December starts tomorrow, and I met my November goal of getting all of my Christmas shopping done by the end of November! Still shopping? Check out my list of recommended gifts that encouraging learning and promote creativity for kids! Having my shopping done gives me a great start on setting goals for a meaningful Christmas season. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with three of my four brothers and their families, as well as Mike’s grandmother and many of his aunts, uncles, and cousins. My kids really enjoyed being around so many cousins! Our Multicultural Kid Blogger retreat went well, also. Overall a successful month!
Here are the goals I am setting for December:
- Make the most of the holiday season. Theme: gratitude
- Enjoy reading Christmas books from our Christmas book advent calendar with the kids. Themes: education and gratitude
- Craft with the kids. Theme: gratitude
- Send off Christmas cards. I got our photo cards ordered yesterday, but the kids will also be making some handmade cards – hopefully this afternoon. Theme: gratitude
- Help the kids write thank you cards to their teachers. Theme: gratitude
- Keep weekends peaceful and family-oriented. Themes: simplicity and gratitude
- Pick a word for 2015 and decide how, if at all, I am going to change my themes for this monthly goal linky. Theme: responsibility
- Work with the school to see if we can make school a happier experience for Johnny. He has always loved school, but this year is not going very well. I am hoping that we can work out a solution with the school that makes both them and Johnny happy. Themes: education and responsibility
I am glad that I got all of the Christmas shopping done early, because this month is going to be plenty busy without worrying about gifts!
What are your goals for December? I would love for you to join in this linky – this month and for next year! Setting monthly goals is a wonderful way to focus on what really matters, and to give yourself some accountability, especially when goals are shared with others!
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
Those are great goals! I feel that the first 2 weeks of December is a blur, but hoping for a quieter second half!
I hope you do get some peace and quiet during the second half of the month!
That must be great to be done with shopping so early! I think I am pretty close. I had a busy November with PT/OT and design work for my brother. I have to do cards, I hope there is still time!
Congrats on getting your holiday shopping done. I’m getting close but didn’t finish by Thanksgiving which would be my dream!
I was SO happy to get it done this year! It’s making December much less stressful.
I still have a long to-do list for Christmas. December is always busy. I love your ideas on teaching your kids about gratitude.
Good luck with your list, Cascia!
I have most of my shopping done once I get a few more orders in from online. Now to get the kids to decorate the boxes with ribbons and such stuff.
The gifts are wrapped here, but we still need to put up our tree!
I thought I was done Christmas shopping, but it turns out there was another Christmas gift exchange I wasn’t told about until this morning. Sometimes goals are outside of our control…
Love your goals of having your kids write thank-you notes for their teachers, and keeping weekends peaceful.
Hoping you’re able to work out a great school solution for Johnny, soon.
Yes, life sometimes intervenes with goal-setting. Sounds like you are close, though!
I have almost all my shopping done. I was hoping to be all done but most of it is coming from Amazon now. Just need to get it all ordered.
I’m struggling with my oldest and school this year as well. It has not been fun but we finally worked something out.
I love all your goals!
I’m hopeful that we will work something out soon. It’s hard when school is a struggle.
Wow and I thought I was good about my Christmas shopping! I still have a few more to go, but I’m mostly done (started in August!). Just need to get one for the hubs (I already know what to get him though) and some family kris kringle gifts.
Congratulations! That’s pretty good! This is the first year I’ve gotten EVERYTHING done by December.