Holiday Checklist: Get the Season Started!
For many, the holiday season is the best time of the year, full of love and joy. But if you’re unprepared, you may quickly become overwhelmed. From Christmas and Thanksgiving to Black Friday and New Year’s Eve, there’s a lot to do!
Here’s a handy checklist to help you get through the holiday season with no fuss. If you want to start the season with a plan, you’ll need to:
- Write A Holiday Card List
- Shop for Cards
- Make A Master Gift List
- Plan Your Events
- Get Your Recipes in Order
- Shop for Non-Perishables
- Take Stock of Your Decorations
- Do A Thorough Winter Cleaning
- Prepare for Overnight Guests
- Plan Your Holiday Games
1. Write A Holiday Card List
Update your holiday card list to figure out exactly how many cards you’ll need to get. Making sure you have updated addresses before the season starts will take a huge load off your plate when you get busier, nearer to Christmas time.
Plus, once you have a complete list, you can use it to plan your event guest lists and gift ideas and stick to your holiday budgets!
2. Shop for Cards
Explore Mixbook’s selection of Hanukkah, Christmas, and Holiday photo cards to decide which style works best for your family.
Getting this out of the way early gives you a chance to find the best photos or even plan a family photoshoot if you need to!
Place your custom card orders early and get them shipped before the holiday season starts!
3. Make A Master Gift List
Once you have your list down, it becomes incredibly easy to get started on your master gift list. Divide people into groups based on gift type or budget, and get ready for an incredibly productive Black Friday weekend!
You’ll also want to purchase wrapping paper, gift tags, ribbons, and other decorative items. Stock these early while prices are low and set up a dedicated gift station so you can start shopping online and getting your gifts ahead of time.
4. Plan Your Events
The holiday season often comes with back-to-back events that require a lot of planning, especially if you have family visiting from out of state.
What events are you hosting? Which parties are you planning to make an appearance at? Will you need to take a gift? Put all your activities on a calendar and plan your schedule to avoid stress.
This lets you plan outfits, menus, gifts, and other details ahead of time!
5. Get Your Recipes in Order
If you’re hosting parties, dinners, or family get-togethers, you’ll need to get your recipes in order!
Maybe you want a 5-course Christmas meal or some delicious Thanksgiving turkey with cranberry sauce. The last thing you want over the holidays is to run out of food. When you have a guest list and menu for each event, planning for food becomes a lot easier.
Visit our Pinterest board for some of our favorite holiday recipes. Whether you want to plan a lavish Thanksgiving spread or find ways to use the leftovers later, having your recipes sorted beforehand will definitely make things a lot easier to manage!
6. Shop for Non-Perishables
Once you’ve figured out a menu, you can start shopping for non-perishable items. That includes canned goods and other staples, but especially alcohol. Shopping in advance will save you hundreds of dollars as prices for booze go up during the holiday season.
You can also freeze baked items like cookies, bars, and nut bread. If it doesn’t come with icing or fresh cream, chances are you can stick it in the freezer for those unexpected holiday houseguests.
7. Take Stock of Your Decorations
With the holiday season fast approaching, it’s time to take stock of your decorations. You can start as early as Halloween because the lights, ornaments, wreaths, and lawn decor will come in handy all through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even the new year!
Do you have enough string lights? Will you need to replace anything or buy new ornaments for the tree? Does anything need to be upgraded? You can even spruce up your home with some of Mixbook’s home decor prints.
8. Do A Thorough Winter Cleaning
There’s no better way to get the holiday season started than with a thorough house cleaning.
From cleaning out the fridge to sorting all your closets, a winter sprucing up will help you declutter and make your home more presentable. Plus, when you end up buying new clothes or bulk groceries, the empty storage space will make things easier!
But winter cleaning is about more than just making space. Sorting your belongings at the end of the year gives you a chance to reflect. What do you need? What can you live without? Donate items to a charity and simplify your life as you enter the new year.
9. Prepare for Overnight Guests
If there’s even the slightest chance that you may have to host overnight guests, you’ll need to make preparations in advance. That means washing spare bedding and towels, buying extra pillows, replacing bulbs, and cleaning out the cupboards. You may also want to leave a welcome basket with scented candles or a card. All of that requires prior preparation.
10. Plan Your Holiday Games
Last and perhaps most important, how are you going to entertain yourself this holiday season? Are you expecting children, nieces, and nephews to visit? What games do you have planned? Can you hold sled races or play trivia?
If you’re really committed to the holiday spirit, why not organize a Christmas scavenger hunt for the whole family? Don’t want to put in hours of prep? Not a problem! Just put on some music and play Christmas dance freeze. For children, try a cookie decorating contest or a sort the ornaments game.
There are tonnes of fun holiday games and activities that can make your end-of-season vacation a jolly time!
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