6 Tips On How To Prep For The Holidays
Oct 06, 2020 11:40AM ● By Kaitlyn Malone
The best way to enjoy the holiday season is to prep as much as you can along the way. Imagine all the things that you want to do this year for the holidays. Are there gifts you can start looking for, cards you can get ready to send out, family gatherings to plan, holiday activities to lookup? Figuring out more of the logistics can help ease any stress that might crop up around this time of year and make you feel more abundant in time, energy, and the holiday spirit. This also provides the space to be more thoughtful and create more meaningful connections with friends, family, your community, and in caring for yourself.
The two months before the end of the year always go by quickly and is the busiest time of year! The key to preparing for the holidays is to make a list of things you want to do, plan it out, budget it out, and prioritize. Figure out your work schedule. Know what days the holidays fall on, who you want to spend that time with, and make travel arrangements if you need to. It's so easy to keep pushing back the things you know you want to do for the holidays, then all of a sudden, Thanksgiving came and went, and now you are in a sweat trying to figure out what gift to give your fiance's sister the day before Christmas. Or, you ran out of time to do your holiday cards AGAIN this year because your free weekend was taken up with a socially distanced holiday party. Holiday prep is all about making sure you get the most out of this time of year. Don't forget to make time for rest and relaxation, and remember that it's important to stay flexible so that you can enjoy some wonderful surprise occasions that come your way!
Budget
When thinking about budgeting for the holidays, it’s crucial to take into account your time and energy, as well as your finances. Figure out how much money you can practically put toward any extra holiday gifts, food, or activities, and see if there are things you can make or do yourself instead of spending money. Writing it down and making a list can help you stick to not overspending. It will also help you see where you can prep ahead of time so you can save money. Your time and energy are valuable, and allocating your time to have a quality experience with a friend making cookies could be the best decision. If you need to travel for the holidays, plan ahead and keep an eye out for affordable flights.Gifts
Start keeping an eye out for gifts now, so you don't have to worry about it as the holidays' business pick up. Make a list of people in your life you would like to acknowledge with a gift this year, whether it's homemade treats, a lovely scarf, or a Christmas candle. Be creative! Holiday flower centerpieces can be an excellent gift to give to someone you can find at Robert's Flowers of Hanover. They even hold workshops on how to create Thanksgiving centerpieces. Check out their website here for more info at Roberts Flowers of Hanover.
Cards
Holiday cards are always nice to receive every year. This year get a head start on the cards you will send out! If you like to take a holiday photo, you can do it around the beginning of November or late October, and so you have them ready to send out right after Thanksgiving. If you're one of those people who hand writes and signs your cards, this can take some time. Make a list of all the people you want to send cards to and get them out sooner than later.Food
Prepping food for the holidays can be a great way to save money and also be able to spend more energy on connecting with family and even save time on the day of the feast. Think of things you can make now and store it in the freezer. Don’t forget you can make some homemade jam or pickle some carrots and even give as gifts to friends, family, or your neighbors. See our article here
for ideas and how to can! Start collecting recipes ideas now.
Activities
Create unforgettable memories by finding some different activities to do this year and plan your traditional activities so that they are extra special. Because of Covid-19, we might have to vary some of our traditional activities and be more creative in how we celebrate. Keep an eye out for new ways to enjoy the holidays. If there are some traditions we know we won’t be able to do this year, plan a new activity in its place to look forward to.Family and Friends
One of the most important aspects of this time of year is connecting with friends and family. Communicate with your friends and family to plan how you want to spend the holidays and when you can visit each other. Sometimes we get so busy we forget to reach out to the people who are close to us. By planning ahead, we can make enough time to see everyone we want to and brings joy to our lives.
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