“Ho, Ho, Ho”, Is this a sound familiar? Yes, Christmas will be here soon before we know it. Christmas can be a stressful and overwhelming time as budgets get blown out, time seems to fly by, our to-do lists never seem to finish, and then there’s the nonsense of events, gifts, and family and friend expectations.
Preparing for Christmas ahead of time is a wise way to avoid stress and chaos during the December holiday madness.
can be tough to decide when to begin planning for Christmas this year and in what order to perform duties.
Thanks to this completed Christmas planner timeline, it is never too late to organize the Christmas holiday for memorable times with your loved ones.
Starting two months in advance, you can simply buy gifts, arrange your party, and schedule events for the holiday season in detail, ensuring that nothing is forgotten.
Are you excited? Shall we go next?
What Should Be Included In A Christmas Planner?
A Christmas planner may include so much information! Shopping lists, gift lists, card lists, and even party plans! How can a person keep track of everything?
Don’t worry, we’re right here. Our comprehensive guide on overcoming holiday stress to get you back on track and aid in the planning and execution of a pleasant and successful Christmas holiday season.
Set Goals For Your Christmas Plan
There are numerous ways to begin preparing for a Christmas plan, but the first step is to make a list of your objectives. Holiday goals are short-term objectives that include all elements of life. These are critical to ensuring a successful, happy holiday season with no disappointments.
Is it your intention to have a simple Christmas, a luxury Christmas, or a budget-friendly Christmas? Consider what is most important to you.
- Having Christmas goals helps you keep track of your schedule
We all know how fantastic it is to say yes to all the gifts, parties, and activities, but having clear goals may help you prioritize exactly what you want out of Christmas and be good with saying no to some things.
- Setting aim for Christmas can help you keep on budget
The Christmas season is one of the most expensive times of the year. How much money are you planning to spend on gifts? How much do you spend on parties and decorations?
Budgeting today will help you avoid regret later. Setting budgets and keeping track of payments will help you manage your holiday spending and avoid anxiety.
- Concentrating on the things that are most important to your family with Christmas plan objectives
Christmas is about spending time with family, reflecting on the previous year, and preparing for the new year.
Take time with the ones that matter to you, such as baking Christmas cookies, picking out a Christmas tree, or pay a visit to your family members. You don’t want to wake up after the holidays, missing your favorite meals, right?
3 steps to selecting your Christmas targets
- Find out what the members of your family enjoy and dislike about the holiday: This will assist you in deciding which parts to maintain and ensuring that everyone is satisfied with your goals.
- Select a wide range of activities to participate in: Traditions are vital, but we must also attempt new things to learn and grow. In your aims and activities, try to strike a balance between the new and the old. If your family has a wide range of ages, having age-appropriate activities is also crucial, and involving everyone in them can mean a lot to younger siblings as they get older.
- Make sure your calendar isn’t too full: This is a critical point to remember. Allow plenty of white space between active days and events so that everyone may still enjoy each activity. Nothing is more frustrating than arriving at an event and discovering that everyone is too tired to enjoy it.
Everything you do after that will be based on your Christmas objectives. Stay tuned with us!
Completed Christmas Planner Timeline
If you have a clear Christmas plan schedule, you'll have a better idea of what to do first. We've included an overall Christmas timeline below. Let's go.
2 Months or More Before Christmas (October 20th — 31st)
Create a holiday gift budget
As we mentioned above, after setting a goal, you need to create a holiday budget that you can stick to. Consider the costs of gifts, Christmas cards, and wrapping paper while making your budget. Looking up costs online is an easy way to estimate how much everything will cost.
- Make a list of everything that comes to mind with costs
Write down every money you need to spend. Now is the time to take a step back and examine the figures you’ve just created. Are you up for it? If the expense exceeds your budget, you may need to cut that down.
It isn’t easy to make sacrifices, but it’s well worth it! Let’s proceed if you’re in a place where you can be realistic and make some decisions.
