I’ve been running around like crazy making lists, buying gifts, decorating the house (moving furniture back into the living room), making cookies and doing everything to get ready for Christmas. Last night, while at a friend’s house, I learned that some people don’t send Christmas cards. Got me to thinking of ways that we can eliminate stress during Christmas.

1. Don’t send Christmas cards this year. if your friends are truly your friends they won’t blacklist you from their card list.
2. Stop baking. We all have enough sweets as it is, don’t we?
3. Buy your child one less gift than you plan.
4. Stop decorating. If you don’t have a decoration up by now, don’t put it up. Will you really miss it for one year?
5. Shop online.
6. Decide to go to lunch or dinner with a friend after the holidays instead of exchanging gifts.
7. Use gift bags instead of wrapping paper.
8. Skip at least one party.
9. Do one thing for yourself: read a magazine, watch your favorite show, take a bath.
10. Take time to reflect. Step back, knock one thing off of your list for today so that you can sit back with a glass of Chardonnay and reflect on what the season is really about.

Two weeks and one day left until Christmas. How did this happen? It feels like yesterday when I felt like I was ahead of the game, but alas, I am not.

You see, last week, at the last minute, we decided to have carpet installed in our living room. Lord only knows why we decided to do this now; right in the middle of Christmas season. But the timing seemed right at the time and the carpet was beyond pitiful. We’ve been overdue for a replacement for years. Even though the company we purchased the carpet from does next day installation, the process took us nearly a week: We had to make an appointment when we could both be at the house, then also be at the house the next day for the installation process. To save money, we decided to move the furniture ourselves. I’ll get back to Christmas in a minute.

So, we make the appointment, move the furniture, wait for the installers, then realize that if we’re putting in brand new carpet we should at least shampoo the sofas. Can’t put dirty sofas on a clean carpet now, can we? So, we drag out the shampoo machine and start cleaning.

Meanwhile, books, furniture and all the Christmas decorations are floating around in open boxes waiting to be put out as if they are on the Island of Misfit Toys. The tree is half decorated and we have yet to put all the furniture back in the living room.

But Christmas is coming so we must speed things up. Along with all the other stuff we have to do to get ready for the holidays (I have to get a package all the way to Italy) we now have to put our living room back together. At least we have new carpet to sit on while we wait for the furniture to go back in the room.

I found a new Web site that I’ve been using to get organized: OrganizedHome.com offers so much that I don’t know where to start. I’ll focus on the part that I’ve used it for the most: developing a household notebook.

The site explains how to start a notebook that you can use for all of your important papers. Here’s how the site defines a household notebook:

“Unlike a personal planner, which is designed for use by one person, a household notebook or family organizer serves as “command central” for an entire family. While each family’s organizer will be unique, most are simple three-ring notebooks with several divider sections.

Most household notebooks include a telephone and message section, a divider for church, clubs or volunteer activities, travel, home management and finance. sections, medical information, and personal records like gift list and clothing size charts. At-home and homeschooling parents often add personal and family schedules to coordinate life with young children.”

I started my notebook a few weeks ago and love it.

My favorite part about the site is the “printables” section where you can print (free) forms for your notebook — pages like regular monthly calendars, master to-do lists, favorite recipe lists and even forms to help organize your scrapbook supplies. There’s even has a section just for organizing Christmas.

So far, in my notebook, I put a printout of our address book, where my favorite recipes are (and what page number they are on in recipe books), medical information, emergency contact information for babysitters, church directory, 7-day menu planner and my personal packing list for when we go out of town. Now, I just have to pick up the 3-ring binder to find any of this stuff. I’m keeping it in the kitchen so that it’s easily accessible for me and for my husband. Hopefully this will keep me more organized.

“Twenty Days Until Christmas,” — this is a headline I saw on a Web site this morning while I was looking for Christmas cookie recipes. Twenty days. I haven’t even made my shopping list, although I have made several purchases already. Usually I have goals of when to get all my out of state shopping done: The first people I shop for are those to whom I have to mail something. I have most of these done, but need to wrap, box and ship them. I’ve still got some time:

According to the United States Postal Service here is the mailing calendar:

Letters and cards — Dec. 20
Priority Mail — Dec. 20
Express mail — Dec. 22
Parcel post — Dec. 15

If you are shopping online, this year’s drop-dead shipping date is December 19 (15 days from today).

Not only do I need to do my shopping, I have to purchase the Christmas cards (address and mail them), take my son to see Santa, get our tree, decorate the tree, and so on. I thought I was ahead of the game, but that headline this morning makes me realize that I need to get going!

Thanksgiving is upon us which means long car rides to grandma’s house. This weekend is the busiest travel weekend of the year.

“AAA estimates that 38.7 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday.”

OK, so I’m going to be on the road with nearly 39 MILLION other people. This requires planning. Luckily I’m experienced in traveling with a toddler since we’ve taken several long car trips with our now 2-year-old son. Here’s what I do to make the trip go easier:

• Travel during nap-time. This will easily cut 2-3 hours of having to entertain the child.
• Back seat is best. Sit in the back with the child. This seems so “Leave It to Beaver,” but I find it’s easier to entertain my son if I’m next to him. When I’ve tried sitting in the front seat, I just end up turning by body around as if I’m playing a game of Twister.
• Plan frequent stops. If your journey is longer than 3 hours (we’ve maxed out at 10 hours), plan to stop every two hours: Even if it’s only for a 10-minute potty break. While one parent is “occupied” let the other parent change the diaper, then let the child run around. By simply stretching and getting a clean diaper, you will elongate the happy mood back in the car.
• Pack things to do. Bring a portable DVD player. I’ve mentioned before that we don’t really watch TV with our son. The main exception to this is on car trips. While he’s yet to watch a full-length movie, I do pack several short DVDs. On our 10-hour trip, however, I was wishing for that full-length movie DVD. Bring books – lots of books. We read and reread all the books that I bring.
• Pack food – very important. Pack a cooler that sits in the backseat with you, but out of reach of your toddler. I pre-pour sippy cups with milk, juice and water so that I’m not in a position to become a bartender in the back of a moving car. Snacks are key too. - things that your child will eat. On our last trip I made the mistake of bringing a box of iced bakery cookies and putting in the sunny front seat. When snack time came, I grabbed a cookie from the box, the icing had melted and dripped all over me and my seat. Of course, my son had to have a cookie since he saw me trying to eat one. It was a mess. Note to self: pack only non-messy snacks like pretzels, goldfish and teddy grahams.
• Stop to eat meals. It’s a great excuse to get out of the car. If you eat fast food, you can go to a place that has a play place to let your kid run around. If you pack your own food, go to a rest stop that has a big open field. Toss a ball around or just play chase. Get that energy out.
• Pack his favorite things. Blanket. Check. Teddy bear. Check. If your child uses a paci, by all means put that on the top of your list.
• Install sun shades before you get on the road. I’ve tried a couple different varieties of these and prefer the ones that clip to the top of the window. I just can’t get the suction cups to stick to the windows. And, don’t get me started on the plastic ones that “stick” to the window. You’ll be thankful for shade when your child is happily sitting in his chair when the sun would otherwise be blasting him in the face.
• Forget the “rules” and just go with the flow. Do what works. It’s a car ride. Enjoy the time. Look out the window. Point out the trees, the clouds and all the trucks you see. Plan to get to your destination when you get there, leave the clock watching behind.