Christmas Baking Done Early

Every year it seems as though the holidays sneak up on us. Christmas doesn’t have to be stressful! There are some very easy steps you can take to get ready for Christmas early.

Imagine actually enjoying the season and leaving the stress behind! This is absolutely possible. It is not hard to accomplish if you are able to incorporate some good old-fashioned tips, tricks, and planning. An organized Christmas can be achieved, and I am here to show you how!

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love everything about the season. However, every year without fail, I was finding that joy was being replaced by stress. That definitely put a damper on my festive holiday mood, to say the least.

Easy planning for Christmas

I knew there had to be a better way, and I was determined to find it! What follows is some key planning tips that can ensure you are ready for Christmas early. More importantly, the tips that follow will all but guarantee you will actually be able to enjoy this amazing time of year.

Now don’t start panicking yet. Preparing for Christmas early does not mean starting to plan in February. You can have an amazing, stress-free Christmas with some simple, practical tips and some smart planning strategies. Focusing on some key areas that are likely to be sources of stress will definitely help reduce the chaos that seems ever-present during the holidays.

Here are my best tips and tricks for not only surviving the holiday season, but thriving:

Early Christmas Preparation

Plan Ahead and Early – Where you Will Spend Christmas?

Before you can really plan for the season, you first need to decide where you will spend the holidays. Your to-do list and pretty much everything else will be dependent upon this decision.

Make sure to discuss with your family where everyone would like to spend the holidays. Then, make the executive decision, don’t second-guess yourself, and work your holiday plan around wherever you and your family decide to celebrate Christmas.

Will You Be Traveling?

If you are going to be traveling for the holidays, are you planning to mail gifts ahead of time? What will you need to pack? Will you be celebrating Christmas early with relatives? What travel arrangements need to be made?

These are all questions that need to be answered early! Oftentimes, there is also a much higher financial cost to delaying these decisions. As a bonus, you will have more money to spend on creating your perfect holiday if you can book your plans well in advance.

Will You Be Having Guests?

If you are not traveling, will you be having guests? If so, will they be staying with you? Who will be making their travel arrangements? Will you be exchanging gifts? Do you have the guest bedding clean and ready?

By preparing for any guests early, you will be able to check one more thing off of your to-do list.

As you can see, many decisions will be dependent upon where you will spend the holidays. Get ahead of the game and plan for Christmas early by making this decision as soon as possible!

Organize Gift Lists and Shopping to Prepare for Christmas Early

One of the most stressful aspects of the holiday season is the shopping. Having a plan and executing that plan will be another key to getting ready for Christmas early and avoiding any additional stress.

Plan Gift Lists and Shopping Ahead of Time

The benefits of planning and purchasing gifts early are many. A gift that is purchased after much thought is for a reason called a thoughtful gift.

I am guilty of scrambling for last minute gifts. Usually, what ends up as an honest desire to purchase a thoughtful gift ends up with me making a choice between items that are left on the shelves after the holiday scramble. That does not make for an exciting gift exchange.

You can also get ahead of the game by making sure to purchase any hostess or white elephant gifts early. Keeping a stash of gift baskets at the ready can certainly help avoid the last minute shopping scramble as well.

By planning and giving thought to gifts that will be given, stress will be lessened for sure. An added bonus is that the fun of exchanging gifts grows exponentially when you give a gift that was purchased thoughtfully.

Christmas Shop Early

Shop On-Line Early for Christmas

Also, much of the shopping that takes place today is on-line. Amazon does offer fast shipping, but is it worth the added stress wondering if your gift will arrive on time?

If you plan and purchase on-line early, you can remove another stressor during the holidays. For example, shipping and any potential delays will be much easier to handle if you have a cushion of time with which to work. This will take a ton of stress off of your plate. Your perfectly selected gift will still be able to be opened on time using this strategy.

Wrap Gifts Early for Christmas

You will also be able to wrap the gifts sooner and avoid the last minute gift wrapping whirlwind. I am guilty as charged of this, and I hate having to stay up well past my bedtime to wrap last-minute gifts. Remove this not-so-favorite pastime from your routine by completing your shopping early.

As you can probably attest, shopping during the holiday season is definitely more stressful. Shop early and with purpose. If you don’t wait to the last minute, you will save a ton of time in stores. That time saved is time you can spend with your loved ones doing things you enjoy!

Wrap Gifts Early

Avoid Forgetting Essential Gifts by Planning for Christmas Early

I am famous for forgetting to get important gifts. Examples include stocking stuffers, a card for our mail carrier, a potted plant for the school secretary…the list goes on.

Now that I have a plan and am shopping earlier, my mind is not as cluttered.

I also save gift lists from year to year. This helps in two ways. First off, I don’t keep giving the same person the same Starbucks gift card each year (unless that is a special request, of course).

