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How to Prep for Christmas in September & Avoid the Christmas Chaos

I know you’re probably checking the date and wondering why we’re talking about Christmas prep a few days after Labor Day but now is actually the perfect time to get Christmas ready. I know every day (don’t tell my husband) when I stroll through Hobby Lobby they are hanging more and more Christmas decor and I’ve been sneaky buying more decor for this upcoming holiday season. I also love to enjoy my holiday season so I do some prep work now so I don’t have to run around like a chicken with my head cut off come December. If you’d like to be in that boat, then this post is for you today. Here are my top tips for prepping for Christmas now.

 

Plan the menu

There is nothing worse than deciding the week of Christmas you want a ham for Christmas dinner, and running over to the grocery store only to find out there are only those scrawny little hams left. No ma’am. Not this year. This year you are well planned out. This year you are downloading a meal planner and writing out what you want to serve and buying the non-perishable ingredients now and storing them in your pantry. You are making a list of what you can store in your freezer. You know exactly what is going on that menu.

I plan everything from Christmas eve pre-church snackies to Christmas morning breakfast and what we’ll need for leftovers. I get it all prepped and ready.

This way I can just cook and relax. Cooking is relaxing for me but hitting the grocery store during the holiday season is cause for a heart attack.

 

Download the 5 Essential Planning Sheets Every Mama Needs

You’ll find weekly menu planning sheets, my essential pantry list for any kitchen, kid chore charts, and more! Go from chaos to hyper-organized with just a few minutes a day.

Download now for maximum holiday planning 

 

Plan the tree 

As I said, I’ve been strolling through Hobby Lobby picking up a few things. One of those things is ornaments. Each year our tree has a color theme. Last year it was more gold and deep red. So rather than wait until the last minute to grab some snazzy ornaments, we grabbed some throughout the year and particularly those three months leading to Christmas which left us with an abundance.

We got a lot of compliments on the tree last year and it really does make a difference in the home. I promise when your tree feels cohesive you’ll feel like you stepped your holiday game up and all it took was a little prep on your part.

Budget

Talk to your spouse now about a budget. How much are you going to spend per child? What about the parents? Each other? Will you be gifting every aunt, uncle, cousin, etc.? There is no right or wrong answer here. You have to do what is best for your family.

I don’t recommend going broke for Christmas.

One thing I highly recommend moving forward is every single month buying a Visa gift card. Spend $50, $100, whatever you’re comfortable with January through November and you have yourself a great little nest egg of Christmas funds without dipping into your paycheck around Christmas time.

It’s Party Season

Get those parties on the calendar. If you know your great aunt Betty has a party the Saturday before Christmas every year, mark it down now. If you know your husband’s work party is two weekends before Christmas every year, mark it down. 

Mark down the days when you want to go see Santa and where. When the town’s Christmas parade is happening. What festivals are happening around you? Get it all marked down. 

You don’t want to be scrambling the day of any event because you forgot about that parade you always attend because you were wrapped up in other things.  Check your town calendar for local events you don’t want to miss.

 

Make a list and check it thrice

Lists are your best friend during the holiday season. It’s better to be prepared now. Start writing down the gifts you need, supplies, etc., and begin to knock things off those lists.

You’ll feel accomplished and come December the only thing left on your list will be enjoyment.

 

Download the 5 Essential Planning Sheets Every Mama Needs

You’ll find weekly menu planning sheets, my essential pantry list for any kitchen, kid chore charts, and more! Go from chaos to hyper-organized with just a few minutes a day.

Download now and make holiday planning a breeze

 

Wrap Gifts Now

I will never forget how exhausted I was on my first Christmas as a mama. Glenn and I had big plans to stay up and wrap gifts together on Christmas Eve and lo and behold he fell asleep. He woke up Christmas morning shocked that gifts were under the tree and wrapped. Not a mistake I’d make again.

When you have some time, wrap gifts now. That gift for your mama, wrap it now and store it somewhere safe. 

It’s a whole lot easier to wrap gifts a little at a time from September to December than trying to cram it all in one night. 

It’s a Family Tradition

Think about your family and the traditions you have. Do you order Christmas pajamas for everyone? If so, order them sooner rather than later. You can get the style and sizes you need and don’t have to worry about delivery times. 

Do you need to pick up a new Christmas movie? Maybe you cut down your own tree. How much time do you need for that? 

Make a list of things you need for your family’s traditions and plan out when to get them or when to do them. You’ll thank yourself now that you did. 

When thinking about Christmas, it’s so easy to feel like it’s far away when we’re posting back-to-school photos and still hitting the beach on the weekend but the truth is, it’ll be here before you know it. Better that we prepare now and enjoy the season than allow it to creep up on us and then we operate from a chaotic standpoint.

Which mama are you going to be this season?

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  1. Pingback: 1 Simple Way to Teach Your Kids that Jesus is the Reason for the Season

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