Minimize Holiday Stress by Planning Now!

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Just like every year, it seems the busy holiday season has crept up suddenly – and with Thanksgiving coming later this year there are less than 4 weeks between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day!
Between traveling, holiday parties, gift shopping, cooking, hosting family and decorating, creating the perfect holiday season can seem overwhelming – but with a little planning you can get it all done without losing the Christmas spirit.

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Feeling more frazzled than festive? These tips will help!
Plan! Plan! Plan! – grab a notebook (or your favorite notetaking app) and start jotting down lists. From gift ideas to holiday recipes you want to try, keeping everything together in one spot will help you stay organized.
Inventory Your Decorations Now – now is the time to bring the holiday decor down from the attic and start going through everything. Take an inventory of what you need and check what may have been broken during storage. Make sure to plug in Christmas lights and to check they are in working order. Jot down ideas, or create a Pinterest board of any changes you want to make in the way you decorate your home for the holidays and compile a list to take with you when you head to the store to buy more decor goodies.
Book the Babysitter – the holiday season is a busy time for babysitters, so get your favorite childminder booked now.
Same Goes for the Salon – again, your favorite hair, nail salon, and spa will be getting booked up for the busy holiday party season, so make those appointments now.
Order Holiday Cards – whether you handwrite holiday cards, or choose to have your favorite family photo uploaded onto a card now is the time to jot down a list of people you want to send cards to and get them ordered, or written out. Head to the post office to buy stamps before the holiday rush starts.
Check your Pantry – with all the holiday baking about to explode in the kitchen it’s a good time to check your pantry for staples. Make sure any spices you have are still fresh and labeled correctly. Ditto for baking products.
Make Room in the Freezer – with all the busyness of the holiday season it’s always a great idea to premake some easy grab and bake staples you can stash in the freezer to pull out on hectic days.
Keep a List of Purchased Gifts – start compiling a list of gifts you want to buy and price check online. Make a list of gifts as you purchase them and keep the receipts somewhere safe.
Stock up on Wrapping Paper and Tape – there is nothing more frustrating than sitting down to wrap gifts only to find you have run out of tape. Start stockpiling wrapping paper, tape and gift bags now.
Make a Playlist – make a playlist of your favorite holiday songs to get you in the festive spirit should you find the hectic season is leaving you feeling more Scrooge than Santa.
Take a Deep Breath – if you start to feel too stressed and overwhelmed take a break to relax on the couch. Watching your favorite holiday movie while sipping on hot chocolate is the perfect way to get that fuzzy festive feeling back.