- Sorting and adjustment
Divide your list into 3 categories: Things that you can live without, things you can’t live without, and things that you can’t decide which of the two other columns they belong in.
Do the calculations for the column of things you can’t live without once you’ve sorted. You’re done if that figure comes close to what you can realistically afford to spend.
When trying to come up with a reasonable Christmas budget, one of our best suggestions is to reduce it again by considering who and what are the most essential to you and balancing your budget.
Build a Christmas gift list
Create a list of everyone you want to buy gifts for, and then brainstorm ideas for each person. This list will assist in guaranteeing that you have enough gifts for everyone and buy them on time.
We understand that you want to buy gifts for everyone you love, but you may not be able to do so. You should sort the list by importance, spouse, children, parents, grandparents, neighbors, coworkers, and so on. Stop adding to the list when you’ve run out of budget space.
Begin your gifting research
If you’re stuck for present ideas for someone, call out to them or their friends to discover what they’re interested in. Just make sure that your budget is under control. You could, however, refer to our Christmas gift collection
Merry Christmas Engraved Wooden Heart Spoon
7 Weeks Before Christmas (November 6th)
Arrange your holiday calendar
Give a complete holiday calendar for yourself so that you can keep on track with all of your Christmas plans. Refer to this calendar regularly to enhance efficiency. Make a list of any family meals, school recitals, and work parties, so you have a good idea of which days you will be free to do some of your critical planning duties.
Order Christmas gifts online with the best deals
Get ahead of the game by referencing the Christmas plan list you created in the earlier steps to begin ordering gifts that must be purchased online. They may take a long time to arrive, therefore ordering as soon as possible is advised.
We put together a list of sites to shop online this holiday season.
Nothing beats Amazon for getting everything on your Christmas buying list done in one place. The world’s largest online retailer has something for everyone, and their innovative gift-finder tool makes it easier than you’d expect.
Etsy’s exciting selection of vintage and handcrafted things makes it one of the finest places to browse for Christmas gifts. This massive handmade marketplace includes everything you might want. You will love their unique gift ideas, such as vintage jewelry, personalized stationery, and various monogrammed leather goods.
If you’re seeking for new and cute Christmas decorations to make your home extra festive this year, check out eBay; there are many wonderful customized tree decorations available.
Uncommon Goods, as the name suggests, is a treasure trove of innovative finds from independent designers all over the world to surprise your friends and family this holiday season with some unique gifts.
It is a special site full of adorable items designed that are varied but never random; it’s heartfelt and candid, lovely and sassy.
This lifestyle brand headquartered in Australia is your one-stop-shop for all things personalized, from homewares and jewelry to fashion and prints, there are one-of-a-kind presents for everyone and every age.
6 Weeks Before Christmas (November 13th)
Set final plans for Christmas day
Decide who in your family or friends will host Christmas. If you aren’t hosting, be ready for Christmas by purchasing a ticket as soon as possible if you need to fly to your host.
Begin organizing your guest list if you are hosting. In case you expect guests to stay in your home, plan where they will stay and see if you need to do anything else to accommodate them.
Personalized Christmas cards and generate a checklist of who you want to send to
Begin by making a list of who you want to send Christmas cards. Then begin designing your own Christmas card. It’s time to place your order when you’ve polished your Christmas card design!
Order a few extra accessories for your Christmas cards to make them stand out. Wax seals, ribbons, and colorful envelope liners are excellent tools for elevating the elegance of your Christmas card.
5 Weeks Before Christmas (November 20th)
Examine your Christmas decorations and supplies
Check to see whether you require anything for your home, especially if you are the host. If this is the case, go through your stored boxes to see what Christmas materials you already have from the previous year before preparing for Christmas 2021 with new decorations.
Check your wrapping paper
You don’t want to run out of wrapping paper in the middle of wrapping gifts! If you need more wrapping paper or just want to try something different, get a mix of anything from traditional Christmas wrapping paper to customizable wrapping paper with your family photos for instance.
