Am I the only one not completely ready for Christmas??? No? Ok, good. I didn’t think so. The countdown is on, so I wanted to share my little checklist for last minute Christmas prep. And since being tight on time can sometimes make you feel like a Scrooge, I’m sharing some of my friend’s holiday posts to spread some extra holiday cheer (and possibly give you some inspiration to finish your holiday prep).
*LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY PREP CHECKLIST*
1. Finish trimming the tree. With a toddler on the loose, I save this for as long as possible. I’m going to finish decorating my tree by tomorrow night. Don’t want to put ornaments on your tree? Put a big ribbon bow on top and let 6-8 ribbon tails fall around the tree.
2. Send out your Christmas cards. Done. Popped those bad boys in the mail earlier today. Don’t even have Christmas cards yet??? Walmart has some cute options that you can design online and pickup in store the same day!
3. Wrap your gifts + check your list twice. Sort through your gifts. Check it against your Christmas list and make sure you have something for everyone on it. Then, read through your list to see if you left anyone off or need to pick up an extra item or two. DO THIS NOW. You do NOT want to have to run to the store next week. Many stores are offering free shipping with delivery by December 24 so long as you order by this Monday, December 21! Wrap everything. If you hate wrapping, check your local dollar stores for cheap giftbags and some tissue paper.
And if you’re gift just isn’t going to make it on time, print off a picture of the gift and wrap that instead!
4. Don’t forget the Christmas traditions. Do your kids or pets take a pic with Santa every year? Do you make sure to watch a Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph, or Frosty every year? Make a list of the Christmas traditions you want to make sure to still get in, and then set about completing them. Figure out where Santa is going to be at, and search the program guide to see when you can catch your favorite Christmas movies. Better yet, go ahead and set them to record in case you happen to be busy or away from home when they come on.
5. Pack for any travel. Travel is always hectic, but especially so around the holidays. Go ahead and pack now. Make sure to pack any special outfits you want to wear for the holidays first, and then add in everything else. That way you’re less likely to forget the things you want the most.
6. Buy an ornament for this year. I actually forgot to do this last year, and haven’t bought one yet for this year, so this is on my list for this weekend.
Now, for some extra holiday cheer/inspiration from my blogging buddies:
– Della has whipped up a recipe for gingerbread dip.
– For the Instagrammers, Becky shares these cute Instagram gift tags.
– Katie has a hilarious post titled, “The Annual Christmas Outdoor Light Tragedy.”
– Caitlin has a DIY Christmas for the Women roundup.
– Sarah shares 10 gifts that give back.
– Whitney has a pretty red and green Christmas tablescape idea.
– Emily has free Merry Christmas printable gift tags (I like to use cardstock for these) and an insightful post about how hectic this time of year is.
– Whitney shares tips on how to make your holiday house guests feel welcome.
– Jess has recipes for Christmas cranberry cake and gingerbread house icing.
– Keri has an easy last minute gift idea + printable gift tag to go with it.
– Holly has a cute elf-on-the-shelf kindness challenge with free printables.
– Stephanie shares 5 tips for decorating frugally, a recipe for chocolate chip peppermint crunch cookies, and 30 toy-free Christmas gift ideas for kids.
– Ruthie has an inspirational post for moms trying to meet expectations this holiday season and shares 6 ways to plan your family traditions.
– Michelle gives us a peek at her ornaments.
– Stasia made an easy DIY felt Advent Christmas tree calendar.
– Valerie discusses patience at Christmas (but it applies to any time of the year).
– Elizabeth came up with some cute learning activities for kids to do at the Christmas tree market.
