7 Ways to Get Ready for Christmas Early
Are you ready for Christmas yet? I love Christmas and am one of those people who plans for Christmas all year long. Every Christmas, I realize I need to be more intentional with my planning than ever before because getting ready for Christmas as a mom with little ones is a big challenge! We want to make Christmas special and enjoy the season with them. The more things we do to get ready for Christmas early, the more we can simply enjoy Christmas when it is here.
I started thinking through all the things I normally do to get ready for Christmas and realized there are quite a few things I could now to get ready for Christmas early. The sooner you start organizing yourself for Christmas, the smoother the month of December passes. Isn’t that what we all want? We all want to be able to enjoy Christmas with our families. Let’s make that our goal by crossing a couple things off our to-do lists now.
This to do list will work if you start planning in July – or in November. Either way, it is never too early to start planning ahead for Christmas!Â
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You can read more in my disclosure policy.
Here are a couple ways to get ready for Christmas early.
1. Make your Christmas shopping list now.
Let’s start simple. Sit down and write your list of the people for whom you want to buy presents. Now, be realistic. What is your budget for gifts? Do you really need to buy presents for everyone on your list? Take some time to really think through your list. Include everyone you have thought of and decide if you are buying or making a gift for them.
2. Look through your gift closet and discover what Christmas gifts you have already bought.
If you’re like me, you shop year round for good deals that your family would enjoy. Look through the closet where you have stashed all those gifts and rediscover what you already have on hand – and for whom. Maybe you’ll be pleasantly surprised that you are already finished shopping for one or two people on your list. If you haven’t started shopping yet, there’s no better time to start than now! (And next January, you can start really early by shopping year round too!)
3. Email / call / text your family and ask for gift ideas.
Whether you have started shopping or not, it’s time to start getting ideas. Send out a quick email asking for gift ideas or suggestions. Don’t wait until the second week of December to do this! Do it now because the Christmas sales start earlier every year. Once you have some ideas, start looking! I’m a big fan of Amazon shopping and watch the deals closely in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
4. Buy Christmas stamps.
It’s a little thing but think how nice it will be to avoid the post office when it starts getting really busy! Buy stamps for your Christmas letter or just to send those couple Christmas cards. Either way, buy the stamps now and cross that off your list. Bonus points if you go ahead and get your Christmas cards ready for the mail early, too! If you are taking pictures for Christmas cards, consider doing that in September or early October so it is done in plenty of time for mailing.
5. Look at your December calendar and start filling in dates.
This is a big one because December can get busy very quickly! I know we already have at least one party on our calendar. You might decide to print off a simple December calendar and put it on your fridge so everyone can reference it. If you use a digital calendar, make sure you keep it updated. Don’t forget to schedule any special family events (like driving around to look at the lights) if you really want to make it happen.
6. Double one or two of your meals and freeze them for those busy December evenings.
I’m a big believer in using your freezer to your advantage and the holidays are a time when it can really come in handy. There will be those busy nights (even with filling in your calendar early) where there won’t be much time to put dinner on the table. If you have a meal in the freezer or cooking in the crock pot, you’ll have one less thing to worry about – which is always good! (If you’re looking for a good one, this 5 ingredient Mexican chicken is one of my favorite crock pot recipes.)
7. Bake a batch of Christmas cookies and put them in the freezer.
Let’s make our last item a fun one! Go ahead and start your Christmas baking now.
Did you know that most Christmas cookies will freeze wonderfully? I know this because my freezer is one of my best time saving friends. Make a list of the Christmas treats you like to make each year and bake one this weekend. Bonus points (again) if it is one of your more time-consuming recipes now.
If you want to free up even more time in December, make a plan to bake one new Christmas cookie each week from now until Christmas and store them in the freezer. I tend to make at least 4 or 5 batches of buckeyes over the Christmas season so those are on my freezer list already this month.
If you are looking for more practical ideas to help you get ready for Christmas, I highly recommend Kathi Lipp’s new book, Get Yourself Organized for Christmas: Simple Steps to Enjoying the Season. Kathi includes 21 tasks that you can accomplish (one a day) to get you ready for the Christmas season – well ahead of time! I think November or even October is the perfect time to read this book and get organized.
We all want to enjoy Christmas so let’s do it by crossing a couple things off our list now so we can slow down and enjoy the season! Doesn’t that sound nice? What else can you do now to help you get ready for Christmas early?
Nice tips. When we do them early it’s less stressful and we still have time to check our list if we miss anything or something like that.
Very true, Cassie! And as a busy mom like yourself, it’s nice not to have to stress at the end over finishing things up!
In order to save lots on shipping, we had Christmas presents ready (wrapping and all) for my husband’s family when his folks were here back in September. We can’t be with them at Christmas, but our presents won’t be late. We really would have spent more on shipping than on the gifts themselves.
Now if I can just get the whole Christmas card thing done early this year!
I try to do the same, Jody! In fact, I’m sending my brother home with his Christmas gifts today when he leaves after our Thanksgiving visit. Shipping costs certainly add up, so it’s a great way to get ready for Christmas early – and save! Good luck with the Christmas cards!
These are clever tips. It’s true about the stamps – last year they sold out of the good ones early and I was not pleased with my choices haha. Frozen dinners and cookies- brilliant! I am really good about Xmas lists for presents. I try to cash in all my rewards points in October so I will be ready to use them in November. It helps free up a little bit of money 🙂
I do the same with my reward points, Kristin. I save them up all year and cash them out so I’m ready for Christmas shopping! It’s such a wonderful way to shop for free at Christmas, without anything coming out of our budget!
Great ideas! I always have good intentions, but somehow the last few years I ended up rushing around like crazy mid-December. So this year, I determined it would be different. So far I have finished our Christmas letter & have the cards all written and addressed, just waiting for stamps. Purchasing Christmas stamps are on my weekend to-do list. I also got Christmas lists for our grandchilren and have almost completed shopping for them, all from the comfort of our office….love on-line shopping! (Have gotten some great deals & free shipping!) And earlier this week, I made a trip to Aldi and bought all the ingredients for my Christmas baking. This weekend I also plan to inventory my gift drawers to see what I still need to purchase. So, I feel good that I have some things already completed….thanks for the encouragement to keep on!
Wow! Well done! I love shopping online – and year round – for great deals that I know family will love. And I love that you purchased all your baking supplies as well. Keep up the good work, Addy!
I love the idea of freezing a few meals ahead for the busy days in December. I will definitely have to do that! My youngest son (who will turn 2 soon) was born on December 16. I was absolutely the most prepared I have ever been for Christmas that year. We did our Christmas cards on the Friday after Thanksgiving. My husband and I sat down with a Christmas movie, our list, and a stack of cards. Two hours later we had everything addressed and ready to go. We’ve continued the tradition last year as well. It feels so good to have the cards finished early!
I love your idea of addressing your Christmas cards during a “date” night and Christmas movie! Brilliant. And yes, freezing meals is so helpful for the busy days ahead. I love my freezer!