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When Christmas comes around have you been able to relax and enjoy all the moments the holiday brings? Or are you stressed to ensure everything gets done and not enjoying the season? I feel like I was somewhere in the middle. I am a planner and felt like what I did was good, but it would be a week before Christmas and all of a sudden, I needed to make cookies, wrap gifts, and plan food. I had to get serious and learn how to prepare for Christmas early.
It all changed when I started when I realized that I could start planning for Christmas 5 months in advance This seems daunting but doing little things early will help save you time later. Now 5 months is a lot but I’ll explain why it starts in July, I promise. Who really wants to think of Christmas in the middle of the summer heat? Me!
Now, let’s get to how to plan for Christmas early so you are able to enjoy the season.
Christmas in July
This is a perfect time to think of Christmas and start planning because it will be all over the media and places will start having sales advertised with Christmas in July specials. What also comes with this is Amazon Prime Day sale! It’s a perfect time to start stocking up on gifts and stocking stuffers. Things get marked down so much on prime day!
Gift List App
I’ve been using this app to help track my Christmas gift list and budget. I’ll review my list, remove anyone that needs to be, or add anyone. Then review the budget. Check the amount for certain events, gifts, or how much goes to each person. This helps me keep in mind how much I have to spend on each person and you can add the gifts to each person and it will deduct it from the amount assigned to them.
August/September
I will review the list occasionally and if I see something that would be a good gift for someone then I will snag it or save it to know to get later.
Christmas Cards
Now if you are someone who still sends Christmas cards, like I am, then September is a good month to start planning what you want them to look like to book a photographer for pictures. The earlier you can get this done the easier. It is time-consuming to send cards but it makes it easier with preprinted cards and with address labels now. I will typically order the cards early then once December hits, I will put on a Christmas movie and sit and stuff them and address them. It helps my hands stay busy and I get to enjoy a holiday show.
Calendar Events
Try and nail down some events. If you know your work Christmas party is the second Saturday of the month at 7, then confirm it with your work. Or if an extended part of the family has a Christmas party the first Saturday of the month then put it on the calendar. Check for school performances or holiday events happening locally. A lot of these are scheduled months in advance so the dates and times are available to find.
October
Continue shopping. Always a plus to try and have as much shopping done before you actually head into December.
Plan Menus
If you know that you do a big Christmas Eve brunch, dinner or Christmas Day meal, then it’s a good idea to start thinking of what food to make. Talk over with who will be attending and start planning for the main dish or who is bringing what sides. I already know we have a Christmas Eve brunch and then a Christmas dinner with extended family that I need to plan for.
Check Your Supplies
All the decorations and supplies are starting to come out. Check your supplies of wrapping paper, bags, bows, and tape to make sure you are stocked up when it comes time to wrap. If there are any decorations that you want to get this year then start stocking up early.
November
Check through your list of gifts and see who you still need to buy for. Check on your budget as well to see how you are doing on that. I like to have about 75-80% of my shopping done by November. Then I just have to focus on getting a few things to finish gifts and stocking stuffers.
Prep Food
Start prepping your food or ingredients needed for December. If you are going to make pies then prep the fillings or dough then freeze them. Make cookie dough and freeze it until it’s time to bake. I make a doubly batch of cookies then use half at the beginning of the month then freeze the other half for the week before Christmas. If you are getting any canned ingredients or frozen ingredients then stock up now. It will save time and having to rush to the store when they are crowded.
Make Homemade Gifts
Use your time in November to create any handmade gifts you’ll be making. I made handmade hand warmers and gave them away as gifts as an idea. This year I’ll be making some handmade gifts as well and am already planning for when to start making them.
December
Bake
Now is the time to thaw any frozen cookie dough to make your Christmas cookies. It will save half the time to already have the dough made. Once we make the cookies we spend a good hour frosting all our cookies while we have a Christmas movie playing. We grew up with 2 rules when frosting cookies that I still use today. Rule 1, don’t lick your fingers then touch the cookies, if you lick, you wash. Rule 2, if a cookie breaks, you get to eat it. Rule 2 was always the best one!
Clean
Clean your house. If you are hosting then plan for a big clean before you host. If you aren’t hosting, then it would be good to do an easy clean so that you won’t have to worry about it when Christmas arrives. I like to do a little cleaning each day starting a week before Christmas. I will leave the floors to the day before so that it minimizes the amount of dog fur around the house.
Plan Outfits
If you have events coming up then plan the outfits for you and anyone else in your family. That way it will save you time trying to decide what to wear or for your family.
Enjoy the Moments
I love the Christmas season. It isn’t about giving or receiving gifts, it’s the feeling of the time of year. My mom made Christmas so enjoyable for us growing up that it instilled in me an appreciation for that time of year. We always go to our zoo to see their display of Christmas lights. I love to drive around and look at Christmas lights in our neighborhood. There are a lot of different family events that happen in our city so we try to go to those as well. Enjoy the season and enjoy being stress free for the holiday.
Learning how to plan for Christmas early not only reduces stress but also allows you to fully enjoy the festive season. By organizing your gift shopping, setting a budget, preparing your home, and scheduling holiday activities in advance, you can create a more joyful and relaxed experience. Starting early gives you the time to focus on what truly matters- spending quality time with loved ones, creating memories, and savoring the holiday season. So, take the time to plan, and let this year’s Christmas be your most peaceful and enjoyable one yet!
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