2.  Hmm, what's for dinner?  Now that you know what food items you do have, gather all the recipes for the dishes you intend to make and start a shopping list of the ingredients you don't have.  And try to consolidate shopping trips with other errands or on the way to/from work or appointments.

3.  An ounce of preparation. . . After you have decided on the menu(s) and purchased the "missing" ingredients, identify those dishes you can prepare ahead of time, or any with ingredients you (and/or family members) can clean/slice/dice/chop/puree in advance.  It can make the holiday go much more smoothly. 

4.  And. . . they're off!  If you don't want your shopping trips to feel like a day at the races, try to make a comprehensive list - whether it's on paper, a spreadsheet, or online - of the people you're buying for and and some gift ideas.  Use this checklist to keep track of what you still need to get, to decide whether it makes more sense to buy them in stores or online, and to help plot out shopping trips so you don't waste time or gas.

5.  That's a wrap.  If you've got rolls of wrapping paper shoved in every closet of the house and can never find the tape when you need it, designate one location as "gift wrap central."  Pull together all the tape, bows, scissors, ribbon, gift tags, wrapping paper, tissue paper, and pens and store in an appropriate container or gift wrap organizer that meets your space and storage needs.

6.  Deck the halls. . . If digging through boxes of ornaments and bins of lights sends your blood pressure soaring, get a handle on this task once and for all.  Sort through the ornaments, lights, wreaths, and other decorations and consider giving away anything that you didn't use or display during the last holiday season or two.  (Determining the amount of time in your schedule for decorating and your available storage space can help you decide what stays and what can go.)  Choose appropriate storage and label the containers so next year, you're ready to go.

7.  Out with the old. . . Sorting and purging your closets, dresser drawers, toy bins, and bookshelves can help you to determine what things you and your family need (helpful for answering that "so, what do you want this year?" question) as well as to make room for the incoming gifts and purchases.

8.  Ready, aim, smile. . . If you've ever missed a great shot because your camera battery was zapped, learn a lesson from "mistakes past" and designate a home for rechargeable batteries, digital cameras, cell phones, ipods, and their requisite cords.  You and your family won't have to search the house looking for that piece of technology, and you can make sure everything is charged and ready to go for all the holiday fun.