I work really hard every year at keeping track of gift ideas, spending, activities and more. I do this more so that when next year rolls around I can remember the important stuff and also budget throughout the year especially since we have two birthdays (One in October and one in December) that require planning too.
Living Well, Spending Less has a free holiday journal that you can download. I did download mine already - it is a great referance even if you don't use the whole thing and . .. it's free!!