Christmas is a beautiful time of the year when you spend some lovely moments with your near and dear ones. But it could also be quite stressful with lots of activities, parties, special dinners, gifting, and so much more. Preparing for the holidays early on is a wise thing to avoid stress and chaos later.
Stats show 69 percent of people are stressed during holidays due to lack of time, while 51 percent are worried about giving gifts, and 61 percent are stressed due to lack of money. To make the best use of holidays and avoid stress, follow our tips and make your preparations simple and fun.
7 Things to Do Now to Prepare for Holidays
#1. Plan Ahead
Start your planning around mid-October. Do a mental dump of all the things you want to do during the holidays, the parties you’ll attend, the gifts, Christmas decorations, family traditions, and community gatherings you’ll want to go to.
After you’ve written down everything, ask yourself whether your goals are realistic, whether you’ll have the budget to do so, and above all, energy to fit all those activities in your schedule. Prepare a budget to avoid any unwanted scenarios later. Having a budget resists the urge to overspend.
#2. Shop Ahead
Make a list of people you want to gift and brainstorm the perfect gifts for each. Better watch out for sales on any of those gifts. Likewise, shop ahead for your Christmas clothing, decorations, party supplies, etc. If you’re traveling for holidays, make a list of items and shop early so you’ll avoid both holiday stress and rush.
#3. Pet Care
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It’s essential to keep your pets healthy during holidays so everyone can have a good time. Go in for decorations that are labeled nontoxic. Vacuum regularly to prevent your pets from ingesting pine needles. Avoid giving your pets chocolates as it contains theobromine which is toxic to dogs.
Christmas plants, such as holly, mistletoe, ferns, and pine sap, are poisonous to cats and dogs, so be careful. Rather than feeding potentially harmful festive food, treat your pet to freeze-dried dog food. Freeze-drying preserves more nutritional content and presents wholesome nutrition to your pets.
TruDog has various freeze-dried dog foods, including beef, turkey, whitefish, protein snacks, and some cool raw food toppers. Likewise, they offer dog treats like jerky treats, chew, and bully sticks.
Use this code and save 20% sitewide with PETWELL20AP and store up some natural dog treats for this holiday season.
#4. Organize
A cluttered space makes you more anxious. Contrarily a clean and organized room helps you to relax and enjoy the holiday season. Clear out your refrigerator and sort out perishables and nonperishables.
Organize your kids’ room and separate clothing and toys you want to donate and discard. Of course, get your kids involved in this activity.
Refresh your restrooms. Declutter and organize your bedroom, so it becomes a haven for you to find some me-time during the hectic celebration days. Make space in your closet to store gifts, decorations and gift wraps, label and sort them. Likewise, clean your coat closet and make room for guest coats.
For all these organizing and labeling, you’ll need a variety of labels. Name Bubbles has a range of labels to make your work a lot easier. They have clothing labels, name labels, contact labels, shoe labels, write-on labels, waterproof stickers, and even medical labels.
They also have gift cards so you could gift them to a friend who loves to organize stuff. Use the code SPOOKY20 and get 20% off on your sitewide shopping cart.
#5. Cook or Bake Ahead
Plan holiday dishes ahead of time. If there are any traditional sweets or dishes you’re planning to serve, prepare them ahead and freeze. Likewise, stock up groceries so you’ll be prepared for unexpected guests.
If you’re planning some cookware to prepare your treats and unique dishes, Great Jones has something special for you. The Fully Bake, Easy Bake, and Hotdish ranges are perfect for baking. Likewise, the Family Style range is well suited for all other cooking needs.
#6. Make Holiday Reservations
If you’re traveling for holidays, make your reservations as early as October so you can get non-stop flights. Likewise, airlines seats and other transport options fill up during holidays so it might be a better idea to plan and book your tickets. The same is the case for hotel booking. Early reservations give you the seats and rooms you want and at a much better price.
#7. Plan Some Fun Events for Family
Make some lovely memories by planning some fun events during the holidays. You can arrange for ice skating, sugar cookie decorating time, tree lighting ceremony, and even plan to watch some Christmas movies.
Likewise, planning to do some charitable acts during Christmas would be a great blessing. Helping a needy family, granting a small wish, visiting a nursing home, your local humane society, or the local pediatric wing would bring you much happiness.
Make Self Care a Priority
Filling each second of your calendar might not be a good idea and would increase stress. Instead of making memories, there might be meltdowns. So prioritize self-care and carve out time to relax and rejuvenate and enjoy the season’s blessings.