Even though it seems like you just put away your snowman and reindeer decor, that time of the year is already almost here again! Rather than wait for the Christmas season to jump from around a corner and scream in your face, do your own prep work to prevent any nasty surprises. An organized Christmas season is so much better than a chaotic one!
Shop All Year
It seems like shopping cart wheels work worse at Christmastime than any other season. Rather than drive yourself nuts fighting foot traffic as well as road traffic, skip the stores in December entirely. Instead, make a list of Christmas gifts as you think of them throughout the year and buy as you can.
- Remember what your friends and family say during everyday conversation. Did Mom say that she hates her old standing mixer? Did Travis say his favorite pair of Converse are wearing out? These are all great details to log away!
- When in doubt, gift cards are always a great fallback. Don’t assume that they’re impersonal and not a good gifty; on the contrary, everyone loves gift cards! You can’t go wrong with places like Target and Amazon.
- As if Amazon wasn’t amazing enough, it provides another service called Amazon Smile which will donate a portion of the money spent to a charity of your choice. A reason to smile indeed!
Purge Your Decor
Decorating the house for Christmas can take an entire day! Make it easier on yourself and your family by getting rid of how much holiday decor you have. Sentimental and special pieces deserve a treasured spot on the tree, but Christmas overload is real.
- There are some pieces, like your child’s handprint ornaments, that should be kept forever. But the stuffed snowman that used to sing Jingle Bells and has since run out of batteries? Chuck it.
- Sell your extras on apps like OfferUp to make a little extra holiday cash. Vintage items are always hot sellers, so make sure that you post good pictures of your best stuff!
- Donate any extras to nursing homes, women’s shelters and elementary schools. Call ahead and check with them before dumping everything off, though!
Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, so keep it that way by cutting down on the stress. Prepare for the season all year long instead of just the month of December and get a head start.
