Ringing in the New Year 2011!

On New Years Day we look ahead at the year to come, make plans, vow to live just a little differently, and wonder what the new year will bring.

If one of your goals this year is to be more organized I would love to share with my system developed after 10 years of stay-at-homemaking to organizing the holidays which is the heart of this site. This system is filled out with fun tips, traditions, craft and decor ideas, recipes, and frugal seasonal shopping ideas.

As a single income, on commission, family we have seen both devastatingly bad and amazingly wonderful paychecks. It was one Christmas, early on, when we saw a paycheck in that first category that I decided to develop traditions that did not depend on money. Ones that created memories and brought lasting joy to my children. Hence, Holiday Haven was started 10 years ago when I began to plan out important dates and transfer them from one year to the next on my family calendar adjusting them and improving them from year to year. 

The result: I do not go through the holiday rush, but spend time playing board games and making home made wrapping paper. We are never bored in the summer because I have made plans to go swimming, or take mini vacations, or have scheduled camp for the children. We have lots of family traditions. And I am able to find time to decorate for the season, and complete some crafts. The seasons never sneak up on me, because I have taken them in hand and am making the most of them!

So today, on the first day of the year, I am re-posing my Holiday Challenge calendar. If organizing is on your list, this challenge is a helpful tool. Maybe your family is different than mine, maybe you do not need to add all of these dates to your calendar, or you prefer to do things a bit differently, whatever your system I think you may find this calendar to be a helpful guide. And if you already have your own tried and true system in place it is my hope that you will enjoy all of our families traditions and tips.

Happy New Year From my Family to Yours!

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