Is it really October already?! This year is flying by like crazy! It will be over before we know it. Now that it is feeling more like Fall, I am starting to think about the Holidays coming up. Once November hits, we are so busy and it’s hard to keep track of everything going on. All three of our kids celebrate birthdays in November, so we have lots of parties to plan and budget for before Christmas even gets here. I love this time of year though. There’s always tons of yummy food, and quality time spent with family!
With all the craziness that the Holidays can bring, I thought I would share some of my own Holiday Planning Tips:
1. Budget for all the things you will need to purchase. This includes birthday parties, Holiday meals, presents, decorations, etc. This is the time of year when people get stressed about money, so try to only spend what you can afford.
2. Start buying presents early. I always wait until the last minute and then I am running around like a crazy lady trying to find that “perfect” gift. If you start early, you can budget your money better and it gives you time to find that special gift your looking for.
3. Don’t do all the party planning and meals on your own. If you are having a party, have each person contribute by bringing a dish to share.
4. Get your Holiday cards done early and send them out before Christmas. I like to take a favorite family photo and put it on a card. If you are looking for a good place to order yours from, I love the selection and affordability of Storkie Christmas cards.
5. Draw names for presents for extended family. This saves time, money, and it’s also a lot of fun! We do it every year for both sides of our family, and it makes things so much easier.
6. Get the kids involved in making food and decorations. There’s so many great recipes out there for yummy Holiday treats that your kids will love helping you make. There’s also lots of craft projects that you can do with your kids that are cheap and fun!
7. Put your Holiday decorations up early. You will be less stressed if everything is setup, organized, and looking pretty before things get too chaotic.
8. Try to find a balance of time spent with extended family. This can be really difficult when everyone wants to get together for Holiday meals and parties. We always do Christmas Eve with my Family and Christmas Day with my husband’s family. It works out well and it’s easier on the kids to not be going all over the place.
9. Take lots of pictures and then create a photo book out of them. I have a really hard time organizing all of the photos that we take throughout the year, so I have found that it is easiest to pick my favorite photos and make a family photo book out of them for each season or large holiday. It’s a great way to have all of your memories in one book that everyone can look at down the road.
10. Don’t stress about the small stuff. If you can’t afford presents this year, don’t buy them. If you don’t want to host the family meal this year, speak up and ask someone else to kindly do it. As long as you are together as a family, that’s what truly matters!
What are your Holiday planning tips?