It also helps me to remember the gifts I need to purchase. I have a list for the following categories; gifts for family, extended family, friends, teachers, work, helpers, and neighbors. Some gifts I make and some I purchase. Having my list done early helps me not forget important people!

Forgetting about someone is not a crime, and it has happened to me in the past. With a shopping plan done early, I can put more thought into my gift lists and add to them as needed. Also, as mentioned above, having some extra gifts on hand can help with any of the dreaded “gift oversight” that may occur.

The famous saying ‘the early bird gets the worm’ is also true for Christmas shopping. Avoid the dreaded “out-of-stock” signs that can really dampen your holiday. If you have planned ahead and have gotten your gifts ready for Christmas early, you will forget the pain associated with scouring empty store shelves to find gifts on your list!

Budget for Christmas

Get Ready For CHristmas Early With a Budget

Finances and budgets are always stressors during the holidays. Everyone is worried about how much they have to spend, how much they want to spend, and the difference between these two amounts.

I recommend putting away a set amount each month and incorporating it into your monthly budget. Or, if you have some money leftover in any given month, you can put some in savings and some into a Christmas fund.

Creating a budget and sticking to it is a huge step in the right direction. In contrast, spending recklessly and without purpose or a plan will most definitely create a sense of dread and stress.

Don’t forget to account for ALL Christmas expenses. These include gifts, stocking stuffers, decor, gift wrap, charitable contributions, entertainment, parties, special menus, Christmas cards, and outfits (think ugly sweaters). If your budget is realistic, you will have added these items and made sure to plan for their expense.

When the bills start accruing at the end of the season, you won’t be nearly as worried if you have planned for it! Less stress will be just around the corner!

Simplify Christmas

Plan to Get Your Christmas Cards Done Early

Oftentimes Christmas cards are a favorite pastime during the season. They are a great way to share pictures and updates with your friends and family.

I am going to admit, I love going to the mailbox each day in December to look through the Christmas cards that arrive. Every year, I even save the cards and tie them with a pretty bow, just like a present. Then, I display them every Christmas and untie the bows to look through cards from past holiday seasons. It is a tradition I thoroughly enjoy!

Creating my own family Christmas card is an entirely different story. Each year, I tend to forget that completing Christmas cards is a PROCESS. The steps go something like this:

The Lovely Christmas Card Process

  • First, get everyone in the same spot for a picture. Keep in mind the likelihood of this happening is .2%
  • If you find yourself without a group photo, instead select pictures of every member of your family for the Christmas collage (I usually have to look through 3,071 photos to find suitable photos). Good times
  • Then, decide on a card design
  • Figure out the colors of the card
  • Don’t forget the sentiment
  • Oops, you have to order the card itself
  • Wait for the cards to arrive while pacing back and forth and profusely sweating
  • Address the envelopes (allow 17 hours for this part)
  • Hunt down addresses that you need (one of my most cherished tasks)
  • Attach postage
  • Make your way to the post office to mail (line will be over 10 hours long most likely)

All of this has to happen before Christmas?

After about year 25 of sending out cards in a frenzy, a lightbulb moment came my way. What if I started this process in October or November? The bigger question was, why hadn’t I thought of this sooner?

To get ready for Christmas early, take the stress out of the entire Christmas card process and start as soon as possible. You will have yet another thing to stop fretting about. Additionally, you will likely end up designing a much better Christmas card. My frantic Christmas card designs were pretty terrible. I am happy to report they are now a thing of the past.

Prepare for Christmas Early by Planning Out Your Calendar

Plan Holidays Early

It is also no secret that there are only so many minutes and hours in any given day. No matter how hard we try, this truth still remains. Ask yourself, what is most important to you? What things would you really like to do this holiday season? Who would you like to see? What performances would you like to attend? When will you decorate the tree?

In addition, make note of any holiday tasks that are essential for you. Put these on your calendar as well, and make sure you are realistic. When will you decorate your home? What about your tree? If you have a day planned to get all of your non-perishable meal items, you can relax at your child’s performance knowing either the task is planned out or already completed.

Planning out your calendar early will also help you absorb any last minute items that come your way. If you know your schedule, you can fit these surprise tasks of the holiday season into your plan effortlessly.

Putting all of your holiday traditions into a calendar will help you manage your time wisely. Also, it will help you make sure you have time for everything that you enjoy. Planning all of your holiday tasks will further ensure that details don’t creep up and sabotage your holiday peace of mind.

Make Your Plan for Entertaining Early

Hosting a Holiday Party?

Are you planning to host a holiday party? This is a large source of stress. So much has to get done before having people over. The most important thing you can do to reduce stress is to plan early!

Do you have the same party each year? Keep notes from year to year so that you can execute all of your things to do efficiently and quickly.

