Free Christmas Planning Checklist + 6 Must Do Tasks to Get Ready for the Holidays

Does the holiday season have you feeling frazzled? Learn how to get prepared for the holidays with these simple tips. Get some easy Christmas Organization ideas to have a less stressed holiday season! Download the Christmas Planning Checklist.

6 Things to Do in November

Today I’m sharing how I have been getting ready for the holidays! This time of year the to-do list is a mile long as there are cards to order, presents to buy, meals to make and fun events to attend. I absolutely love this season but boy it is exhausting!

These are a few things I do that help me stay organized and less stressed around the holidays! While I can’t promise you a stress FREE holiday season, you can do a few things to be a little more organized and a little less frazzled this year. Here is how to get ready for the holiday season!

Start doing these things in November so that you are ready for the holidays!

ONE| Schedule All of Your Holiday Activities

My number one Christmas organization tip is to have a plan. Sit down with your calendar and write down all of the important dates.

Schedule Must-Do Family Traditions including holiday baking, driving to see Christmas lights, a visit to Santa, etc! Put those dates down first and schedule in everything else after that!
Plan out all events you are personally hosting including dates and guest lists.
Determine what events you want to do and what things you are willing to say no to.
Anticipate any changes or conflicts with your schedule.
Hire babysitters as early as you can! They get busy during the holiday season.

TWO| Order Christmas Cards Early

The first thing on my holiday to do list is to order Christmas cards. I typically try to do this around Thanksgiving so I can get one thing checked off my list. I don’t get overly crazy about selecting the fanciest or most elaborate card so I can usually make my decision pretty quickly!

If you are willing to spend a little more money, consider having your cards addressed for you.

I love displaying our own family’s cards from the previous years!

The last few years I’ve paid the extra few dollars to have my return address already printed on the envelopes. It is well worth the extra fee!

THREE| Decorate in One Day

Every year, the day after Thanksgiving we drag all of the decorations out of the attic and decorate the house in one day. It is nice to have this done, so we can enjoy the decorations all season long.

2018 Holiday Home Tour

2017 Christmas Home Tour

if I’m really on top of my game, I make sure our advent calendar is filled with treats for each day! This year I got this advent calendar (when it was on sale) for my youngest son.

FOUR| Menu Plan for the Whole Season

This can seem like a daunting task to take on, but it will save you time and energy in the long run!

Write down all of the events you are hosting and decide on a menu for each event.
Gather up the recipes early in the season and write down everything you will need.
When you are at the store, pick things up in advance and buy in bulk if you can!
Plan the rest of your dinners for the season. Stick to EASY, healthy and quick family dinners.

Hint: Repeat some of your party recipes over and over for each event.

I tend to repeat the same recipes over throughout the month instead of reinventing the wheel each time I need to entertain or bring food!

A few of my favorite appetizer and dessert recipes include:

Chicken Buffalo Dip Taste of Home

Cranberry Brie Puff Pastry Betty Crocker

Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Walnuts and Pecoroni Cheese Epicurious

Another tip: Buy wine and spirits in bulk. Most stores offer a bulk wine discount, so take advantage!

Besides the discount, this saves you from making last-minute trips to the grocery store for a bottle of wine! You never know when you will need to put together a last minute hostess gift! Having a lot of wine on hand comes in handy for those such reasons!

Last year’s bar cart ready for the holidays!

Bar Cart

Wood Stump Cake Stand

Copper Mugs

FIVE| Schedule Family Traditions

In the busyness of the season, it is easy to find it challenging to fit in all of the family traditions. My family and I have been discussing all of the things that we like to do this time of year and I have been jotting them down on our calendar!

Make your family traditions a priority this season!

You don’t have to do everything but pick a few things and make sure you do them! No family needs to feel exhausted by doing all the things. Your kids do not need to go to every Christmas event in the city. But pick the activities that are meaningful for your family.

SIX| Declutter the Main Areas of Your Home

Before you bring out the holiday decorations, it is good to spend some time decluttering the high traffic areas of the home. Are you hosting overnight house guests? Be sure to organize the guest room or the area where your guests will sleep. Also make sure you have enough hosting supplies on hand including towels, soaps and toiletries.

While you may not have time to declutter your entire house, focus on the main key living areas including kitchen, entryway and living room.

Some small decluttering projects for the holiday season include:

Baking Supplies and Spices (Throw out outdated and unwanted supplies)
Kitchen Pantry
Kitchen Cabinets
Toys and Games
Coat Closet (Clear out unused outerwear and shoes)
Gift Wrapping Supplies Area (This will help you realize what supplies you need!)

Christmas Planning Checklist

Every year I say that I will not go crazy during the holidays. But inevitably, there is something I have forgotten to do and I can feel a little stressed out! This Christmas Planning Checklist will help keep you on track with all of your to-do items.

***************************************************************