4 Weeks Before Christmas (November 27th)
Shop Black Friday & Cyber Monday deals
After Thanksgiving, you may be intending to shop on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. The typical distinction between Black Friday and Cyber Monday is that Black Friday deals can be found both online and in physical stores, but Cyber Monday discounts are only available online.
Be sure to take advantage of the fantastic sales that many retailers will be launching over the next few days to buy gifts for your friends and family. Keep your budget in mind and your gift lists handy.
Plus, aside from your gift list, having some extra gifts on hand is always a wise preparation to present to someone who turns up unexpectedly.
Put overseas gifts in the mail
After you’ve finished buying, ship any gifts to foreign friends and family who reside abroad as soon as possible because it may take a long time to arrive. You never want them to have a late Christmas gift.
Buy a Christmas tree
Make this a pleasant family affair by embarking on a group tree-picking excursion. Then, with your friends and family, adorn the tree with your old decorations and any new ones you may have acquired.
3 Weeks Before Christmas
Clean the house
At the start of December, thoroughly clean your home. Cleaning ahead of time will help you have a lot more organized Christmas week. Make an effort to keep everything neat until Christmas. Don’t forget to clear out the fridge and pantry. Throw out any outdated or expired Thanksgiving items and use this as an opportunity to reset before the New Year.
Join in some Christmas activities and decoration
It’s time to unpack your ornaments, lights, yard decorations, ribbon, and everything else you use to transform your home into a winter wonderland!
This is a magical aspect of Christmas preparations, and it’s always more enjoyable when the entire family participates!
Make gingerbread houses or decorate cookies with red and green frosting with your children to help them live with their Christmas excitement.
2 Weeks Before Christmas
Plan your Christmas menus
Prepare in advance for the dietary needs of everyone you’ll be serving as part of your Christmas planner this year. Consider which foods your family members enjoy and dislike. Before finishing the menu, run it by one or two people to see if they have any suggestions.
After that, create a cooking timetable. Which products can you prepare ahead of time and freeze, and which must be done on the day?
Order special food items
Some retailers ask you to place an order for a fresh turkey or ham up to ten days in advance. If you wish to cook one of those items, check with your local grocery store to learn how and when you may place an order, and make a note of it on your holiday shopping list.
1 Week Before Christmas
Hang a stocking for each member of your family. If you don’t have a fireplace, making a false mantel out of cardboard boxes can be a fun part of the kids’ Christmas preparations. Depending on your preferences, you can add goods to them now or wait until Christmas Eve.
After that, you stick to your cooking schedule and prepare items that can be frozen. Don’t leave all of the cooking to the last minute.
Christmas Week
It’s the final week to finish the rest of your Christmas plans and double-check your to-do list.
It’s time to wrap your gifts. It frequently takes longer than anticipated. This appears to be an easy task, but you’ll be pleased if you don’t wait until Christmas Eve to check it off your list.
Then go over your home one last time. Check your holiday organizer to see if there is anything else you need to do to ensure your home is ready for guests.
Enjoy your favorite holiday songs and keep them playing around the house because Christmas is near and we want to immerse ourselves in the holiday mood.
Christmas Eve
As the holiday season draws to a close, treat yourself to Christmas movies and remember to charge your camera and/or video camera so you don’t want to miss out on any of the unforgettable holiday moments.
Remember our Santa, leave cookies and milk out, and place all of the gifts under the tree after the children have gone to bed
Christmas Day and After Christmas
Make some Christmas-themed drinks, such as hot chocolate or peppermint mochas, as soon as you wake up, and open gifts with your family members.
Remind everyone to make a list of everything they got for Christmas 2021 and who gave it to them so they can write thank you cards later.
After Christmas, you have to handle the leftovers and save all of your Christmas decorations and unwanted wrapping paper or supplies for next year.
For the lovely Christmas cards you’ve gotten from friends and family, you can turn them into bookmarks, gift tags, or even ornaments.
