Emma
People hate when you talk about Christmas basically any time of year but December. I know this because I tend to talk about Christmas year-round and I get to see the ensuing reactions. But I feel strongly that a huge part of the reason so many people get so stressed out by Christmas is that they refuse to think or talk about it for 90% of the year, then all the thinking and planning and shopping etc. is smooshed into December which makes you miserable. I think thinking about Christmas ahead of time alleviates the stress and crunch of December when you don’t want to be planning or preparing: you want to be enjoying. I make it my goal every year, for example, to be done shopping by December first so that I don’t have to go to any crowded malls other than to just look at decorations. The other night I taste tested a fancy vegan cheese (it was $14!!! *sob*) to see if it was good enough to be on the cheese board at my Christmas party– it was not. Crisis averted.
So here are our top 6 tips about things you can start doing or thinking about now in order to make your life easier come December.
It means a lot to me that I get the people I love really good gifts. Every year, embarrassingly early in the year, I make two secret Pinterest boards one specific called “Christmas Gifts 2019” and one for more general stuff called “Christmas 2019” or whatever the respective year is. I’ve been doing this since 2013 (or maybe even earlier ??) and it really helps me keep track of gifts in an effective way because if I try to write down a list in a notebook, I will lose it by the time Christmas comes around. More so, you can write something down and spend an hour searching for it online. I can’t lose my pins though!
If you don’t know this already, when you make a new board on Pinterest there is an option to “lock it” and make it private or “secret.” This is something I do both so people don’t see what I’m getting them for Christmas and also so I don’t annoy people who follow me by pinning pictures of Christmas punch in… August (*coughjunecough*). I don’t really start shopping for people this early (lies! I already have one stocking stuff for mum) but what I will do is start pinning things I think people I know will like to the Christmas presents board. There is nothing worse than when you see the perfect present for someone in June and then you forget what it was or where it was and suddenly it’s December and you have nothing bought for them. Also, sometimes people I’m with will mention wanting something and I will secretly find something similar to pin to the board so I remember that conversation later. My Pinterest board means that I can pin things all year long and then when it’s time to start buying I just go to the board and click the links easy peasy. Also if I need some extra stocking stuffers for someone I can go back through past years Pinterest boards and see if there was anything I pinned but didn’t get for them.
This works really well for me because I do almost all my shopping online (all year not just at Christmas) with a few exceptions. I don’t know if I can communicate how much I hate crowds and everywhere in the city is crowded 100% of the time. Online shopping not only means I can shop from my couch and keep track of what I want to buy with Pinterest but it also means I can get the best deals by scrolling the sale sections of various websites for hours on end and using Honey (a service that automatically inputs promo codes in your browser) to get the best deals! This is not sponsored I’m just obsessed. I recently told a waitress about it at a bar in Texas lol.
The second board I use mostly to keep track of ideas I have for the Christmas party. Or I should say “we” have because increasingly my partner is getting more into Christmas every year and comes up with a lot of the ideas. We already know what cocktail we want to make for the party for example. I think about the party way in advance because shopping and setting up for the party is really stressful. Literally every year I have a small meltdown where I claim this is the last year I throw a Christmas party but then the actual party happens and I have an amazing time and then I do it again. Because of planning way in advance I know, for example, that I have the next six months to find a much bigger cheese board because we never seem to have enough cheese and it gets demolished an hour into the party!
In conclusion, Pinterest is your friend so start collecting ideas for gifts now!
Travel and Events
So this year we aren’t taking any Christmas trips because we are saving up for other 2020 trips BUT last year we took a Christmas trip to New York City that was super magical. I’m going to write a whole post about that soon but for now, I will say that if you are planning on going somewhere for Christmas, especially say New York, you want to start planning now. Last year we booked our hotel in July and there were already MANY rooms not available. I’m already thinking about what Christmas time trips I might want to take in the coming years. It’s a dream of mine to go to a bunch of European Christmas markets. It may seem weird to people to travel to new places in the winter but we both hate summer so to us we usually want to travel somewhere at some time that can’t possibly involve being hot and sweaty!
Beyond travelling out of town I like to decide way-way ahead of time if we are going to go to any Christmas markets etc. in Toronto and if so when. This is important in part because between family things and Christmas parties every day of my December tends to be completely full. So last year, for example, was so busy that despite our best intentions we didn’t get to do anything Christmasy in Toronto. This December I am determined to both go to at least one Christmas market and to go to Casa Loma when they have their decorations up. Around Canadian Thanksgiving (early October) is usually when I try to actually plan out what days I want to do what. At this point, it’s more about deciding what I want to do and researching what will be available at what times. Also if you are planning on seeing the Nutcracker or any other holiday performances tickets go on sale and sell out months ahead of time so you want to start thinking about that now!
Nancy
Well, now I know how Emma does such a great job finding me the best presents. I’m stealing that Pinterest idea.
Making a list, checking it twice
I have always been a list maker and the older I get the more I need them. A few years ago Emma and I discovered a Cath Kidston Christmas Planning binder and we both bought one. Now that I have used it for a few years I find I can bring it out and start to review what worked and what didn’t work last year. And I start to save recipes I find or make a note of the quantities I need. Having all my Christmas themed lists and notes in one spot is a lifesaver. It’s kind of like Emma’s Pinterest boards…but more analogue.
Budget ahead
Now the month of December can get really expensive for everyone, extra entertaining, last-minute purchases. So I start saving my grocery store rewards points now. For the last few years, I have had a few hundred extra dollars to spend on treats and that really fancy kind of chocolate without having to worry about paying the regular bills. There are also other point systems that work in your favour for gifts.
*Emma’s note* – I do this too! I save all my PC points and cash them in for the fancy Christmas party foods. With the exception of last year when I spent them all on new Christmas bedding!
Buy little things when you see them
We love our stockings Christmas morning and we try to find some different and unusual gifts for the hard to buy for people (guys I’m looking at you) So as I’m out enjoying the summer I keep one eye open for small trinkets or useful items that I think my favourite people might enjoy. I picked up a cool item at a summer craft show just the other week. I think the woman I bought it from thought that I was crazy when I said it was for my son’s Christmas stocking…as we were sweltering in a heatwave. But I know he will be delighted by it and I don’t know if I would see that vendor again later in the year or if she would still have that item, so now is the time!
Dedicated Storage
That brings me to a final tip that’s also something of a tradition in our family. It’s when you buy something great for someone and then put it somewhere safe….. so safe you forget about it and never end up giving it to them. In January as I’m cleaning up I often find a gift or a card that I meant to give but “lost”. It happens every year and my Mom does it too. (genetics) So lately I have made a secret spot to store all my early purchases and I try to remember to write them down in my planner binder. As we get closer to the season I also have a separate shopping bag for each person’s stocking items so I can evaluate if I have enough or too much. I bet you can guess which one it usually is.
Now I’m off to create some new Pinterest boards, only 5 months until the big day!
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