Yes, I know it is only October but Christmas is less than 9 weeks away and with 6 children to prepare for that doesn’t leave a lot of time. In our family we tend to buy lots of useful, creative, and educational gifts as well as needed items and then some fun things too. I start early with Christmas planning because I love the season and I love gift giving. I love to give without breaking the bank and that is what drives me to start early. Here are my 5 Christmas Planning Tips.
1. Start Early – Watch the clearance aisle at your local store and the daily deals on Amazon for the things that you know your loved ones enjoy. Each time we purchase something from Amazon I add one Christmas gift to the order. It saves on shipping and allows me to start early and in secret. When all of the children were small I could throw a gift in the cart under a coat even when they were with me and it was easy to get a head start. But now the children are too old for tricks and yet are still always with me. I have fallen in love with online shopping in the last few years. While part of me misses shopping in the hustle and bustle of the season I enjoy having more time making memories with my children rather than leaving them with someone so that I can shop.
2. Lists, lists and more lists – I make lists to give to the grandmothers and then make myself a list of what I put on the grandma’s lists. I make a list of gifts that I want to make, a list of gifts that I want to buy and even another list of the gifts that are already made or bought. The lists take all the guess work out of gift buying as well as help me to be able to pick up a few things on a moments notice when I happen to run to the store by myself or need to place an online order all of a sudden.
3. A calendar is something that we all use but starting in October I find myself using mine way more. I don’t leave anything to memory. I write down every appointment, church activity, or even public event that I would like to attend. I know that if I don’t do this I will forget something and double book myself or my family and I will stress about the “what if” I forget something. Less stress is my goal and having everything written down allows me to relax, engage, and enjoy this crazy time of year.
4. Be Intentional – Everywhere we turn we are bombarded with ideas and suggestions on fun holiday traditions to start, gifts to give and games to play. There is no way that any one family could do even half of what is put in front of them. And without early Christmas planning and intentional choices you will find yourself at the end of the season disappointed over having done none of it. So this year, be intentional. Pick your “must do activities” and get them on the calendar now! Invite your friends early so that you get on their busy calendar too. This will help to ensure that your holiday season is full of stress-free, memory-making fun!
So, as October comes to a close it is definitely not too early to start Christmas planning for this year. Start hiding those gifts, marking those calendars, and building anticipation for one of the busiest seasons of the year. What is your “secret” weapon for maintaining your sanity during this season?
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