My Guide to Holiday and Christmas Planning (to Save Your Sanity!)

Every year, it seems like the holidays get here faster and faster! Once the end of summer rolls around, it’s a quick race to the end of the year. Even though the holidays are the most wonderful time of year, they can get hectic fast. And, if we aren’t careful, we can miss the true joy of the season.

Christmas planning is one easy way to make sure you stress less and enjoy the holidays with your family more. It allows you to avoid racing to the store late on Christmas Eve to buy those last-minute gifts. Instead, you can sit back and relax when the holidays are here, knowing that you’ve already got it all covered.

Here’s how I plan for the holidays now so I can save my sanity (and my family’s, too!).

8 Tips for Stress-Free Christmas Planning

Christmas Day is the same day every year… so why does it sneak up on us? We know it’s coming, and we also know that things are much less stressful when we plan ahead. So this year, do yourself (and your family) a favor by planning early. I know it’s hard to start thinking about the holiday season before we’ve even had Thanksgiving. Trust me though, your future self will thank you!

1. Brainstorm Your Ideal (But Practical) Holiday Season

You probably have an image in your mind of how you want the holidays to be. But every year, it seems to look different. Some years, we’ve had a lot of Christmas parties and sent Christmas cards. In other years, we’ve kept it more low-key. Make sure your Christmas planning is what you can realistically accomplish (and what you really want to do).

You might enjoy spending a lot of time decorating the tree, making cookies, and sending Christmas cards. Or maybe you want a simpler Christmas season this year and don’t want to do all the things you feel like you “have to do”  for the perfect holidays. Forget about replicating what you see on Pinterest and Instagram. Remember, it’s your holiday season, and you can do as little or as much as you want!

To start Christmas planning brainstorm your ideal holidays and what you can realistically make happen. Don’t forget to include any Christmas traditions or travel you want to do this year.

• How much time and money do you have to spend this year?
•  Is work busy and demanding this season? 
• Are you navigating other things like caring for sick family members or moving to a new city?

Now that you have a big picture of what you want the holidays to look and feel like, it’s time to think about the details.

2. Create a Budget

Before planning any events or buying anything, the best way to get a head start on Thanksgiving and Christmas planning is to create a budget. If you’re anything like me, the holidays always end up costing more than expected! That’s why creating a budget is such a great idea.

Instead of buying things as you see them (hello, Black Friday on Amazon!), you have a better idea of what you need and how much you have to spend. That way, there won’t be as much surprise (or guilt) come January.

I start by creating a list of all of the things I need to buy based on these sub-categories:

• Gifts – For kids, extended family, and hostess gifts. Don’t forget other special people you typically buy Christmas gifts for, like teachers, neighbors, or family and friends. Get a complete list of ideas here.
• Decorations – If any Christmas decorations need to be replaced or I want something new, I add that to my budget. Don’t forget a Christmas tree if you buy a fresh one each year.
• Meals – Holiday meals always end up costing more than regular meals. Creating a budget helps me determine if we’ll be serving filet mignon or turkey for Christmas dinner.
• Activities – Consider any activities that need a budget. This could include an ugly sweater party, building gingerbread houses, or visiting Santa.

Once you have a budget, you can plan (more fun) holiday things!

3. Assess Your Decoration Needs

If decorating the house is a big part of your holiday, now’s a great time to assess what you have and what you need. If funds are tight, this is an easy place to cut costs — simply use what you already have.

I keep an inventory of our decorations in Notion (or use the Notes app on your phone). This lets me see what I have and what needs replacing/updating.

We keep it pretty simple (no one has ever accused me of being Martha Stewart!). To get you inspired even on a budget, here are some simple DIY holiday-themed decor ideas:

All of these ideas meet my standards for 1) minimal supplies to make, 2) minimal long-term storage, and 3) easy to repurpose for other seasons. Win!

4. Plan Christmas Cards

If you’re a Christmas card person, this may be a highlight of the season for you. Make sure to plan now so it doesn’t become overwhelming. If Christmas cards aren’t your thing, feel free to move on to the next section.

