The Christmas Pledge calendar has arrived free for everyone today.
- Start working on your gift list tonight.
- Keeeeeep working on it.
- Book your hair and nail appointments for December if you plan to get them.
- Come up with a single phrase you can use when you fill out all your greeting cards.
- Go buy a can of whipped cream. Must be canned. Just go do it.
- You should now be finished your gift list and ready to start buying.
- Spray whipped cream directly into your mouth if you've diligently kept up with the pledge schedule.
- Buy stamps if you're planning to send greeting cards.
- Design your ecard or buy premade ones.
- Haul out the outdoor decorating crap. Plan to put it out on the next nice day.
- Write out a list of things YOU want for Christmas so you have an answer when someone asks.
- Fill out your greeting cards, address and stamp them.
- Finish that gift buying! Get it done and over with.
- Now time to start picking out wrapping paper and ribbons. Order it all.
- Lucky dog. A day off.
- Today buy the cedar boughs, pine garlands, sprigs etc. if you do outdoor planters.
- Pick a cookie and an appetizer you'd like to make and freeze for December.
- Do the windowboxes and outdoor planters with greenery.
- Get the groceries for your cookies and appetizers.
- Make the appetizers.
- Make the cookies and instant cocoa mix.
- Wrap presents.
- Buy a can of spray snow and do drifts in your house windows. Like back in the olden days when spray snow was a technological advancement.
- Buy yourself a pair of new flannel (or not) pajamas to cozy up in because COZY is an important part of Christmas.
- Haul out your indoor decorations and stick 'em in a corner somewhere.
- Decorate the inside of your house.
- Cry a little. For whatever reason. It'll usually do you good.
- A day off in case you have puffy face from crying.
- Decorate outdoors if you haven't found a nice day to do it yet.
- Decorate the tree and bake a batch of your frozen cookie dough. You're ready for Christmas.
That means that TONIGHT you start working on your gift list. Make a list with gift recipients on the left and potential gift ideas on the right. Just sit down with a drink and start thinking.
If you don't know where to start, what's the first thing you think of when you imagine the person. That "thing" might help spark a gift idea.
Do they have a hobby? Most people have at least one hobby, others have a lot. Some might say far too many. Some might say people watching isn't a hobby but they'd be wrong.
And there are plenty of gift ideas for people who like people watching: a foldable chair so they can enjoy their hobby from the comfort of a seated position, the Humans of New York photo book, or a photography workshop so they can add another hobby to their repertoire.
See? Its all in how you think about the gifts.
Coming up in a couple of weeks I'm going to publish my Annual Christmas Gift Guide, which like The Christmas Pledge has received a bit of an update this year.
For now, if you're looking for gift ideas you can look at The Christmas Gift List from last year.
There you have it, The Christmas Pledge. 30 days to a calmer Christmas. Just follow the calendar, do the tasks and be prepared to have nothing to do but sip and sashay all of December.
Or maybe you like to people watch.
For a more in depth calendar, gift guide, gift wrapping curation, recipes, tips and more you can read about buying the The Christmas Pledge 2024 here.
($8 US, $11 Canadian)
Karen, I have a question for you regarding spray snow. My memory of spray snow removal is not good. Have you a recommendation for a specific brand that won't make me want to kill myself in January when I go to remove it?
Hi Lee - You can easily remove spray snow from glass using a scraping tool like a plastic putty knife or what I call a razor squeegee but have no idea what it's called in real life, lol. ~ karen!
Just bought the pledge for the first time. (My family is rather informal about the holidays, so I’m not that stressed. Usually.) Anyway… I am totally laughing…”I am magnificent.” Hahahahaha, love you Lip! Yes, you are!
That's his main role anyway. ;) ~ karen!
Well, my girlfriend and I went off an old Christmas Pledge calendar and started in October. We are both quite busy people and I think the stretched out timeline is better for us. Also, it has been nice to have weekly chats as we check in with each other and plan the next week. So far, my cards are bought, Christmas letter is done, some gifts and part of the gift list. We are making boozy Christmas cake this week as that needs to be started now. So we can soak it lots before Christmas! With the Irish whiskey. Thanks for the kick in the pants to actually get started early! Fall is birthday palooza for me, so this really helps.
Sounds like you guys are doing well! Keep it up. And happy Leelapalooza ~ karen!
Haven't started yet but need to add 'total freezer cleanout' as the most exciting thing TO DO is have cookies at the ready in a freezer that is so full I have to stack stuff on top to make sure it closes. I got out an enormous canning pot to through everything frozen into. I'm making a large batch of soup to can up before I can even start my list making. Maybe I'll just think of gifts and list as I clean the freezer. At least I'd be doing something. Love your list and can't wait to get to whip cream stage.
Thanks Mary W. Don't forget, no whipped cream until you complete the tasks before whipped cream night! ~ karen
Don't worry Mary W; there's a particularly special cookie recipe that will solve your problem. As per p2 of The Pledge, on 4th December you get out the "cookie dough that you made from the freezer"... Ta-da! Freezer worries - in fact entire, over-stuffed appliance - gone! Present list challenges also solved - dental care gift vouchers all round.
You're welcome 😉!
This is all so great. So many helpful good ideas. THANKS!
You're welcome! I'm just sitting down to start the first night's assignment myself. ~ karen!
My first year doing the pledge. Karen makes me smile and maybe this year I will do gifts and cards. She nagged me to do my list yesterday so spent 15 minutes doing my list and put a dollar gift amount next to the names. Maybe with more reminders (nagging) I will get even more done. Worst case scenario, I will get lots of smiles from Karen’s repeated attempts to nudge me forward on the list. Thank you Karen!
Having purchased the Pledge a couple days ago, I can heartily recommend the few dollars it would cost you for the upgraded version. There is so much packed into this year's copy that you will be delighted with all the extras you receive. There's also an option to buy an eBook of extra tips and it's well worth it. Am I a friend/relative/sponsored post? Nope. I am a sufferer of OCD - Obsessive Christmas Disorder - according to my friends and the Pledge has revolutionized my life. Now I'm a calm and organized OCD and I love having the Pledge as my DONE-for-today follow along guide. Plus, I'm trying to support Karen so that she keeps doing it. Utterly self-centered. 😁
#27 is a staple every year! Hoping for a little less this year, because I did spring to take part in the pledge for the first time. I'm looking forward to it, thank you!
My plan is easier. No presents. I have my Xmas cards all ready to mail the day after Thanksgiving. I ordered a turkey dinner for 2 for my husband and myself.i don't decorate. Very easy and relaxing. We watch hallmark movies and play scrabble on Xmas and new years.
I’m with you, Dee.
Thank you as usual!
Just a question to your friends online if I may...
Does anyone else miss hearing about the chickens? I loved reading about them
Yes.me too
While I am a minimalist when it comes to all things 'Christmas', I do generally enjoy the holiday. For some 15 years I've opted for the "Say it with Meat" Christmas gift solution. Usually Omaha Steaks is the provider for the 4 lone recipients of my yuletide largesse. No cards, no decorations, and my holiday meals are hosted by others. Yet I will always gladly support your very clever and creative Christmas Pledge concept. It's quickly become a holiday tradition. Who knows, this year I 'might' even plug in the little 2' plastic tree that's been sitting on my mantle for a decade. Obviously after I've had the chance to enjoy my Thanksgiving turkey, never before. Each holiday in its own time.
Plug it in. Plug it in. Plug it in. ~ karen!
Just because YOU asked, even though it's pre-Thanksgiving, I plugged it in for the first time in ages, but none of the little bulbs lit up. Oh well.