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Last year, for the first time, I featured a post on this topic, and I think it would be helpful to visit it again. The list held me accountable so I'm hoping that it does the same this year. I know it's only mid-October, but this is the perfect time to assess your needs and get cracking on your preparations for all the holidays that close-out to the calendar year. Doing this kind of "inventory" helps to make my family's upcoming holiday season enjoyable with manageable stress.
- Early Grocery Shopping - We'll be preparing food for Halloween and more than likely Thanksgiving and Christmas. (We still haven't figured out our plans in November and December!) This month and into early November, I will purchase a few nonperishable items each time I grocery shop to avoid last-minute shopping. Early grocery shopping is also a budget-friendly way to spread out the food expenses and ensure I have all the cooking and baking ingredients we'll need these next two months.
- List for Gift-Giving - I haven't done this yet, but the ideas are swirling in my head. I still need to create my list of family, friends, teachers, etc. that we will honor through gift-giving. I'll make a few changes from last year's. For the past three years, I've used the Gift List app, but I think I might change it up this year. Any suggestions?
- Holiday Cards & Family Photos - Now is a good time to decide if you are going to send holiday cards, and if so, to update your address list. We are sending out photo holiday cards, but our photo session is later this year due to our family's schedule. Therefore, I won't be working on these until mid-November. In the meantime, I'm reviewing my spreadsheet of addresses — updating it here and there. My goal is to complete this by early November before we our photo session.
- Gift Wrapping Materials - I still need do an inventory of how much gift wrapping supplies we have leftover from last year. I think we're good on wrapping paper, but I probably need more bows, ribbon and gift tags. I'll assess my stash because I like to pick up supplies whenever I am out and see some cute or inexpensive items. I'm not one to do the fancy gift wrapping, although I admire the looks of a gorgeously-wrapped gift. I keep it simple and spend more time and money on the shopping and purchasing of the gifts.
- Christmas Lights - Are you decorating the outside of your house with lights this year? Are the wreaths in good shape? How about the inflatables? I already have this checked off my list. I have an idea of what we need make our house festive and bright for the season.
We still have plenty of time until the holidays so I hope this was helpful to you. I'm behind compared to last year, but if I give myself until early November to finish these tasks, I'll still be in a good spot. My goal is to complete a manageable lists of tasks early so that when we are in the throws of it all, I can enjoy the big and small pleasures of the season like watching Christmas movies, reading Christmas books and attending holiday parties!
What's on your early prep list?
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