OHMIGOSH Carson at the end was melting me! Back when I was doing Xmas gifts for my large family and their children, I'd make a list of the kids & their ages, for the following Xmas, and shop all of the after-holiday sales. I'd not only get great prices on decor, but age appropriate gifts more importantly. This was when I had the space to store everything. Holiday sentiments right back atcha!
I just bought a tall plastic trash can to store all of my wrapping paper in. It's deep and narrow, so everything stands up nicely. ~ Merry Christmas, Sherry
I have an extra long plastic container that slides under my bed. I keep tags, ribbons, bows, scissors & tape in there too. I keep gift bags in a plastic zipped bag under there too. Carson is such a cutie pie!!! Congrats on the new baby!!!
Ha! Carson is the most precious thing!!! Your videos were already so awesome and he just takes them to a new level. Thanks so much for sharing this very useful info and adding so much cuteness!! :)
Thanks so much for the printable list, I am trying to be so organized this year and this will really help! I love seeing the little Carson Clips at the end of your video, he is so precious and sweet. Thanks so much for sharing your tips.
Great idea on the "favorites" selection for pics on the phone!! We do the same thing - create an overview album each year! It's like our family's yearbook. Haha. Congratulations on your upcoming little bundle of joy! As always, a great video!
This year I was completely done with my xmas shopping in October. And had everything wrapped by the 1st of November. So what I do is I go on a big shopping spree around July when here in Australia we are having all the stock take sales and financial year sales buy all the presents and lay buy them. Then over the next few months I pay a bit each pay day and by the end of the laybuy it's done. I pick it up. Bring it home and sit down with RU-vid and spend an hour or so taking tags off and wrapping. Then when we set up our tree all the pressies go under it and it's done. And I enjoy the whole month of December with no Christmas stress
I love this idea of lay buying ( here in the US, it was called lay-away). Unfortunately, pretty much all the stores have discontinued this type of program. I've had to restyle the idea by buying one or two gifts per month (which I budget for). By the beginning, to mid- December, every gift recipient has been taken care of. I hope you have a Merry Christmas.
oh my just too adorable. ...he is going to make the best big brother. all those tips are great ideas, I use a behind the door shoe holder to keep my bows,cards,tape, tags etc and easy to access.
I just got an idea. Maybe store the wrappings in a vac storage bag then store in attic or under a bed after Christmas. Your son what a precious gift..Happy Holidays..
I struggle with what to do with all my digital pictures. Please do a video on how to do photo books, what the best program is to use and how to organise old photos etc.
I don't wrap stocking stuffers but I add them to the stockings as I find them (starting in January!) and jot the items down on a list as I go. I keep the stockings hidden and shop all year. Usually I'm done in the early fall. I'm not buying useless things to fill the stocking at the last minute but everything in them is quality and bought for 75-90% off. I've done it this way for over 25 years.
I use a Christmas gifts list like you, but mine is on a spread sheet on my Good Drive. That way, I can compare my budget year after year. Also it's fun to see which gifts I gave the year before, helps not to repeat yourself. And it's easier to see your total amount spent. I also use a spreadsheet for the gifts ideas list to give to relatives. Each tab is a member of my little family. Then, I tell people that I won't consult the spreadsheet anymore so people can cross off what they buy, that way you don't receive duplicates.
my best gift organizing tip it that I buy a dozen or so reusable Christmas shopping bags for $1.00 at AC Moore I have one bag per person or per family I put a big tag on each bag I wrap the gifts and put them in the bags as I go. No last minute searching for that missing gift and the bags are an extra gift and make transporting the gifts home super simple....
Ok, first of all, you can NEVER have too many pictures of Carson! Great ideas as usual Kathryn. Pretty soon you'll have twice as many kiddie pics to sort through! :)
Yes I have a ton of them in my phone too. All of the old pictures in a box as well. Lol.Great idea if I just knew how to do that. You are awesome girly. So is little Carson. He is getting so big.
Thank you for all your videos, there always so helpful. Congrats on the new baby, Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas and blessed New Year.
Great tips as usual!! I have a Rubbermaid tote just for all my Christmas wrap supplies. Comes out with Christmas decorations, gets packed away after the holiday (and after refilling a bit with sales stuff!)
I literally LOL'd at the snapping multiple pictures of the same thing. I think I got into the habit when my wee ones were smaller. They moved so fast that I just snapped a bunch and picked the best one later. I don't know why it never dawned on me to favorite the ones I liked! DUH!!! Great tip and one I can use right away!!
+M Parret That explains it! I think that's where I started doing that, too!! And now I'm taking 50 of our Christmas tree. I need an intervention, haha!
Just sat wrapping and watching your vlog , thank you I have printed out the gifts list and its working great ,, lovely singing Carson Happy Christmas across the pond from the Uk here xxxxx
I'm so glad you finally announced it!! I had a feeling in the last few videos!!! The car organizing video!! That's where I saw "something" that gave me an idea!! Yippee congrats!!!
