Is it just me or does it seem like the second half of the year always seems to fly by? One minute, we’re shooting off fireworks and enjoying the summer. And then just like that, it’s November 1st and we have a million things to do before the holiday season.
It’s definitely stressful, that’s for sure! There is so much to see and do, make and bake, buy and wrap, that there never seems to be enough time to actually sit down and enjoy the most wonderful time of the year.
But not this year! I have decided that this will be a holiday season to remember! And the best way to do that is to be intentional with our time so we can prioritize a few holiday tasks as early as possible.
By focusing on these holiday tasks early, you will have more time for family and one less thing to worry about come December!
Psst… You can start planning now with the Holiday Playbook!
A unique holiday planner that will help you stay organized from Halloween until New Year’s!
#1 – CREATE A GIFT-RECIPIENT LIST
I always make the mistake of thinking I can remember everyone I need to buy for. But the older I get, the more I forget. 🤦♀️
And I really try to make sure my 5 kiddos have a somewhat equal amount of gifts.
But it never fails – I end up going wrong somewhere along the way.
You too?
In order to nip that problem in the bud, this year, let’s create a gift recipient list ahead of time!
A gift recipient list is an excellent way to make sure you remember all the little gifts for teachers, coworkers, and friends.
But it’s even better at keeping track of what you have bought, what hasn’t been delivered, and what has already been wrapped.
I have such a hard time managing gifts because I can never remember which box contains what. If you have more than a few people to shop for, then you probably know the struggle!
START BY MAKING YOUR LIST
Create a rough draft of everyone you want to buy for.
THEN, BRAINSTORM SOME GIFT IDEAS FOR EACH RECIPIENT
Take some time to think about what each person would truly love. (So much more meaningful than purchasing something at the last minute!)
CONSIDER DIVIDING YOUR RECIPIENTS INTO GROUPS
Dividing your recipients into groups makes shopping SO much easier! Especially if you have quite a few different people to shop for!
- Shopping by group will help you space out your spending over multiple pay periods.
- And you can rest assured that you have everything you need before you move on to the next group. No more rushing out at the last minute to pick up stocking stuffers!
With close to 30 people to shop for, I have divided my recipients into 5 groups:
– Group 1: My extended family
– Group 2: My husband’s extended family
– Group 3: The boys (our three sons)
– Group 4: The girls (our two daughters) and each other
– Group 5: Teachers, pets, and friends
Related Post: 41 Festive Gift-Wrap Ideas
# 02 -– Map Out Thanksgiving Weekend In Advance
The next holiday task you can focus on right now is to plan Thanksgiving weekend.
This will vary greatly depending on your personal situation. But here are a few ways you can be intentional about Turkey Day:
👉 If you’re hosting Thanksgiving at your house, you may need a complete menu, grocery list, fold-out tables, and extra chairs.
👉 Maybe you have multiple family get-togethers to attend and you need to figure out exactly when you should arrive at each house.
👉 Or you could be traveling and need a car rental, hotel, or animal boarding reservations.
👉 If you will be doing some Black Friday Shopping, use this time to create a budget for how much you want to spend. It’s too early to know what items will be on sale, but you can certainly start saving some money now!
Related Post: How to Be Intentional with Your Holiday Shopping
#3 – PLAN FOR HOLIDAY DECORATIONS
You might be the type who loves to go all out with the holiday decor.
Or maybe you like to keep it really minimal.
Regardless of your decorating style, there are a couple of ways you can prepare your home:
MAKE SURE YOUR HOME IS CLEANED & DECLUTTERED
This is a big one for me – I’ll be the first to admit that our regular cleaning tasks tend to fall by the wayside for the entire month of December.
To get your house ready for the holidays, you can focus on a few cleaning tasks each week. And then you’ll have plenty of time to start making memories with your loved ones.
If your house has a lot of visual clutter, make a plan to declutter before the holidays!
DECIDE ON A DECORATING COLOR SCHEME
I know some people love to switch up their holiday decor every year. If that’s you, now is the time to decide on a color!
DETERMINE IF ANY DECOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED
It never fails, every year when I go to pull out my decorations – something is either broken, missing, or I just don’t really like it anymore. This year, I will be sorting through my holiday decor early so I’m not rushing on the first of December trying to deck the halls.
