Early Holiday Prep Ideas

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While we’re still a couple of weeks out from Halloween, we all know how quickly the holiday season flies by once we hit November. We’ll be running around in an attempt to create the perfect holiday, barely able to relax and enjoy all of the celebrations and activities. By starting a little bit of holiday preparation now, you can take away some of the stress of the holiday rush and be able to have a more relaxed season to enjoy with your loved ones.

Here are a few tasks that you can get started on that will make a huge difference once the holiday season arrives.:

Purge belongings – Fall is a great time to clean out clothing, toys, and other items to make room for the new and even start to get holiday gift ideas. You’ll be so glad you did when it comes time to store all of the goodies received over the holidays.

Start DIY projects – Everyone who has ever done a DIY project knows that they almost always take longer than expected. If you’re thinking you want to paint the guest room or replace the tile in the bathroom, get started now so that you’re not in a construction zone when holiday guests are afoot.

earlyholidayCollageBegin holiday crafts – If you’re planning on a handmade holiday, start shopping for supplies and get started on your creations. Giving yourself a bit of extra time will allow you to pay more attention to the details.

Stockpile non-perishables – There is nothing more frustrating than hitting the grocery store just before a big holiday meal or party to find that some of the ingredients you need are out of stock. Shop early for canned goods and pantry items that will keep until you need them.

Start your gift list – Making sure that you have an appropriate gift for everyone that you want to appreciate or show love to is important. When you start your list early, you’ll have plenty of time to make sure that you’ve included everyone and found just the right gifts to put a smile on their face.

Prepare your holiday budget – You certainly don’t want to run out of money before you’ve finished all of your holiday preparations, so take this time to analyze your finances and create a budget. Since you’re prepping early, you have more time to shop around for the best prices and really make those dollars stretch.

Start scouting sale ads – There are lots of websites that will help you with price comparisons or show you upcoming sale ads to help you with your holiday shopping. You can make a plan of attack for big sale days like Black Friday or get an idea of when the best time will be to buy those big ticket items.

Take stock of holiday decorations – Drag out those strands of lights and dust off the tabletop décor. See what needs replacing or repairing, then get an early start on picking up necessary items so that you have everything ready once it comes time to deck the halls.

Begin deep-cleaning guest rooms – Now is the best time to take care of shampooing carpets, wiping down walls, and checking out the linen closet to be sure that you are ready for your guests. Once it’s time for them to arrive, a quick vacuum and dusting job will have their room all ready to go!

Organize your calendar – There is so much on the calendar just for day-to-day activities, it can be easy to overschedule yourself at the holidays. Start adding in things like the kids’ holiday concerts, company holiday parties, and other commitments that you know about in advance to make sure that you don’t double-book. If you’re hosting an event, choose your date early and let friends and family know as soon as possible so that they can include it on their busy calendars, as well.

Though holiday stress may still come, by getting a jump on things before the season starts, you can keep things running smoothly, avoid many last minute surprises, and reduce stress. What are some of the ways that you start preparing for the holiday season ahead of time?

 

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