Hello friends. Did you all have a nice Thanksgiving?
I did and I loved spending it with family that I haven't seen in a while. We all had a great time and I enjoyed eating the good food and the leftovers.
Can you believe that next week is the beginning of December?
I did and I loved spending it with family that I haven't seen in a while. We all had a great time and I enjoyed eating the good food and the leftovers.
Can you believe that next week is the beginning of December?
Some ways that we can accomplish this is to stay organized.
I like to make lists of people I will need to make or buy presents for. I do half present shopping online and half in the store. When I have a present I cross it off the list and then I try to wrap the present right away. This will happen sometime next week for me.
I usually save my Christmas card list from year to year. I like to see if I will be adding or taking off people on my list. You can also buy your holiday stamps at the post office or online.
You should decide if you are making photo holiday cards, buying your cards, or even making your own handmade cards. There are sales specials now on photo holiday cards to take advantage of.
If you are sending out any packages to family or friends you should get your packages ready to send out early. I like to do this early as this time of year the post office is super busy with long lines.
You should figure out menus and if you will be entertaining any parties or get togethers with family and friends.
Start thinking about outfits you will be wearing and if you need to go shopping for any clothes. This applies to the children also.
I like to have extra food around just in case I have anyone drop by unexpected for coffee. You can make extra food and then freeze it. When you are in a rush and don't have time to cook you can plan ahead of time and take food out of the freezer and just defrost it to have for dinner.
I love to make quick and easy meals for weeknights and weekends. I love using the Instant Pot for a really quick meal and the Crock Pot for weeknight meals. You can click here to see some of my easy recipes for weeknight dinners and the holidays.
Now is a great time that you can start your holiday baking of cookies, candy, and any other holiday treats.
You should figure out if you will be buying a real tree or a fake tree. If you are putting up a fake tree, you can get it up early and decorate the tree. Decide if you need to buy any new ornaments, lights, or decorations. This is a great time to sort through your holiday decorations and decide if you are keeping them or if the ones you don't need you can donate to charity. (Some of you might have your tree up and decorated already, so please ignore this one).
I like organizing my decorations and I usually decorate the inside of my house right after Thanksgiving. I am in the process of doing this right now! This also applies for decorating the outside of the house too. Last year I organized and went through my Christmas decorations. I donated a lot of them to our church.
The bottom line is just try to stay organized and try to have family members help you out. One of the ways I like to do this is by having my college girl invite some of her friends over to decorate the Christmas tree and do some holiday baking. It's always fun when you have everyone involved and helping out.
Take the time to breathe and enjoy the holiday season.
One of the ways that helps me out during the holiday season is drinking a lot of coffee!
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you all enjoy the rest of the week and weekend. :)
Click HERE to see the great parties I will be linking up to!
Julie
Good tips Julie. It's a crazy time of year so organization definitely helps. The coffee is a must.
ReplyDeletexx Beca
Great tips, love it.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips, Julie! I am all decorated, but now I need to breathe and regroup for the rest of the prep. I'm already exhausted! Ha!
ReplyDeleteSheesh, that's a lot to do! Great tips, and sounds like you have this holiday planning well under control!
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts exactly, except decorating immediately after Thanksgiving. Despite our heavy snow----I'm waiting until December 1st! (Except for preparing the advent hanger for my grand!)
ReplyDeleteHi Julie,
ReplyDeleteI make a list of things too. It helps me stay on track and not forget things. This time of year goes so fast so I too think the more organized you are the more time you have to enjoy. Happy Decorating.
Hugs,
Kris
Wonderful tips for a stress free Christmas. Lists are great. Being organized really helps. Here's to a lovely weekend ahead. xo
ReplyDeleteThese are all great tips to remember and do....now to get my head around the fact that they have to all be done soon!
ReplyDeleteSweet friend, this was such a delightful post and I so enjoyed your helpful tips...especially the one about drinking lots of coffee {{smiles}} I hope you have a most beautiful Christmas Season. Hugs to you!
ReplyDelete