Start Prepping for Christmas Now for a Stress Free Season

Now that Halloween is over, most people's thoughts have turned towards preparing for the Holiday Season ahead. You may think early November is still too early to start thinking about Christmas yet, but by preparing now all the way in November, you can make December much more about the most important part of the holidays which is spending time with family and friends you may not see again all year, and less about needing to cook, clean, or shop. Here are some tips on how to do this to help maintain your sanity and free up your time.

1. Start Cooking Now

Some of the most time consuming parts of the holidays are spent in the kitchen, but you can save time by "Freezer Cooking." Search Google, Pinterest, or your local library for books and recipes on the topic. You can freeze just about anything from cakes, pies, and cookies, to breakfast burrittos and waffles, to spaghetti, hamburgers, and soups. In the freezer these dishes will last upwards of 3-4 months and when re-heated will taste just as good as the day you prepared or cooked them. You can pre-prepare 90% of your Christmas dinner this way and not have to worry about anything other then re-heating it when you're ready. This is especially great if you have people with food issues/allergies/vegetarians b/c you can prep meals for them seperately and everyone else and not have to worry about their specific needs while they are there. I would also highly recommend purchasing a slow cooker which allows you to throw your uncooked ingredients in your slow cooker in the morning, set it, and leave it to cook your meal all day while you do other things with your friends and family, and then at dinner time you have a piping hot fresh meal with the least effort made and no extra pots and pans to wash. You can also enlist a group of friends to help tackle the task in one weekend that will save you countless hours and dish washing time.

2. Start Cleaning Now

Three days before your guests arrive is not the time to start cleaning unless you already maintain a pretty clean house. Do it now when your weekends aren't consumed by guests or holiday activities. Treat yourself to maid service if you don't want to get your hands dirty, but if you don't have the extra budget, start now by organizing your paper work, donating clothing, deep cleaning bathrooms/bedrooms/closets. Do it now early and focus the rest of the months on simple maintanence until after your guests leave for the holidays.

3. Start Shopping Now

In this new online economy, the pressure on stores to give you the best deals is intense and you should be taking full advantage of it. Register online with your favorite stores for text alerts of sweet deals. There are several apps that help you quickly compare prices between stores so you don't have to waste gas driving all over. Also stop by your local discount box stores which offer deals year round to stock up on gifts. You can even drop by your local thirft store to find some unique items or to stock up on bowls and plates for all those extra holiday guests. Do not kill yourself shopping on Black Friday. Most of the deals that used to only be found in store at 3am in the morning, you can now find online and for about a week before/after Black Friday.

4. Start Organizing Now

Pull out your Christmas items out of storage and organize them now so that you won't be flustered trying to untangle lights the day you need them. Make sure bulbs are working, no decorations are broken and damaged, and make a list of things you may need for this years festivities. Buy orgnizational boxes and containers to properly store your supplies for easy access. If you haven't ever organized these supplies, now is the time when you still have the energy. Enlist family to help you if the mess and disorganization is intense so that a month from now when you need them, you'll be able to pull them out of your now neat storage and get them set up without the usual pain and headache.

5. Rent or Buy Your Holiday Outfits now

Don't wait until the day before the office party to decide you need a holiday outfit. Go shopping now and give yourself adequate time to try things on and shop when your stress level, dressing rooms, and the lines aren't insane. If you don't have the budget to splurge on a holiday outfit, consider renting one from renttherunway.com for the ladies which offers designer gowns for 4 or 8 day rentals starting as low as $30 for a cocktail dress. The site allows you to pick up to 2 sizes per dress which they will send you incase you aren't sure about the sizing. For the gentlemen, go ahead and rent/buy your tuxes or suits now so that you don't have to fight through crowds and dwindling supplies later.

6. Think of the Kids/Pets Now

If you are going to have an influx of kids coming to your house or dealing with either your pet or your families, now is the time to plan ahead as to what you are going to do for either. Ask older cousins or relatives if they can help you babysit or book a babysitter now for Christmas week or to take the kids off your hands for a few days or hours to give the adults time to take a break and enjoy the season too. Make sure you start baby proofing your house for really young kids as well. Do your research and look up acitivites the whole family can do together that are kid friendly and make sure to stock up on kid friendly foods that you may not normally have in your fridge. For pets, if family is allergic or you'll be going away for some time, find out about boarding them, or enlist a neighbor/family/friend to take them so that you don't have to worry about how to handle it when you're busy and everyone has left town or is busy and can't do it.

7. Book All your Appointments Now

Everyone is going to suddenly be booked and busy in about two weeks. Make sure to book any lawn cair, car cair, hair, nail, flights/travel, rental cars, massage, rental furniture, doctors appointments, etc. that you or your family will need now and make note of them in your planner/calendar. Do not wait until the last minute because you may not get an appointment until next year.

8. Start Taking Care of Yourself Now

We all know people or we can look at the mirror at ourselves as people who have tried to crash diet two weeks before Christmas. Now is the time to really start taking care of yourself. The Holidays are long and can be an energy drain and stressful on your body which is made worse by unhealthy habits and lack of good healthy sleep. Focus now on setting up a healthy regimen, going to the gym, going to doctors appointments, meditating, seeing a threapist, or whatever it is you need to do while you aren't yet consumed by the Holidays. You won't need to crash diet or do something crazy that may make you crazier and more stressed out so close to the Holidays. A healthy routine may also help you to better be able to handle your crazy relatives when they arrive.

9. Get Your Holiday Photos Taken Now

This is just another one of those things people tend not to think about until they are rushing and out of time and stressed out. Whether you are hiring a photographer or taking your own pictures by yourself or with the help of a friend or family member, get these set up as soon as possible and write and prepare your holiday family card and letter now. Also make sure you have the proper addresses now of family and friends you intend to send them too before they are off on their own vacations or busy.

10. Treat Yourself Now

Yes, the holidays are going to be about everyone else and their needs for the most part, but don't neglect yourself. Cook some freezer meals ahead of time for after the holidays for yourself, order a gift for yourself to be delivered Christmas Eve, find some holiday activity you really want to do, set up and after the holidays massage or arrange for some friend therapy lunch after your crazy in laws have left, or even book your own vacation for after the "vacation."

Remember that putting the effort in now and pre-preparing now will help you to have much more quality time spent with those you love. We get such precious few times to spend with the majority of our extended families except during the holidays and spending it cooking, cleaning, cooking and shopping is not what you want to be doing when they are there to visit with you and to be with you. Hope this helps you in some way to enjoy your Holidays just a bit or a lot more.