What's the secret to keeping the cheer in Christmas? A Christmas planner!

Command central for holiday planning, a Christmas planner is a dedicated, portable place to keep gift lists, menus, recipes and Christmas card lists. Using a Christmas planner, you'll save time, cut stress and create the holiday of your dreams.

The Christmas planner concept is popping up everywhere. Scrapbookers make lavish lunchbox planners, while their stamping sisters embellish pocket planners. Notebook fans swear by their 3-ring Christmas binders, while PDA users swap databases for holiday planning.

Here at ChristmasPlanner.com, we gather the best tips, ideas and free printables to help you make your own Christmas planner. Click the read more link below to get organized with a Christmas planner:

Make a Christmas Planner to Simplify The Holidays

Why make your own Christmas planner? Because just like pantyhose, there's no such thing as "one size fits all" when it comes to preparing for Christmas. Packaged planner solutions often fall flat when it comes to real-world celebrations.

Each of us brings a different spin and emphasis to holiday planning. A champion baker will include recipes, grocery lists and a detailed baking plan in her Christmas planner, while the neighborhood's decorations queen will boast a sheaf of lighting tips, craft instructions and detailed room-by-room decor plans. A mother of young children collects ideas for family-friendly traditions, while a musical empty-nester plans her holiday schedule around cantatas and ballet performances--and by creating their own, each of them will have a Christmas planner custom-tailored to their values and preferences.

Better, creating your own D-I-Y Christmas planner allows it to grow with you and your family. From year to year, you'll reconfigure your Christmas planner according to your needs--and each year, your Christmas planner becomes more useful and more valuable.

With a multi-year Christmas planner, you'll recall favorite holiday recipes from years past--and be reminded which ones didn't make the grade. Gift lists are a treasure-trove of information to guide the current year's giving. A well-seasoned Christmas planner gets each year's preparations off to a flying start.

Ready? Follow the links below to create your own Christmas planner and simplify the holiday season!