Happy November friends!  Oh my word.  So excited just typing that!  It’s November!  I LOVE November.  And December!  Don’t even get me started.  Best time of the year!  But I’ll admit.  Sometimes those excited “Christmas is coming!” feelings also come with a side of anxiety anticipating all that needs to happen during the next two months.  I want to make this time of year special for my family and I want to enjoy it myself.  I want to be in a happy, good mood!  Not running around like a stressed out, sleep deprived maniac.  Been there, done that. ;)  For me to be at my best during the holidays I have to be organized.  One of my main goals every year is to have if not all, most of my Christmas shopping done before December 1st.  It’s the best feeling to start December with gifts ready to give!  Maybe even already wrapped!  But for me this takes some time because I like to make sure I’m giving gifts that my friends and family will really love and enjoy.  Giving gifts is a way we show people that we care about them so I like to put some thought into my gifts.  I’m trying to teach my kids that it’s not about the gift or how much money you spend.. it’s the thought behind the gift that tells people that you love them.

So I’ve created something to help be us be more organized and thoughtful this year with our gift giving!   These are my free Christmas printables for organized gift giving.  I’ve been using and LOVING them!  I’m seriously so excited about this because I make printables all the time for myself.  You know I’m a huge fan of lists. :)  But now I’ve finally figured out how to create and share them with all of you too!  My blog besties!  Printables for everyone!  It’s a printable party and we’re all invited!

K – you get that I’m excited.  I’ll move on now. ;)

This first printable is just a basic list for you to use to write down everyone you’re giving a gift to (extended family, friends, kids’ teachers, etc.) and a line next to their name to write down two or three gift ideas if you’re still brainstorming.  I have two of these filled out and they have been so helpful!  I wrote names of everyone I definitely want to give something to and an idea or two about gifts.  Then when I buy/make their gift, I’ll check the box on the left.  Done!  I’ve been carrying them in my purse so if I’m shopping I can pull them out and remember what to be looking for.

I use this separate list for gift ideas for my kids!  I usually pull this list out in September so next year I’ll get this list up on my blog earlier.  I like to brainstorm ideas for my kids for a few months because I really like to get them things they actually NEED or will love for Christmas.  I don’t want any more extra “stuff” in my house that I know will end up in a goodwill bag in three months. :)

I put three lines at the top of this list because I have three kids, but obviously if you have more kids you’re buying for, print more than one!  Or if you have one or two kids you won’t fill all the columns.  Or use the columns for something else!  Whatever works for you.  And these are just ideas!  I won’t necessarily buy my kids everything I write down.  But sometimes I’ll be somewhere and see something and think “oh.. Ellie would love that!”  Or Addison will come downstairs with slippers on that have a hole in them they are so worn out and I’ll think “slippers would be a good gift!”  If I don’t write that stuff down when it pops in my head, it pops right back out and then before I turn around it’s two weeks until Christmas and I’m buying them things they don’t really love/need just to have presents for them to open.  Not good!  This list has solved that problem for me – I start jotting down ideas when they come to me early in the Fall and then Christmas shopping is a breeze!  Santa still pulls the bulk of the load of course.  But I do what I can to help. :)

This last printable is my favorite and it’s one for the kids!  They write down people they want to buy/make a gift for and then write down a gift idea or two.  The focus is on giving, but I also added three lines at the bottom for them to write what they would love for Christmas.

I had Kole and Addison each fill one out and they had so much fun thinking about who they wanted to give a Christmas gift to this year.

It made me smile when I saw that Kole put question marks next to my name so I wouldn’t see his gift. :)  He listed family and his close friends and we talked about thinking about gifts that each person would really love or enjoy.  He did everything completely on his own except asking for help spelling a few words.  He wants to ask Santa for a camera this year so he can take pictures with mom.  The sweetest thing!  Love him.  I could use a good photography assistant. ;)   Now when we have some down time or he tells me he’s bored I can remind him that he wants to make cards for his grandparents for Christmas and we can get working on them.  Bonus. ;)

Addison had some fun ideas for her grandparents and wanted me to cover those on the blog so that the surprise wouldn’t be ruined. ;)

Every year I crack up at what she wants for Christmas!  Two years ago she sat on Santa’s lap and asked for a slinky.  Seriously!  That was all she wanted.  I said “Ad.. that’s what you want?  A $5 slinky?  This is Santa and Christmas.. it’s your chance to dream big!”  Santa and I were cracking up. :)  And she got her slinky.  It’s all about the thought behind the gift anyway, right? ;)  Looks like this year she wants a little spa set, a foam roller (I think this is something for your muscles she has heard about in volleyball?) and you know.. either a snake or world peace.

I’ll have to see what I can do about those last two items on her list.  (Um.. how about another slinky Ad?)   

Anyway.. you get the point! :)  It’s a printable that helps kids think about gifts they are giving to others ahead of time so they have some ownership in the process.  It also helps parents get a jump start on the gift buying/making.  Win for all!

So that’s it!  Three free printables that help me stay organized when it comes to gift giving every year.  I hope they help you too!  Just head to the bottom of this post for the sign up form!  Here’s to a more organized, less stressful holiday with well thought out gifts that are bought/made and wrapped ahead of time.

CHEERS!  :)