It might seem a little crazy to start planning for Christmas now. But I know if I spend time doing things that help me prepare for the holiday season now, I can enjoy the time when it is here.
My intention this year is to say “no” to some things and to get ahead of the rush. My favorite Christmas memories are the things we cultivated and made time for – laughing with each other, baking cookies, movie marathons, and nights by the Christmas tree playing games.
I want the Christmas season to be a time when we enjoy the fruits of our labor, slow down a bit, and take time to reflect on the bounty of all we have. But, of course, if we’re not careful, I find that obligations and requests take over. The work to make Christmas magical can be overburdening.
I have some things I’ve learned during the years that make Christmas more meaningful and magical for me. But paving the way for the holiday season I want starts now.
10 Things You Can Do NOW to Prepare for the Holidays:
1. Christmas card preparation.
RETHINK the card! I know this is a controversial take: but we’ve moved to electronic “cards” and messages (sent via personal e-mail). We share a recent picture or two of our family and a note about what we’ve been up to.
Why we changed our tactic to a digital version? Environmental reasons (we try to be an Earth-friendly family). Also, the price tag of Christmas cards is very high. But what we’ve found as an unintended upside of changing delivery methods is people actually message us back with their updates! We engage in dialogue with friends and family we haven’t heard from in a year. It’s fun!
We have, of course, received feedback from some that they don’t like it at all. They prefer a hard paper copy they can hang up and/or keep. But we are confident our decision is right for us.
If you elect to do traditional Christmas cards, get started early! Get the address list together early, get the photos you want to use done by early November, and then enjoy the process of addressing envelopes in front of your Christmas tree with a glass of eggnog in early December.
But in the end, don’t let Christmas cards be a stressor. Remember: these are optional, not mandatory. The intention should be to send a note of joy to people in your life that you may not otherwise connect with often, to let them know during a season of love and gratitude they are on your mind.
If you find that Christmas cards are your way of updating people on your family, you have the freedom to send these ANY TIME OF THE YEAR! We have gotten cards from families on Labor Day, Valentine’s Day, and Halloween – cards that serve the same function as Christmas cards but they appear in our mailbox at unexpected times of the year. And these are delightful!!! We pay more attention to them, as well, because they are unique and not delivered in an onslaught of Christmas mail.
2. Clear the calendar of anything that isn’t the right fit NOW.
Don’t say “yes” to the swim meet or soccer tournament! Realize that you will have school performances, choirs, church pageants, and neighborhood Christmas parties that you will want to (and should) do. Say “no” now to anything you feel will clog the holiday season without bringing joy.Â
3. Order advent/countdown calendar stuffers and stocking stuffers.
Every year we use an advent calendar that I made (similar to this), and it kicks off on Dec 1st. Each day has a little pocket that holds a treat or a note. I head to Target in early November to get small packets of LEGO, bath bombs, Chapstick, socks, chocolate treats, Pokemon cards, etc.
I also plan activities (see tips below) and those become the stuffers for the day (i.e., bake cookies, sing Christmas carols loudly, drive around and look at lights, drink hot cocoa).
Stumped on good stocking stuffer ideas? Check out this list of 20 great stocking stuffers for teens and tweens!
4. Get tickets to events and shows.
Christmas festivities and events start to go on sale NOW (in mid-October). Wreath-making workshops, light shows, Nutcracker performances, special meals with Santa…Â
Take an afternoon, sit down, and figure out what you want to take your family to and when. Then buy the tickets, put it on the calendar, and look forward to the experience to come!
5. Make gift lists – both for gifting and receiving.
I keep electronic, easily accessible lists of things I want to purchase for people and I start a list of gift ideas for our family, to have on hand if people ask. Relatives want to get us (if they purchase gifts for us at all) and our kids things we need and love. I have no problems with gently suggesting items, and the lists are usually received with gratitude.
I use my phone to start keeping track of things my kids mention and, also, things other people mention they want or need!
6. Plan menus and stock the house in advance.
To help, I have a Christmas Eve and Christmas Day menu available. Whatever you elect to make for the holidays, don’t be afraid to get dried goods, freezer goods, and shelf-stable items now.
Stock up on household items you may need, particularly if hosting (i.e., toilet paper and paper towels). You’ll also find wrapping paper and ribbons available and in abundance right now.
While we all want to take the time to celebrate the holiday we’re in, and it seems a little awful to buy Christmas wrap at Halloween, don’t be shy. Doing it now opens up hours for you later!Â
This is all about allowing you more time and mental space to enjoy the Christmas holidays when they arrive.
7. Do some crafting with the kids or with friends.
If holiday crafting gets you excited, then go ahead and start now. One of my favorite Christmas memories is when a friend planned a “Pinterest Christmas night” – we all brought in supplies to do one of the Christmas crafts on our Pinterest board. Maybe a Christmas craft is something you want to do with your children, as a family. Go ahead and do it early. Don’t make it another to-do item later you feel you can’t squeeze in.Â
Check out this list of 60 easy Christmas crafts for all ages.
Interested in New York City at Christmas?
8. Prepare for traditions that honor the season (advent readings, Christmas lights viewing) and PUT THEM ON THE CALENDAR.
I love holiday traditions, and there are so many ways to celebrate Christmas as a family.Â
We enjoy baking Christmas cookies and classic Christmas treats throughout the holiday season (usually at a rate of one recipe a week, for anywhere around six weeks).
Schedule blocks for these traditions on your calendar! Plan around them. Allow yourself the freedom to change things as the season develops, but make space and time for what you want to do.
9. Share your plans with your extended family early.
Communicate your intended travel plans, when you would like to host, gift rules and expectations – EARLY. And don’t be scared to do so. There are ways to be kind of gentle about tricky subjects, but it is best to at least open the conversation rather than leave people guessing at the last minute.
This also means you have to know your travel plans in order to share them.
Be cognizant of what others would like and what their expectations are, but be sure to advocate for yourself and your family, as well, particularly if the upcoming season feels particularly overloaded.
10. Write down what the holiday means to you and what matters – post it where you can see it every day.
When the busyness starts, it is so easy to forget to say “no.” It is easy to forget to honor the time you had carved out for yourself, your family, and your traditions. Understandably, things will get bumped, unanticipated time will be asked of you, and that’s allowed. But you also don’t have to lose control of the holiday season.
Take some time with the family to brainstorm what’s important to you. Write down a manifesto, a checklist, a few words, a poem, a paragraph … hang photos that inspire you, make a vision board for the holidays… whatever visual reminders will help you maintain ownership of the holiday season, hang it up in a prominent place. Put it somewhere you will see it every day.
The holidays and the stretch from now until January 2nd can be glorious, especially as a family, if we actively create the celebrations we want.
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