Get Your December Plan in Action!

Charity Preston Dec 01 Freebies

I hope everyone is having a fantastic day so far! I just realized yesterday that today was actually December 1st already! WHAT?! 2012 was pretty much a blur for me - in a good way. The past couple of months, I have done calendar number freebies for October and November, but this month, I actually had a request from a customer that I wanted to honor.

I found some adorable holiday themed owls - and of course ended up buying all the different sets for the whole year. :) So I figured a calendar set for 2013 was a perfect reason to use them and see them all in one place. Every month has different owls - AND it also has form fields so you can type right onto the forms, save, print, or email them! Check out some of the pictures below.

When using my calendar, I like to keep a few things in mind:

Determine how long a task will take before agreeing to it. That is key! Then, from that point, I break the task into smaller pieces and add those smaller chunks to my calendar. That way I know I don't have to complete the entire project in one day (can we say field trip prep or holiday parties?) and the task seems much more manageable if I know I can take my time pulling all the pieces together.

Know when to say no. Are you the go-to person on your team who ALWAYS agrees to do the monthly newsletter, plan the parent nights, and prepare the newest SmartBoard lesson for this week's reading selection? Oh yeah - and maybe you should teach your own class too. If you feel like you are doing way more than your share, perhaps you could take a little extra time to show someone else on the team how to do one of those tasks. It not only frees up your time once you have trained her or him how to do it consistently, but it also gives that person a chance to shine - and maybe throw their original ideas in as well to make it even better!

Last - make sure you are flexible. Leave time in your calendar for the unexpected. I don't know how many times a week day my well-laid out plan changes. Much like your lesson plans, plan for the unexpected or you will set yourself up for failure. Know that the supply order won't be there on time, your own child will be sick, or you inherit a terrible migraine that last for 3 days and throws everything off. If you have a little time built in, you will easily find a way to shift your own plan if necessary without having to throw the whole idea out the window. Plus, having extra pockets of time allows you to pamper yourself if everything is going as planned. Maybe an impromptu mani/pedi or a stop at your favorite bookstore just to browse. Make sure to make that time for yourself and grab it when you can.

Hopefully some of those tips will help a little. And you can start right now! Check out the freebie below which was a request from a customer who purchased the 2013 Holiday Owl Calendar Set. She wanted to start using it right away. :) So, here is a fun freebie! Make sure to click on the Download button when you get to the download page - and not the image. If you like it, I would love to see a comment below (they really make my day when you take the time to say hello).

Enjoy everyone and have a wonderful rest of the weekend!