YOU CAN ALSO START PURCHASING NEW DECORATIONS WHILE THEY ARE STILL ON SALE
If you’re taking inventory of your decor, there’s no harm in purchasing new items if necessary! We all know that the stores are decked out come September. So why not take advantage of those amazing sales?? In the early fall, you can find holiday decor for up to 50% off at Michael’s and Hobby Lobby! 😉
PUT UP YOUR OUTDOOR LIGHTS BEFORE IT GETS TOO COLD OUTSIDE
I don’t know about you, but climbing up on the roof to hang our lights during the most wonderful time of the year doesn’t sound too enjoyable. I would much rather hang those lights in October! And lights are also typically on sale until Thanksgiving.
Related Post: 7 Things You Should Declutter Before Christmas
#4 – order holiday cards
If you’ve been wanting to take family photos for your Christmas cards, now is the time to book your session!
On the other hand, you don’t have to include a family photo just to get a head start on your Christmas cards. Order them, sign the cards, seal the envelopes, and cross that task off your list!
You can also double-check to make sure you have correct addresses and plenty of stamps.
#5 – schedule holiday activities
It always seems like my family never has time to get to all of the holiday events that we were hoping to. 🤔
We spend SO much time shopping, wrapping, cooking, baking, and hiding the elf.
And before I know it, it’s Christmas Eve and we haven’t gone ice skating, seen the Nutcracker, or made paper snowflakes.
So this year, we’re going to be intentional about our traditions ahead of time!
Want to join in with us and make this your best holiday ever? Here’s what to do:
USING A BLANK SHEET OF PAPER:
- Jot down a few traditions you want to prioritize this year
- If you want to visit any local events, festivals, farms, or light displays, take some time to research when they will be open
- Write the days and hours next to the corresponding activity
- Now when you plan your November and December calendar, you’ll be able to easily specify when each activity will fit into your schedule!
Related Post: The Holiday Cleaning Schedule You Need
#6- start creating holiday menus
If you’ll be spending any time in the kitchen, now is the time to create your menu and grocery lists!
Maybe you cook Thanksgiving and/or Christmas dinner every year. Or maybe you don’t cook at all, but you love to bake. 🤷♀️
Whatever you’ll be making, create that menu now! Start searching on Pinterest for some awesome holiday recipes. It will be one less thing for you to worry about later!
get that kitchen organized!
Every Christmas, it seems like my kitchen counter is overflowing with candy, cookies, dishes, and decorations. So this year I’m going to attempt to re-organize it before the madness starts!
# 07 -– get a head start on diy items
This year I want to try making our own DIY advent calendar, which is something my family has never done before.
So I plan to gather supplies and put them together soon. It will be once less thing for me to worry about at the end of November!
I’m also thinking about creating “Santa’s Workshop” gift tags on the computer since my older kids can recognize my handwriting. (I’m trying to hold on to that Christmas magic for just a few more years.)
If your family likes to complete any DIY activities during the holidays, get out there and purchase your supplies now!
Over to You
Whew! We’ve gone over a lot!
Sometime between now and Thanksgiving, take some time to:
- Create a gift recipient list
- Brainstorm gift ideas for everyone
- Plan Thanksgiving weekend
- Get your house ready for decorations by decluttering and cleaning
- Consider putting up your outside lights before it gets too cold
- Order Christmas cards
- Determine when local events and activities will start
- Decide on a menu for any parties or holiday dinners
- Start on any DIY or handmade crafts
There you have it! My go-to holiday tasks that you can focus on early! Keep in mind that you don’t need to accomplish every one of these activities. Just choose the ones that are relevant to you and your family.
By being intentional with your time, you can have a stress-free holiday season!
When you’re ready to start planning for the upcoming holidays, grab a copy of the free mini holiday planner! Start brainstorming gift ideas and creating your budget so you have one less thing to worry about come December! 🙌
Related posts
41 Gift Wrap Ideas That Will Take Your Presents to the Next Level
How to be Intentional with Your Holiday Shopping
4 Simple Ways to Save Your Holiday Sanity
7 Things to Declutter Before Christmas
The Holiday Cleaning Schedule You Need
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