Having a new party this year? Plan out all that you can as far in advance as you can. These tasks include choosing your date and time, your theme, planning for food and beverages, and making sure your home will be decorated and in order before the big day arrives.

Plan Holiday Parties Early

Attending a Holiday Party?

Many times in addition to hosting a Christmas party, there are holiday events to attend as well. In order to plan for this, make sure you have a babysitter lined up if needed. Also, make sure you have your holiday outfits squared away. This may mean purchasing new clothing or simply trying on your existing outfits to make sure they still fit.

I remember having to scramble at the last minute to find a holiday outfit. The outfit I had planned on wearing unfortunately did not fit anymore. I searched stores all over town to find something suitable. If I had tried my holiday outfit on, I would have not been in a mad dash to find something that fit!

So, to make sure you have a plan to get ready for Christmas early, work out any and all details for both hosting and attending holiday gatherings.

Plan for Christmas Early – The Beauty of Meal Planning

A large part of getting ready for the holidays focuses on food. Planning and preparing holiday meals and Christmas treats take time.

One thing that will most definitely help you get ready for Christmas early is to have your meal plans organized. I usually serve a traditional meal on Christmas, and I do not vary it by much as I am a creature of habit. Taking an inventory of my refrigerator, freezer and pantry helps me prepare my grocery list and plan for what I need to purchase.

All non-perishable food items and drinks I buy well in advance so that that is one less thing to think about. Knowing what I have on hand also reduces the chances that I end up with 24 cans of chicken broth!

Recipe collection and organization is also an important part of holiday meal planning. You don’t want to be searching high and low for your sugar cookie recipe. Gather all of your recipes and notes in one spot so that you can compile your grocery list and meal plan easily.

Another idea to get ready for Christmas early is to make and freeze some meals. There is less time to cook every day around the holidays. You can reduce some of this stress by having some meals ready to just defrost and serve. Checking one less thing off your to-do list will be a welcome relief and you don’t have to waste time thinking about what is for dinner!

Bake Cookies Early

Get Ready for Christmas Early By Completing Home Maintenance Early

Home Maintenance often gets pushed aside during the holidays. However, chores still need to get done. The house unfortunately doesn’t clean itself. I have asked Santa for this many times. Unfortunately, I have never received a self-cleaning house. I still hold a grudge.

Moving on, be sure to keep in mind that there will be more items in your home after Christmas. This is because, well, everyone receives gifts! Decluttering several months before the holidays helps make sure you have room to put these new items. This helps alleviate a lot of stress that naturally comes along with clutter.

Doing any seasonal cleaning early will also give you a jump start on Christmas. I do not do any deep cleaning in December. Instead, I usually complete this in early November. This way, if I have guests over for Thanksgiving or Christmas, my home is in great shape and I only need to worry about day-to-day cleaning before guests arrive.

If you need some inspiration to declutter, you can read my article that will give you an action plan to get started: 6 Ways to Declutter Your Home Now

You can also take my 30 Day Decluttering challenge to really jump start your process to clear clutter: 30 Day Decluttering Challenge

If your house is a disaster and you are too overwhelmed to even begin, here is your solution: Get Motivated to Clean when you are Overwhelmed by Mess!

When my home is in order, I can focus on all of my holiday tasks with a lot less stress.

Clean Early for Holidays

Simple Ways to Get Ready for Christmas Early

So there you have it! These are the simple ways I get ready for Christmas early. I have found a tremendous amount of relief by doing the above. By working a plan, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

I love the holiday season. Tweaking a few things and making sure to be prepared early is not difficult if you have a plan. The best part is that it can lead to actually ENJOYING the holidays.

After all, it is the memories that we create with the ones who we love that will last. We will never remember the mad dash to purchase stocking stuffers. We will unfortunately just remember the stress associated with said mad dash.

Plan to make beautiful and lasting memories of happy times! Here is hoping that the above tips will help you get ready for Christmas early and enjoy your holiday!

With all of the things we need to do over the holidays, I created the Ultimate Christmas Organizing Bundle with this in mind. This covers everything above and so much more. Your plan for a stress-free holiday is achievable . You can find the bundle here: Ultimate Christmas Preparation Bundle

Christmas Baking Done Early

Welcome

One Detailed Mama

Hi! I am Jodie and I can’t wait to tell you my story! I’m hoping my journey of ups and downs will inspire and motivate you to take action in your own life. The confidence I have gained from organizing, decluttering, and simplifying my life has been far more impactful than I could have imagined.

Popular Posts

Stay Organized

Subscribe here to get your FREE Home Organizing Printables!

Scroll to Top
Receive the latest news

sign up here to download your Free home organizing bundle!

Subcribe to start getting organizing today!

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap