How to plan Christmas
How to Plan Christmas
There are some simple rules to follow that will make planning Christmas so much easier for you!
1. Start as early as you can
If you can, try to start planning in early November so that you've got most things done before it starts to get crazy in December.
But late November and early December planning will still give you a powerful leg up before the main event. Even a week before is better than the day before.
If you have less time to plan, then use it as an excuse to limit what you have to do - for example send emails instead of Christmas cards by mail.
2. Make a dedicated folder for your Christmas Planning
Get yourself a folder to keep your Christmas templates, notes and recipes in one handy place. I find the thin ones from the supermarket or office supplies store work the best for me. I like to be able to carry it around the house and out if needed.
Keep it on hand so you can use it as a reference and update it when you want to.
If you keep this folder for the next Christmas, you'll find that you'll already have a good deal of your Christmas already planned!
3. Use templates to help your planning
Either make your own or use one of the ones below. Templates save you heaps of time and let you focus on the planning rather than the planning of the planning.
If you're using someone else's pre-made templates, don't feel obliged to use all their templates - look through them and see what you feel you need. And don't be afraid to change a template to suit your needs better!
Templates that you can use
- Domestic Joy's Tortoise Christmas Planning Templates
A free Christmas Planner with lots of templates to download to make organising Christmas easy and unhurried (I made this one) - Organizing Your Way to a Simple Christmas | Organizing Your Way
- 12 Weeks to a Peaceful Christmas
- Organized Christmas: Simplify Your Holidays and Celebrate The Season
Get ready for the holiday season! Christmas organizing plans, free printable holiday planner, holiday crafts, gifts, recipes and gifts in a jar!
4. Work out your budget
Right at the very beginning (before you get carried away), work out what you can afford to spend on Christmas and stick to it. Think of reasons why it is not a good idea to overspend (think of January bills if you have to!).
I start at my total spending for Christmas and then break that down into individual categories.
5. Create an Action Plan Checklist
A checklist is your main weapon in the Christmas planning battle.Make a list of the weeks before Christmas and allocate tasks to them.
What’s important to you? Don't see it as finished, add things as you think of them.
When you do your food planning, look to see if you can make or buy anything early and add it to your checklist. Also check to see if a recipe requires advance preparation that should be on your checklist.
If you need some ideas, the template links above are a great start.
6. Remember what Christmas is all about
And that's not having a nervous breakdown and having fights with family! :-)
Have a wonderful and organized Christmas!
Some more Christmas resources
About the Author
My name is Cathrine and I'm from Sydney, Australia and I'm making home made Christmas Pudding for the first time in years this year because I did a bit of early Christmas planning. If you liked this article, you can download the templates I use at my blog: Domestic Joy.