+DoItOnaDime that and your face was glowing!! And just looked different!! I knew something was up!!! Ooohh totally exciting!!! How fun!! I loved your sisters reaction!!!!
I like to be on the look out at one of my local grocery stores that usually has wrapping paper every year for just $1.00 and it's high quality paper and does not rip easily like some of the cheap paper does. I crochet and there has been many times that I would add one or two ornaments that I've made and taped it on the outside of a present. It gives it a personal touch and I don't have to spend tons of time with ribbon if I don't have the time or I'm sick and I just want to be done with wrapping. I have also done this with store bought ornaments [I collect ornaments and Christmas decorations, I get them at Mighty Dollar, Yard Sales, Wal-Mart, Goodwill, just different places] is every year I go through a couple boxes of ornaments/decorations and find two ornaments/decorations to give away and this helps to destash and not have quite so many Christmas things and I don't know how many times I've taped an ornament from my stash to a present. It goes with the concept, out with the old, in with the new.
I start Christmas shopping in September, so I find it best to wrap the gifts as I bring them home or as they get delivered. That way I don't have a mountain of presents waiting for me to gift wrap them. They are ready to go under the tree. I like the list with the manila envelope idea!
Thank you for the great ideas, definitely important to get everything organised otherwise it can be super stressful. Congratulations on the news of the new baby. :) This year i have created a spreadsheet with all the people i need to buy presents for etc. It has really made such a difference. Happy Holidays to you and your family :)
Wow!! Congrats on the new baby!! Your tips are fantastic, I vow to NOT be wrapping gifts on Christmas Eve this year!! Some time each day for wrapping is a great tip! Love the list and receipt ideas, too. Keeping one area for wrapping will keep everything very organized, which is what I need! I absolutely love your idea for photos!! I have so many and have been stressing what to do with them! Going thru my phone and picking the favorites at the end of each year is such a great idea! I didn't even know I could store them in a favorites folder, lol, and I will find an app to print out an album, do you have one you like the best? I would love the photos to be clear in a nice album. Thank you so much for the tips!!!
Love the photo book idea! I made one for my husband as our wedding gift in August and it houses all of our yearly things we've done for the next 10 years. Well, nothing is in it so far because we have a memory jar, and after New Years we will go thru, take out everything after August and tape it in the book. I can't wait!!! Also! My mom makes us personalized calendars for the whole family! I love them! They help me remember birthdays and anniv. AND, this year, Eric AND our wedding anniv gets put in 😊 so exciting!!!! Loved your Christmas card by the way! Are you doing an exchange?!
Such good tips, especially the one about photos. I think I remember you doing a video about creating photo albums once, but that is something I would love to see an update on. Like what app you use, album companies that you've tried and liked, that kind of thing. Oh, and Carson is way too cute! :)
For the past couple of months I've been using Groove Photo. It's a monthly subscription app for the phone which allows you to upload up to 100 photos per month and they send you a book. The photos are 4x6ish, and perforated so you can easily tear them out. I've been loving it so far. Only $3.99 per book, or $2.99, can't remember. Either way it's super inexpensive.
OMG Carson is to cute 😊 congrats about the new bub 😃 love the idea about the labels for Christmas cards... I have a box which I start filling when things that are on sale that I collect so Christmas is not so stressful with buying 50 presents I already have sticking stuffers for most people in my box so I don't have to spend so much it comes in handy for birthdays to 😁
I don't know why but your video about a fortnight ago I just knew there was baby news coming ;) congrats! I'm also expecting my second and am worried about getting through Christmas with the continued sickness!
Great tips I love them all !!! Merry Christmas Carson loved your song !!!! How thrilling the new baby can't wait to hear if its a boy or girl. Hugs Heather
Merry Christmas 😇 To you and family. Carson is Growing up so Fast love him singing wish you Merry Christmas Song Thanks for all you videos enjoy time off from work until New Years. ...GOD Bless you your Family ....
Great tips !! I actually really like the garment bag-wrapping paper and gift bags storage idea ! Just enjoyed watching your announcement vid... congratualtions again ! :))
Not sure if this is a stay organized tip or not but the best way I've found to get your Christmas shopping done is to know what you're getting everyone on your list & decide on a store where you can most if not everything on the list & if you can't everything at one store where else you'll need to go. Then pick a day to go & get everything on your list. I put my list in my phone so I don't forget it. I usually end up at Target which happens to be across the street from the mall & next to a Cost Plus World Mark & Kohls so if I can't get everything on my list at Targe I don't have far to go to get those things. The best part is since I have a Target Red card (debit) I save at least 5% & almost 10% if I have a pharmacy rewards reward when I do the shopping on the things I buy at Target.
Carson is a DOLL BABY!! Can you tell us Kathryn, where you purchased the photo album from?? What an amazing idea!! Great Christmas present for next year!
I definitely need to go through the near millions of photos of Cora and favorite and print this year! I take way too many lol! TFS and Congrats, so exciting!!