Christmas in 2022 might seem far off, but we all know how fast time can pass towards the end of the year. As a result, we’ve created the ideal guide for everything you need – and exactly when you need to do it – to ensure your holiday season runs smoothly and without stress. Instead of leaving everything to one manic festive rush in December (like buying your tree and decorations and putting together Christmas Eve boxes).
The easiest approach to make sure you’ll have more holiday cheer and less holiday stress is to get organized. During the run-up to Christmas, this checklist will assist you in keeping track of the important activities.
We’re here to help you be as organized as possible, with a list of timings for everything from Christmas dinner to Christmas tree shopping and gift shopping. Whether you’ve started Christmas crafts and gift-buying early or tend to put it off until the last minute, this is your ultimate Christmas to-do list for the festive period.
October
Now, if the thought of beginning your Christmas planning in the beginning of October makes you break out in hives, don’t panic! We advise you to start planning for Christmas in October so that you may fully immerse yourself in the romance of the holiday season at the beginning of December.
Christmas Crafts
We love doing homemade Christmas crafts, so even though you can make cards, and personalized presents as Christmas approaches, it’s always a good idea to start early.
As the nights become longer, making Christmas crafts is a terrific way to take a break from screens and get in the mood for the changing seasons. Consider making a handcrafted wreath, a knitted Christmas stocking, or an advent calendar.
Decide On Venue For Christmas Day
Do you intend to visit your in-laws? inviting everyone to your home? Discuss where you will be spending the holidays with your family so you can have a set plan for Christmas day itself.
Mid-October
Decide Christmas Activities & Put It Down On A Calendar
You could already have received invitations to several events in December at this point. As people’s holiday plans resume after the Covid epidemic, it’s probable that your calendar will be busier than usual this year. You may prevent disappointing someone by beginning to plan out your busy days as soon as possible.
Put the dates of parties and events on a master calendar as you learn about them. So that you can respond right away if someone calls to ask if you’re available for an event, keep it close to your phone or add everything to your family’s shared digital calendar.
Additionally, this is the ideal time to arrange all of your essential holiday appointments, including train tickets when feasible, Christmas Eve lunch, hair and nail appointments, and Christmas Eve dinner. If you wait much longer, it will be harder to find what you want and you can wind up spending more.
Late October
Bake & Freeze!
Making uniced cookies, bars, and nut breads in advance is an excellent idea. All may be stored in the freezer if they are well wrapped, and you can have a few extra items on hand in case a friend unexpectedly drops by with a present.
Christmas Cards & Wrapping Paper Shopping
Some retailers start stocking seasonal items around Halloween. The best selection is available if you start early. Additionally, if you’re ordering cards online, allow plenty of time for delivery.
Start Budgeting
Make a list of everyone you need to buy gifts for, decide on a spending limit for each person, and then decide on an overall limit. While it’s not necessary to know exactly what you’ll be purchasing at this time, having a saving objective will make life much simpler come December.
November
Present Shopping List
Even if you don’t have all the information, make sure to identify the people you need to buy gifts for and consider their wants and needs. Besides family and friends, don’t forget to keep in mind people that make your life easier like housekeepers, neighbors and colleagues if you’d like. As a result, you won’t have to rush to the mall at the last minute and can pick up items as you see them. Request your kids’ wish lists from them.
Start Gift Shopping!
Even if you may already be picking up items here and there, the more you can buy in advance, especially if you’ll be mailing gifts, the better. You might want to face the crowds on Black Friday if you have expensive products (like electronics) that go on sale the day after Thanksgiving since you could save a lot of money.
By beginning your holiday shopping in November, you can avoid the throngs. You should be ready to go because you have your list and, hopefully, some money saved. At this stage, the majority of retailers provide extended return policies for Christmas items as well, but double-check.
December
Christmas Decorations Time!
The holiday season’s most anticipated portion is here. To allow the branches to fall before decorating a real tree, go shopping a few days in advance. We recommend artificial Christmas trees because they’re a lot easier and less messy to set up.
Take the Christmas decorations out of hiding and consider whether you need to purchase any additional ones for this year. Take out the Christmas wreaths, Christmas garlands and all the Christmas ornaments that’s been in the storeroom for over a year. When the time comes, involve the entire family in the décor to make it a truly joyful occasion.
You can be the type of person that decorates the house as soon as Thanksgiving is over. In the first. the week of December is when we suggest you get started on your Christmas home decorating so that you can get into the festive spirit as soon as possible!
Clean The House
Although no one really wants to do it, a thorough cleaning now will help reduce tension on Christmas Eve. You’ll feel lot better after working hard to complete everything, from the oven to the toilet.
The rest of the days leading up to Christmas can be a great time to get started on wrapping your presents and getting the food planned and prepped. Just soak in the holiday spirit and we wish everyone a wonderful time planning the upcoming Christmas!