Songs may profess it to be the most wonderful time of the year, but—if we’re being honest—the holidays can be downright stressful. It’s hard to enjoy the spirit of the season when your to-do list is as long as Santa’s naughty and nice list. One way to take the stress out of the holidays is to start prepping for them as soon as possible. Here are 7 things you can do now to help you focus on more important things during this holiday season.
Complete Home Maintenance Projects
Do you have projects around your home that you’ve been putting off? Don’t wait until all the extended family is headed your way! Now is the time to cross those things of your list. Does your oven need repairs before cooking the Thanksgiving turkey? Have you been waiting to fix those leaky faucets? Are there pictures that need to be hung on the wall or holes in the walls that need to be patched? Take care of your home maintenance projects now, so you don’t have to stress about them during the holidays.
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Prepare a Guest Room
If you're planning on having family stay with you over the holidays, it's probably time to make sure that the guest room is ready to go. A few key things to remember when doing so is to purchase new linens, freshen up the guest towels, and gather toiletries to leave in the guest bathroom. If you've been using the guest room for storage, rehome all of those boxes to make space for your visitors.
Make a Gift List
Who do you need to buy gifts for this season? Are you planning on getting things for your neighbors, close friends, extended family, or co-workers? Do you know what the kids in your life want? To keep everything organized, be sure to make a list of the people you need to shop for and start brainstorming ideas. Once you know what to get them, you can start scouring for the best deals to help you save. Be sure to check out Promocodes.com during your holiday shopping to find a ton of coupon codes for all of your favorite brands.
Practice Your Holiday Menu
Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving or throwing a holiday party at your home, it’s a good idea to consider the menu as soon as possible. That way, you can practice making the dishes before the big day. You don’t want to figure out that you missed a step and burnt your turkey right as guests show up for dinner. So, give yourself some time to practice, grab all the necessary ingredients, and make sure that everything will be perfect.
Plan the Itinerary
You don’t need to plan every moment between now and New Year’s Day. However, it might be helpful to peruse the holiday happenings in your area. Have you ever wanted to run in a Turkey Trot 5K? Would your kids enjoy having breakfast with Santa? Maybe you have a Polar Express train your area. If there are things that you want to do, now is the time to get tickets and tell friends and family about it so they can get tickets, too.
Organize Mailing Addresses
If you plan on sending out holiday cards, there are lots of things that you can do now to reduce your stress involving them. Why not take pictures and have them printed now, instead of waiting until December? Do you have all the addresses you need? If not, reach out to others to get their updated contact information. You could even address the envelopes and get them ready to send. Take whatever steps you can to ensure that your holiday cards don’t plague your to-do list during the holidays.
Take Time for Yourself
There are lots of things that need to be done to prepare for the holidays. During these months, we all look forward to the whirlwind of holiday shopping, parties, and guests. But before all the hustle and bustle begins, why not take some time for yourself? Plan a quick getaway with your family, spend a day at the spa, get a massage, and allow yourself to get pampered. That way, you'll be ready to take on every item on your list!