Like it or not, it is time to gear up and get organized for the Holiday Season.

Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, there are probably gifts to buy, meals or parties to shop for, plan and prepare and seasonal cards to mail out.

As usual, I have found that it helps so much to break these things to do down into manageable chunks and write them down on 3x5 Index Cards.

It is fun to use green cards and a red pen for these lists. Use the cards for the following tasks.

Gift List

Start by writing down on one card, the names of family and friends that you buy gifts for. Later you can go back and add ideas for gifts as they occur to you and as the gift exchange date nears, you can list the items you have for each person and decide if you need to even things up a bit. Sometimes I realize that I have more gifts for one of my children than the other and I need to even it up.

Party Guest List

If it is your turn to host a gathering of neighbours, family or friends, use a card for the guest list and check off the names as you call or write an invitation to each person.

Party Menu

For the party itself, write down your menu ideas on another card. If it is a potluck, list what each person is bringing. This will help you balance out the menu.

Holiday Meal Menu

For the main holiday meal, if I am doing the cooking, I list all the dishes I will be serving. I have been known to totally forget to cook a vegetable that I had planned on including in the menu. This list also helps me set out the appropriate serving dishes I will need to have ready.

Writing everything down works for me and helps me feel in control. Try it and see if it works for you. As always, I welcome your comments or suggestions on this topic..