up and give them to a senior citizen group or children's group - many organizations can use odd craft items.

September 10 - After examining what you have on hand, decide if and what crafts you want to do for gifts for Christmas - make a list of them in your notebook noting how much time they will take and a needed completion date. Work one hour today doing one of your crafts.

September 11 - Sharing day - share your craft ideas with the list or if you need ideas about something to do with things ask the list. Print out any ideas that you like and put them in your notebook. Remember to look at your gift list and see who else you need to buy or make for.

September 13-18 - Topic: Decorating (if you have already completed this part before, use this as a review and add anything you might have forgotten.

September 14 - Make a list in your notebook of each room you like to decorate at Christmas and then put a page behind your decorating tab with the name of each room at the top. If you decorate 6 rooms then have 6 pages - do not forget the yard.

September 15-17 - Find a Christmas tape or CD and play it while you do this next part using a portable stereo so you can take it from room to room. Spend time in each room taking notes of the things that you use to decorate or would like to decorate it with. Make notes of any furniture that you will need to move out or around so you can accomplish your goal. Do not forget the linens - they add a special touch to any room.

September 18 - Make a list of the things to buy - some stores already have things out - you might even be able to put them on lay-a-way at some stores.

September 20-25 - This weeks topic: Tree Decorating - This week we will be getting out all our ornaments and lights (and other decorations you may want to check). I have not split this week into separate days because you need to do multiple steps each day. Work at your own pace but spend at least 15 minutes everyday working on this.

September 20-25 - Find your ornament and light boxes. I would highly recommend buying an ornament storage box - I purchased the cardboard kind 2 years ago and wished I had gotten one earlier! I kept waiting to get one after Christmas on sale but they never went on sale! I think I got mine at Wal-Mart for about $5.

September 26-30 - Take out your decorations and lights and examine them. Check for bad lights, broken bulbs, etc. Repack your ornaments into your new ornament keeper box - mine is actually big enough to put the lights in there too. As you go through your ornaments and lights, box up any that you no longer want or use and give those to a nursing home, church, school or other charity that could use them. Make notes about any new tree decorations you would like to buy and be on the look out for those things now.