(I know, I know, you don’t want to be reminded, but I was a Brownie and Guide so the motto “be prepared” is drummed in to me :-D.)
In an effort to try to get organised for Christmas early this year, I thought I would put together a quick post about what to prepare roughly 6 weeks in advance of Christmas.
I have a Trello Christmas Reference board which I use every year and this really helps ease the pain.
I spent some time two years ago putting it together and now I don’t need to think about what needs to be done, I just refer to this board!
6 weeks before Christmas!
Do you know who you are buying for?
If not, time to make a list.
Once you know who you are buying for you can then start to think about what to buy them.
Look out for my Top Tip about CamelCamelCamel for saving money via Amazon.
I also keep a record against each person as to what I bought them in previous years.
This is especially important if you have friends with two or more children, so you don’t get a sibling the same gift.
Cheat: if you have to buy presents for several children of roughly the same age, buy them all the same thing! Then you don’t have to think about it! lol.
Are you doing stockings for people?
If yes, check out my 2012 post on stocking filler ideas that don’t end up as landfill. (This post also has a link to the post office with a list of mailing dates).
Are you hosting Christmas dinner?
If yes, what food do you need to buy?
I have a Trello list for food for Christmas day and then a Trello list entertaining food for when people come to visit.
I start buying the long lasting items off this list from the middle of November.
It helps spread the cost of Christmas. I think! lol.
What traditions are you planning to hold for your family?
There are key people that we always catch up with over Christmas and it’s important to us that this happens.
I think at Christmas time you have to be intentional about the things that you do and the people that you see.
One of our traditions is to hand deliver Christmas cards to our friends who live in Reading.
This isn’t particularly environmentally friendly but it gives Miss NHM a great opportunity to go “oooh, ahhhh” at all of the Christmas lights near where I friends live.
We also have another tradition where we go for afternoon tea at a hotel in the New Forest, with friends who live in Dorset.
Do you have a December bucket list?
I can’t remember where I first saw this, but it’s a great idea.
Are there certain things that are important for you all to do as a family during Christmas?
Write them down and add them into the December schedule to ensure they happen!
This year I am going to try to add several of our December bucket list things into our advent calendar.
Do you want to give out handmade gifts?
Time to start cracking on these, if you haven’t already!
This year I am toying with making handmade Christmas crackers, but you can guarantee it won’t happen, even if I do buy all the kits from Baker Ross!!! lol.
Are you doing a personalised advent calendar?
If yes, time to get cracking now! You can get some ideas about advent calendars via a post I wrote in 2014.
Are you posting parcels abroad?
Time to start thinking about the parcels you need to put together and the delivery times as they are sooner than for cards abroad.
Are you posting cards abroad?
Also check out the delivery times for cards abroad to ensure they arrive in time.
Are you putting together a Christmas Eve parcel?
If yes, time to start buying those Christmas Eve pyjamas!
Are you making Christmas cookies in a jar?
I’m probably going to regret sharing this post, but we made Cookies in a jar last year and it went down a storm.
They took MUCH longer to make than expected though, so schedule at least 3 hours to make 12 jars!!!
Please, to all my friends who read NHM, don’t give us all “Cookies in a jar” as I’m trying to watch my waist line! haha.
Are you putting together a Christmas newsletter for your Christmas cards?
I’ve never done this but I’m toying with it this year.
So much has happened to our little family this year and I know our extended families that we don’t see very often would probably like to know what is actually happening, rather than the version that my Mum and my in-laws tell them! lol.
I probably won’t get round to it though!
Things to check
Do you have enough:
- Sellotape
- Christmas wrapping paper
- Christmas tags
- Christmas cards
- Christmas table decorations
- Christmas movies
- Booze 😉
and check this post out for 14 things you don’t want to forget for Christmas!
In a perfect world, I would do all of the above.
I never do though! lol.
What have I missed?
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