With the holidays just a few weeks away, it’s time to start thinking a little more deeply about holiday prep. You don’t want to get into a situation where you’re having to rush around like a headless chicken at the last minute, trying to get everything done. You want everything to fall into place.
Start Shopping Now
We all know people who leave it until the last week before Christmas to do their gift shopping. Somehow, their presents always feel rushed, and they never quite get it right.
We’re still several weeks out, so there is plenty of time to put your thinking cap on and buy the people in your life memorable gifts.
When you get a present idea for somebody, don’t just assume that you’ll remember it. Please write it down somewhere (or on your phone) so you have a much easier time thinking about what you’re going to get people when Christmas finally comes around.
Differentiate Between Stockings And Main Presents
Often, you’ll come across perfect stocking fillers like Christmas tee shirts, chocolate bars, deodorants, or socks in your search for gifts. But these presents can lull you into a false sense of security. You think you’ve bought enough for the people you know, but, in reality, you haven’t. Thus, differentiating between stocking and non-stocking is essential.
Declutter And Clean Your House
Research shows that cluttered space increases anxiety and reduces your sense of personal control and efficacy. Everything feels kind of overwhelming to the point where doing extra organization for the holidays seems impossible.
Here’s a trick: tidy up your house as much as you can and then focus on the holidays. When you do this, you’ll feel much more confident and happy, especially if you plan on having guests over to stay.
Bake Ahead
You wouldn’t believe how much time it takes to cook and bake all the ingredients you need for Christmas and Boxing day. If you try to do it all on the day itself, you’ll wind up feeling exhausted, and you won’t enjoy the time you have to spend with family.
Be sure to bake and cook as many of your recipes as you can ahead of time. Keep desserts in the freezer.
Set Aside Time For Holiday Travel
If your family is traveling for the holidays, you’ll need to set aside time to do this. Remember, seats on airlines will usually fill up in the week before Christmas because of the sheer movement of people across the country.
Set Aside Personal Time
At the end of the holiday season, you want to feel as though you’ve had a proper break. But if you’ve been rushed off your feet the whole time, you won’t be any more refreshed than before.
When planning for the holidays, be sure to set aside time for each family member to spend doing what they want. For kids, it could be having a couple of days to play with their toys. For parents, it might be having time out, away from entertaining family and friends.
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