Plan Ahead for Christmas
I know...it's not even Thanksgiving. And I'm not suggesting that you decorate the house already. But if you want to have a less harried holiday season, you can do some stuff this month that will make your life easier later:
Shop for matching clothes, and get that family photo taken before the rush. Make your own gift tags out of last year's recycled Christmas cards.Give your house a really good cleaning. That way when you neglect it, it won't look so awful.Schedule your salon appointment before your favorite person's schedule gets booked up.Set the date for the holiday party you plan to have. Plan to give at least one month's notice to attendees.Figure out which Christmas show(s) you want to see, and get tickets now.Choose a Saturday in November, and go ahead and hang your outdoor lights while the weather's pleasant (assuming you live in the south). You can leave the lights turned off till mid-December.Plan your charitable giving.Freeze a batch of cookies and a couple of dinners. Make your gift lists with accompanying shopping lists and budgets. If you know early what you plan to buy, you can shop sales. (I've created "wish lists" on Amazon for family members so I can keep track of what I want to get them.)Make a bucket list of must-do activities, whether it's caroling at a nursing home, making cookies with a grandchild, hearing a symphony Christmas program, or hosting a party to honor volunteers. What are your essential traditions and how can you make sure you include those in your list of activities? Write the first draft of your Christmas letter.