50+ Ways to Get Ready for Christmas NOW!

Oh boy, this is going to be a big one but I am already SO excited for Christmas. It’s hands down my favourite time of year. But it also can be a lot of work if you want to make things really special. That’s why I like to get ready for Christmas early.

50+ Ways to Get Ready for Christmas NOW!

Believe it or not (ok I’m sure you can believe it) I start getting ready for Christmas months ahead. With 5 kids I’m always Christmas shopping, especially at yard sales in the summer. My closet is so full of gifts right now that I have to find a new hiding location!

Now that it’s getting cool outside I’m even more excited to fill my home with holiday cheer. Personally, I start decorating early November, shortly after Halloween. Canadian Thanksgiving is in October here so by the time November hits it’s cold and snowy anyway.

For most people Christmas is only a month, at most 2, of festivities. If you want to do all the things that’s not a lot of time to pack it all in! But there are some things you can do now to make Christmas easier later.

How to get ready for Christmas early on

1. Shop for second hand Christmas gifts
2. Shop yard sales or thrift stores for Christmas decorations
3. Complete Christmas DIY projects
4. Declutter your house
5. Go through your Christmas decorations so they’re easier to set up later
6. Make a list of all the things you need to buy eg. New Christmas tree, lights, etc
7. Hang Christmas lights in November before it gets too cold
8. Start your December calendar filling it up with school holidays, important events, etc.
9. Do a “brain dump” and write down everything you can think of that you must do before Christmas
10. Change up your furniture or storage solutions to accommodate new gifts, guests, the tree, etc.

Plan for Christmas ahead of time

11. Make your Christmas gift list
12. Get a Christmas card list together with addresses
13. Decide on your Christmas dinner menu if you’re cooking
14. Solidify any travel plans
15. Make sure you have enough space, dishes, glasses, etc for entertaining
16. Take stock of what the kids have for toys, clothes, etc
17. Make wish lists for the kids if relatives shop for them (Amazon is great for this)
18. Design or plan your Christmas card including booking a photographer if needed
19. Consider printing a dedicated Christmas calendar or planner so you can keep on top of important deadlines, events, etc

Budget early for Christmas

20. Set a budget for Christmas gifts
21. Pick up a second job if you need extra money
22. Start a savings plan so you can afford Christmas gifts
23. Save unique wrapping paper eg. Comic pages from the newspaper, brown paper from packages, etc
24. Check Costco and similar places, many popular toys are much cheaper there
25. Sell unused toys and household items and use that money for your Christmas shopping
26. Budget for Christmas entertaining and food
27. When turkey, ham, or Christmas dinner trimmings go on sale before Christmas buy them and freeze

Easy Christmas traditions

28. Pre plan and shop for supplies for your Elf on the Shelf
29. Make and freeze Christmas cookies or the cookie dough
30. Make a holiday bucket list
31. Pre-make a Christmas eve box for the family
32. Make a Christmas playlist on Spotify or add to your music collection so you’re ready for the holidays
33. Plan any Christmas parties you’re hosting early
34. Make a homemade advent calendar so it’s ready for Dec 1st
35. Buy your Nutcracker or other performance tickets as soon as they go on sale
36. List and prep for any new traditions you want to start

Early Christmas shopping

37. Start your Christmas shopping as soon as possible
38. Make sure you leave 2-3 months for anything ordered from China (eg. Wish)
39. Make handmade gifts early so you’re not rushing during the holidays
40. Go through your gift closet to see what you already have
41. Shop for wrapping paper, tape, etc as soon as it shows up in stores so you’re not scrambling last minute
42. Stock up on batteries for kids’ toys (especially if they go on sale)
43. Get parcels ready to be mailed and add dates to mail them into your calendar so you don’t forget
44. Decide what you’re doing for teacher/coach/etc gifts and buy/prep them ahead of time
45. Ask your kids what they’d like or check out what kinds they’re interested in on YouTube together

Other things you can do to get ready for Christmas early

46. Make your own gift list
47. Stock up on firewood if you have a fireplace or bonfire
48. Make a list or calendar of the Christmas movies and specials you want to watch
49. Check your rewards cards and apps to see if you can use that for Christmas shopping
50. Stock up on Christmas essentials like candy canes, hot chocolate, and baking ingredients
51. Make freezer meals for busy December days
52. Complete any changes do your guest room like fresh paint or new bedding

How do you get ready for Christmas and when do you start?