15 Days to a Less-Stressed Holiday Season

Get ready for a less-stressed holiday season with these 15 easy tasks! 

Want a less-stressed holiday season? By taking a few minutes each day for 15 days, you can get ready for the holiday season. 

Once the holiday season starts, we enter into it at full speed and it can be hard to truly savor the moments. This year, take some time to get ready so you can be present for the moments that matter. 

Tips for a Less-Stressed Holiday Season

Starting November 2nd, Jaclyn from Coffee, Pancakes, and Dreams and I will be sharing our holiday prep every day for 15 days in Instagram Stories. 

Join in on the fun, by signing up to get the free Holiday Planner! Then you will receive information on when we will be sharing the tips. 

For now, you can look over the list for a less-stressed holiday season! 

Day 1- Get out the calendar and write down all of your commitments. 

Instead of having a bunch of notes laying everywhere get all of your thoughts organized in one place. In the holiday planner, there are monthly calendar templates for November and December. You can use these or your own planner. 

Day 2- Write down a gift list and get ideas from everyone. 

Keeping all of the gift ideas in one spot will help you to stay organized. 

Day 3- Create a budget for food, drinks, activities, etc. 

Take a minute today to get on the same page with your spouse about finances. While it can be tempting to spend money on all the things, this is an important time to focus on being diligent with finances. 

Day 4- Carve out time for downtime. 

It can be easy to fall into the go, go, go mentality during the holiday season. However, you do not want to be so busy that you end up crashing. Schedule regular downtime for yourself and your family! 

Day 5- Make sure you have addresses for Christmas cards. 

Do you have all of the addresses up to date? Make a list and double-check it. 

Day 6- Order Christmas cards. 

Order your Christmas cards so you can be ready to mail them out. 

Day 7- Buy wrapping supplies, paper products, and napkins. 

If you already have a stock of wrapping supplies, check to see the status. I will be sharing ideas for organizing in our series on Instagram. 

Day 8- Menu plan for anything you are hosting. 

Whether you are hosting a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner or you are simply having it be your immediate family, take time now to write down the menu. Make a list of any ingredients you could buy now, and consider doing so. Miss Sue Living has a great guide for preparing Thanksgiving Dinner! 

Day 9- Decide on holiday outfits and make a list of what you need to purchase. 

Even if you do not plan to go anywhere for Christmas, it may be fun to still dress up for a special dinner. You could also plan out Christmas pajamas for the family. 

Day 10- Declutter toys and problem areas. 

Take time now to declutter any toys that are not be used. Look through your main family gathering spots and make sure clutter is not gathering. 

Day 11- Make a list of any Christmas baking you will do. 

Are you planning to make cookies or make some special treats? Make a list now of baking you will do and start a shopping list. 

Day 12- If you are hosting any parties, plan out table decor. 

Even if you are not hosting a big gathering, it can be fun to plan out your table decor for the season. 

Day 13- Wrap presents as they arrive and check it off your gift list. 

As presents arrive, wrap them or store them in a spot and check it off your list. 

Day 14- Schedule time for holiday traditions. 

Think about what your family traditions are. Have a family meeting and talk about what matters this season. What activities do they want to do? Come up with a list and then put them on the calendar. For November, we love making our Thankful tree and in December a family advent is important. It is fun to make a bucket list! Check out the Christmas Bucket List printable. 

Day 15- Decorate the house. 

Decorate the house (if you haven’t already!). Have fun with this and make it special. 

You can have a less-stressed holiday season. We do not have to be living stressed and worn out. Join me with this challenge and grab the free printable planner here!