I know some of my readers are reading the title of this post and thinking, "Christmas planning?! Didn't we just finish Christmas for this year?" Yes, most of my readers and I did just finish Christmas, but if you're like me than you realize the stress of planning Christmas. That stress of last minute gift planning, wrapping presents, and baking cookies is the stress I want to avoid and through planning can avoid. This year I decided to use a Christmas planner and even wrote posts about the different pages I was using, but honestly I didn't find myself wanting to use it faithfully and inevitably fell behind in planning Christmas. Between not liking the templates I used and life turning into a roller coaster for me I found it easier to fall into my old ways of planning for Christmas. However, my old ways of planning didn't keep me from experiencing massive amounts of holiday-related stress.
This next year I am going to try to blend my old ways of planning with some of the template pages I actually enjoyed using to create a stress-free Christmas. At least that's the goal of planning ahead. My first tip, which I find is extremely helpful, is to plan a theme early. I realize that this may sound like a lot of extra work or even unnecessary to some, but picking a theme, even if it is just colors, allows you to focus your ideas in other areas. If your theme is How the Grinch Stole Christmas then you know you don't need to waste time making glittering reindeer. Thanks to Pinterest and Craftgawkers there are plenty of wonderful ideas available to look at and inspire you to try, but a theme early on keeps you from feeling overwhelmed. The theme can be as simple or as elaborate as you want or have time to do. This year my theme was How the Grinch Stole Christmas and it started out as an elaborate recreation of the scenes from the movie, but I didn't have the time so I ended up simplifying it. This is perfectly acceptable and sometimes necessary as your life changes throughout the year. There is no reason to feel bad about making changes to your theme.
After I have a theme I like to start designing my Christmas cards. I typically use Shutterfly because I usually have a $20 off promo code or 10 free cards.
I find it helpful to have my holiday cards ordered early because it is one less thing I have to worry about throughout the year while Christmas planning. However, if you have a family with young children ordering Christmas cards early is not practical. While you wouldn't be able to order your Christmas cards in January you could still order cards before December to save yourself the headache of wondering if your Christmas cards are going to arrive in time. If you do have to wait until December, perhaps because you're expecting a change, Shutterfly gives you the option of having them addressed and sent out for you saving you time. This year I am expecting, or rather hoping for changes in my situation, but still plan on ordering my Christmas cards for next year this week because I have a $20 promo code that is expiring. Since I am anticipating changes this year I am working on a design that allows me to incorporate changes that might occur over the course of a year. I found a card template that fits my needs and allows me to leave the photo on the front of the card blank. I plan on choosing a photo that more accurately represents my life towards the end of the year and I will then use a scrapbooking technique to apply the picture to the cards I ordered. A generic greeting that leaves room for a personal update on my family allows me to create a card that can be adapted to my needs.
I also find it helpful to order labels that match my Christmas cards at this time. Again if you are anticipating changes, such as changes to your name or address, you should wait until those changes have happened before ordering labels you can't use. This last year I decided to just order labels that said to and from instead because I have a plethora of address labels. I try to order my Christmas cards and address labels together so that I can verify the sets match, although I have waited until I have received a promo code for free address labels. If you plan on waiting for a promo code or need to wait because you anticipate changes in name or address I suggest creating the labels on Shutterfly and adding the labels to your saved project list. This will make finding the address labels that match your Christmas cards a lot easier and a lot less stressful for you. Since I do have a tendency to order cards and labels in advance I find it helpful to store them in a photo box. The photo box then becomes my Christmas planning box and I know exactly where to look when I need to start writing my Christmas cards.
The odds and ends of Christmas planning have grown throughout the years and what once fit in a photo box now needs to be stored in larger bin. This tends to happen when you have a theme because not all of the pieces end up being used, however you may need them again so it is helpful to store them. For this reason I am trying to be more careful in my planning so that all of my supplies are used for the year. This is a little bit more complicated when you shop for most of your supplies in the after Christmas sale, which is honestly the best time to buy themed items for cheap. I find it helpful to take the number of boxes, gift wrap, or other supply used for the past Christmas and use that number to determine how much of an item I need. It isn't always possible to find the exact number of things you need in your theme after Christmas. If I can't find all of the things I need and something else can't substitute then I don't buy any of it because the chances are I won't be able to find more later. The after Christmas sale is the best time to buy Christmas lights, gift wrap, and cards. There is usually a good variety still and many of the items can be found at 70-80% off. This makes having a different Christmas theme each year affordable. Your gently used Christmas items can then be donated to a charity or to a family you know who could use those items.
Christmas shouldn't be stressful and planning ahead can make the season a more enjoyable time for you and your family. Plan ahead and spend the holiday sharing in the love of your family instead of stressing how you are going to get everything done. Leave a comment below telling me your biggest area of holiday stress or your own tips on beating the stress of Christmas.
