Pinkology's HGP Notebook

**2007 Update: Please visit my new HGP Notebook for 2007!**

I've got my Holiday Grand Plan notebook completely together now and I thought I'd give you a peak. The pictures aren't that great but I'll explain each one so that you get a good idea of what I'm doing.

Onward!
Front cover - I just thought this was a pretty binder


Weekly To Do
This is my big Holiday to do list for this week. Look closely and you'll see some spots where I've used white out. I recycle this list year after year and just change the date and a few other notes.
This list tells me which area of the house I'll be deep cleaning and includes several areas of Holiday Prep for me to work on.


Front Porch
This week my deep cleaning area is the Front Porch, here are my instructions and tips. Every year I never seem to get to these front porch duties until the weekend. So when it happened this year I didn't worry. As long as I get to it by the weekend I'm still on target!


Christmas Card List
The next section is my Christmas Card list full of addresses and phone numbers. I won't show you that section since I doubt my friends and family would want their addresses shown here. Instead let's look at a nice picture of my cat, Angus.



Gifts
The next portion of my notebook is the gift section. It starts out with my Gift Closet Inventory (not shown). And if my husband is reading this, I may say, "Gift Closet" but that doesn't mean it's in a closet. It might be under your side of the bed. Then again it might not.

As I purchase or make things throughout the year I can put them away in my "gift closet" and around this time of year take an inventory and think about who I'd like to give these too. This way I never lose anything and when I'm ready to wrap I have them in one place.

Master Gift List
Here is where I list out my gift recipients and what they will receive. I have columns where I check off when I make it, buy it, wrap it, mail it. I also include the cost of each item to keep track of my spending. I highlight each space that I will have to check off in the future. Once all my highlighted spaces are checked off, it's time for Christmas!


Gifts To Make
Here is where I make note of things that I will be making and to who they will go to.


Order Tracker
I order several gifts online, I don't really like going out to shop and I'd rather browse from home mostly. So here is where I keep track of my orders and how much they cost. I also note when I order them and when I receive them.


Menu Planner
The tradition of having Thanksgiving at our house is only a couple of years old (we try to spend different occasions at each family member's house). It's one that I treasure though. My husband loves to make the turkey and sweet potatoes. I like making sides and dessert and fixing up the table.
This is the page where I note the menu and who will make what. I even note which serving dish we will use for each item.


Extras
In the back pocket I keep a few extra things such as: A pretty Christmas card I sent out in the past, I enjoy looking at it. Instructions on freezing different types of cookies. Templates for some gifts I like to give.


So that is the tour of my Holiday Grand Plan notebook. The Organized Christmas website has many more printable forms you can use for your own situation. This is my sixth year using the plan and after so many years I have figured out which forms I need and which I don't. Simply planning leads to planning simply.

A simple and organized Christmas season is a good one!

**2007 Update: Please visit my new HGP Notebook for 2007!**