Holiday Season Preparation Dos and Don’ts

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Holiday season preparation has the power to reduce stress, and even increase your enjoyment of the entire holiday season. While there are useful steps to help you stay organized all year round, they become even more crucial during the Christmas season. Now is the time to ensure you enjoy the holidays – stress free! Planning ahead and getting in front of the chaos will help you immensely as you prepare for the joyous times ahead. Start with these seven tips on how to navigate the do’s and don’ts of your holiday preparation.

Holiday Season Preparation

Holiday Do’s

Optimize Your Christmas Ornament Storage

When it comes to holiday preparation, organized Christmas ornament storage and storage for your Christmas decor should be number one on your list. Ornaments especially, should be stored with care. Many are extremely fragile and some can be sentimental, therefore requiring proper, delicate care.

Look for a climate controlled area that you can store your Christmas decorations. The storage space should be out of the way, but also easily accessible.

Packing and storing my Christmas decor has been a priority to me in the 20+ moves I’ve made with the military. These are my top holiday decoration storage tips:

• How to Pack Christmas Decorations for Free
• Packing Christmas Decorations to Survive a Military Move
• How to Store Your Decorations to Survive a Military Move
• Free Printable Christmas Labels to identify the contents of your containers.

Create a Holiday Planner

Writing all of your holiday season preparation tasks down makes it easier to remember what needs to be done. No more trying to keep track of everything in your over-tasked memory.

Print out my Free Christmas Planner to help with your holiday planning and organizing. Physically checking off the boxes on your to-do list will give you a sense of accomplishment and success, propelling you to tackle the other assignments. The Christmas Planner is also your one-stop resource for all things holiday season preparation related :

• Schedules
• Agendas
• Gift Lists
• Budget information
• Meal Planning
• Baking Planning
• Christmas Card Tracker

Organize Your Holiday Shopping

Shopping has the ability to send anyone over the edge with stress. It can be hard to pinpoint what your loved ones want, and the sheer number of people shopping alongside of you only adds to the stress. To reduce stress and stick to a budget, it’s paramount to plan when you are going to gift shop and who you are shopping for.

Plan gift ideas for each person and a set budget before heading out the door.Your gift idea list can be flexible – it’s a starting point to help you stay focused and on budget while shopping.

Holiday Don’ts

Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute to Gift Wrap

To create gift wrap worthy of your loved ones, you need to plan ahead. Take inventory of your gift wrapping supplies, and decide what you still need. If you simply do not have the time to wrap presents this year, consider other options.

• Gift bags can save a lot of time.
• There are often gift wrapping services at large department stores or offered by charitable groups working for donations.

These are my favorite creative gift wrapping ideas, with many that are all budget-friendly:

• Upcycled Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas
• Creative Gift Wrapping – Bows, Tag and More
• 30+ Creative Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas

Don’t Delay Tackling Deep Cleaning

If you are hosting holiday festivities, cleaning your home may be causing you worry. If you set aside a few hours each week you’ll be able to limit the amount of time you will have to spend cleaning as the 25th comes up.

My tried-and-true tips to make cleaning easier:

• Focus on one room at a time. Deep clean a room in your home once a week leading up to the big day. This breaks it down into manageable tasks.
• Easy Tips to Prepare for Holiday Guests
• Tips to Prepare for Holiday Guests
• Quick Daily Cleaning Routine for Busy Parents
• House Cleaning Checklist (for 10 Minutes Before Guests Arrive)

Don’t Forget About Yourself

This may be the most important “Don’t!” Taking time for yourself during the holiday season will be critical for your holiday attitude. Schedule time to read, work on your hobby, or take a long walk. Plan time to do whatever it is you love doing. In a season full of giving, give back to yourself. Even if it’s as small as sleeping in or splurging on an iced coffee, take the time to take care of yourself.

Do Remember the Reason for the Season

Remember what is important to you and your family during the busy holiday season. Focus on those principles and traditions, don’t let the potential chaos of a busy holiday season detract from your reason for celebrating.

Look for ways your family can spread the Christmas spirit in your community:

• Give Happiness – Homeless Care Package
• Donate a Floor Cleaning Kit for the Holidays
• What to Donate to a Food Pantry
• Blessing Bags for the Homeless – Cold Weather
• Blessing Bags for the Homeless – Foot Care
• New Baby Gift Ideas – Donate a Gift Bag
• Seasonal Flu Care Package
• Purposeful Daily Acts of Kindness – 30 Printable Idea Cards

Whether you start your preparation in October or have been preparing all year, consider these tips while you plan. However, always remember to enjoy these moments around family when you are beginning to feel overwhelmed. The season is full of love and joy and holiday season preparation allows you to enjoy it.

What is your best piece of holiday preparation advice? I’d love to hear it!

See all my most festive Christmas ideas, printables and recipes in the table below. You can scroll though the table and look for ideas or search for specific ideas with the magnifying glass in the upper right-hand corner (on desktop). Click on the topic and then click through the specific article.