Here are my tips for stress-free Christmas cards:

• Make a Christmas card list of recipients and updated mailing addresses.
• Decide what kind of card you’ll send. Do you need to have a family photo taken? If so, schedule a time to get the pictures taken. Don’t forget to include the cards and stamps in your budget.
• Mark your calendar for the day you want to send the cards out. Aim to send them the first full week in December to ensure they get delivered on time but not too early.

Having the cards ready before Thanksgiving allows you not to have to worry about them. As soon as Thanksgiving is over, you can start addressing and sending them out.

Remember that if holiday cards become a burden, it’s okay to let them go this year (or every year!). You can redirect that time and money into other holiday activities.

5. Make a Gift List

Gift-giving can get overwhelming! The best way to tackle this part of Christmas shopping is to create a gift list. If you’re on a tighter budget (or want to simplify the holidays), a gift list is a great way to stay organized and not overbuy.

I start by listing items I want to buy for each person. The pressure to buy lots of gifts can overwhelm us. Several years ago, I started a new tradition with my family. I follow the “want, need, wear, read” gift-giving philosophy. Each kid gets:

This simplified gift-giving philosophy has greatly decreased my stress level during the holidays. I do the same with my family members. Grandparents love to go on dates or have one-on-one time with the grandkids… and the grandkids enjoy it, too!

Don’t forget about other people you need to buy for… teachers, friends, neighbors, etc. These can even be simple DIY gifts (see the next section for more on this).

6. Gather DIY Gift Ideas and Tutorials

I love making homemade gifts! Not only does it make a special gift, but it doubles as a fun family holiday activity. DIY gifts are a great way to save money without sacrificing the wow factor. Every year my kids look forward to the special photobooks I make for each of them.

If you plan to make gifts, now’s the perfect time to get organized. Some gifts take a while to prepare, so you need to start early. Here’s what I recommend:

• Pick out which gifts you want to make. (These DIY gift ideas will get you inspired!)
• Determine how long each project takes (including curing/drying/infusing time).
• Mark your calendar for when to start the project so it’s ready in time to pack and ship (if needed). Aim to mail gifts the first week of December. You can wait a week if you don’t need to mail them.
• Create a shopping list of supplies (check in with your budget).
• Mark your calendar for a day to buy supplies… and then get going!

Another fun DIY project is to make your own gift wrap. It’s a nice way to recycle things in your home. Or, make wrapping paper with brown paper and paint or stamps. This is a good project for the kids to help with.

We always have fun making our favorite DIY recipes (like a body scrub recipe or homemade lotion bars) that family and friends love receiving.

7. Schedule Holiday Activities

Once you have gifts and decorations out of the way, it’s time to plan fun holiday activities. So we don’t miss out on any of our favorite holiday activities together, I make a point to put them on the calendar early. It’s fun to sit down with the family and brainstorm ideas together, too.

Here are some ideas that usually make it on the list:

• Baking holiday treats
• Going to a friend’s annual holiday party
• Driving around to look at Christmas lights with hot cocoa
• Picking out a Christmas tree
• Decorating the house and tree
• Watch a favorite Christmas movie
• Drinking homemade egg nog and listening to a Christmas playlist

I brainstorm and schedule these events about a week or two before Thanksgiving in case there are any Thanksgiving activities I want to include. I leave some free time in our calendar for things that might pop up at the last minute. I also try to schedule New Year’s events as they’re planned.

8. Plan Holiday Meals

The last thing I plan for the holidays is the meals. If I’m hosting, I’ll plan the entire meal. If we’re visiting family, I plan a dish or two to bring.

Here’s what I do:

I use Real Plans, my favorite meal-planning app. It saves so much time!

By making my shopping list early, I can grab extra butter one week and maple syrup the next while I do my weekly grocery shopping. This helps spread purchases over a few weeks or months instead of one shopping trip (it also reduces my shopping list just before the holiday).

Bottom Line For Holiday and Christmas Planning

We all know it’s true… many of us moms look forward to the end of the holidays because it’s stressful.

Taking time to plan is a great way to truly enjoy the season with your family. It can help us let go of the overwhelm that can, unfortunately, come with the season. When you find yourself stressing about the holidays, take a deep breath and revisit these steps.

Check out the planning checklist below or click here for a more detailed printable version!

What do you do to stress less during this time of year? Leave a comment and let us know!