photo credit: Harley Qinn

Now that Thanksgiving is over it is time to get together for the second biggest feast of the year. Christmas Dinner is a huge deal in every family. The year you can plan ahead, Plan so that you have more time to spend with your family and less time cooking and running around like you are crazy.

Not only does planning save you time but it can also save you money. During Christmas, families are full of good cheer and a longing to get reconnected. Let the family dinner do just that.

I want to share just a few tips on how to help dinner be a delight instead of a huge disaster.

1. First find out who all will be there for this years Christmas Dinner. Since it is family and if you have planned way ahead and done your inviting, most of your family will probley be coming. But there may be some that have already made plans, have to work, or may even be going out of town. So make sure you double check on who will be attending.
2. Ask everyone to bring something. Don’t try and do it all yourself and if each person brings something that is less you have to cook. I have the people who live close bring warm stuff and the people who live a long ways away bring the cold stuff.
3. Make all the side dishes and dessert before hand. Figure out what you can fix and freeze before hand.
4. Try cooking the turkey early. It takes a few hours for the turkey to cool anyways so get that one out of the way.
5. Serve Buffet style. Let the family serve themselves. Now we already do this so this one was the easiest one for me but if you are used to serving the family then this year try and let them serve themselves.

Planning a Christmas Dinner for your family can be an amazing, wonderful, great time filled with fellowship and love. So use these tips so that you can spend more time with your family and friends.

Save Time And Money By Planning Your Meals

You want more ideas and need help making a list check out List Planit.com

I could not tell you how exicted and happy I was when I found Holiday EPlanner by Listplanit.com.  I seriously could not wait to get my hands on it.  And once it was in my hands I could not wait to get started working on it. Holiday EPlanner had everything I had hoped for, wanted and needed to get my holiday action plan in motion.

Once I had it printed off and safely tucked in my home binder.  I was on a mission.  I started feeling out the pages.  I want to share with you my favorite pages:

• The December Calendar (started writing in important dates on it right away)
• Cards to Send (I got out my list from last year of people who sent us cards and started adding)
• Cards Received ( can’t wait to start receiving cards)
• Wish List (this is an awesome list and I have already started adding to it)
• Gift List (A,B,C) I have already started filling these out
• Holiday Meal Planner (this is awesome because I have already started planning my meal and actually I am going to use it to plan my Thanksgiving meal too)
• Holiday Gifts Received (now why did I not think of that.  This year I get to write down what we received and send out thank you cards)
• Holiday Memories (What a great tradition I can start by writing down my favorite memories every year)
• Holiday coolies and candy planner (this year is my first year I am making cookies and candy so I needed this)
• Advent Activity Planner (this is awesome and she has an example one too.)

Those are just my favorites and there are still tons more that I did not even mention.  I know I know now you are wishing you had one.  Well Listplanit.com has given me permission to give one away.  So all you need to do is GO visit http://listplanit.com and leave me a comment here on  on how much you would love a Holiday EPlanner and how you would use it and on Nov. 21st I will give away a free Holiday EPlanner to One Lucky Person.