Can you believe that there are only 41 days until Christmas? This weekend the magnitude of my holiday to-do list set in and I began to panic about everything I need to get done. When that panic set in I knew I need to sit down and strategize my holiday season. With pen and paper in hand, I outlined a strategy to take the stress out of the holidays and put the joy back in.

I know many of you can relate so today I’m sharing my tips for a Stress-Free Holiday Season.

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PLAN YOUR HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES

Planning is key to getting things done this holiday and finding time to enjoy the season. The first thing to do is pull out your calendar and jot down all the activities you want and need to participate in. Plan time to enjoy holiday traditions with family and friends and block out time to just relax.

tip: pull out your favorite board games and put them in a basket where they are accessible and will encourage play time.

CREATE A DETAILED GIFT LIST

If you haven’t started your gift list yet , it’s time to sit down and create one. Spend time online looking for the perfect gift and do some price comparisons. Plan to shop on Small Business Saturday (Sat., Nov. 26th) to support your favorite local businesses. When planning your gift lists, gather store coupons so they will be handy when you head out to shop.

tip: many stores have already started offering Black Friday Deals so shopping early can reduce stress and save you some money.

And to make things even easier, I created a fun Gift List printable below for you to use.

Download Christmas Gift List

GET THE GUEST ROOM READY

Hosting guests during the holidays doesn’t have to be overwhelming if you plan ahead. Stock up on petite size toiletries and snack food for your guest to use and enjoy. Wash sheets and towels and placed them in a linen closet or accessible storage area. Create an essential list for your guest including phone numbers, house alarm code, wi-fi password and local points of interest.

tip: place a basket in your guest bedroom to hold extra blankets and pillows so guest don’t have to come asking for them.

STOCK UP ON NECESSARY COOKING SUPPLIES/FOOD ITEMS

Don’t take the chance that your grocery store will have everything you need days before Thanksgiving and Christmas. Plan your holiday menus and shop now for all the necessary supplies. Stock up on items like beverages, frozen food and spices so you have enough to last through the season.

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DECORATE YOUR OWN WAY

Decorating during the holidays can sometimes feel like a challenge–who can make their home the merriest. One way to take the stress out of the season is to decorate your way. Decorate as little or as much as you want and don’t feel bad if you don’t get it all done. This is the time of year when the focus should be on spending time with family and friends and remembering all that we have to be grateful for.

tip: if the idea of decorating a tree has you cringing, don’t do it. Hang a few garlands and wreaths, put out a few Christmas pillows and call it a day.

PLAY MUSIC

Music is proven to have a calming effect so during the busy holiday season turn on some tunes and enjoy the season through music. Create a holiday playlist in iTunes that includes your favorite Christmas songs and make it a point to enjoy at least 30 minutes of music each day.

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KEEP YOU HOME CLUTTER FREE AND ORGANIZED

It’s easy to let clutter and chaos take over during the holidays. Create storage areas of holiday wrapping paper, supplies and cards so you have a designated place to store things. And spend 10 minutes every day walking through the house so that task of doing major cleaning is more manageable.

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Preparing For The Holidays…RELAX & ENJOY

The most important tip I can share for reducing stress this holiday is to relax and enjoy the season.

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Hello friends! Where is the time going? Today I’m tapping into my inner girl scout and sharing a post about being prepared. And while this is a post about getting ready for Christmas, it’s not meant to take the focus off of Thanksgiving and what that holiday means. Instead my goal is to help you get a jump of Christmas so that once Thanksgiving has passed you can usher in the Christmas season with less stress and anxiety and enjoy it to the fullest.

By nature I’m a preparer and organizer. I don’t function well without order in my life, a daily to-do list, and a cup of tea in the morning. So, these tips are just as much for you as they are for me. With only 7 weeks before Christmas, nows the time to start making that list and checking it twice!

#1 Pull out your holiday decor and assess what you have. Stores have been stocked with Christmas decor for weeks (and in some cases months) and items are selling fast. Now is the time to take inventory of what Christmas decor you have and what items you need to purchase. This is especially key when it comes to Christmas lights because there never seem to be enough white Christmas lights to go around.

#2 Determine your holiday decor theme. Once you’ve looked through your Christmas decor, determine what your decorating theme will be this year. You may have a traditional look that you want to continue with or you may want to change things up a bit. Whatever look you want, now is the time to get a picture in your head so when you start to decorate you’ll know exactly the look you want.

# 3 Schedule time to buy, set-up and decorate the tree. Decorating a Christmas tree is a task so block out time on your calendar for decorating so you don’t feel rushed. If you buy a live tree, plan the date when you’ll go purchase the tree and then make sure the area where it will go is clear and free for when you bring it home.

# 4 Plan your gift list. All of the major retailers and online stores have begun to promote their holiday gift guides. Gift guides show you the hottest items of the season so take note because they can be a great starting point in helping you create your own gift list. If you’ve got electronics and toys on your list, it’s also a great time to start price shopping to find the best deals.

# 5 Buy (or make) your Christmas cards. I was in Target the other day and they have the cutest Christmas cards. Just like gift wrap and Christmas lights, the weeks before Thanksgiving is when Christmas cards start flying off the shelf. Head to the store in the next week to get your cards so you don’t miss out on the best designs. Or you can be totally insane like me and try to fit handmade cards onto the to-do list!

# 6 Create a giftwrap station (or at least pull together your holiday wrapping materials). I love to wrap gifts so creating a gift wrap stations is something I love to do. Fill a basket with holiday wrapping essentials so everyone in the family can easily access the items. Here’s what items should be included in your giftwrap station: assorted size boxes, tissue paper, wrapping paper, ribbon, tape, tags, embellishments, scissors

**my favorite sources for holiday wrap this year: Giftwrap Wonderland, Sugar Paper LA and Paper Source

#7 Ready the guest room. There’s always lots to do to prepare for the holidays and it’s the little things that often get overlooked. If you have guests coming for Christmas, spend a couple of hours getting the guest room prepared. Check out my guest room ready post to help you welcome your guests in style.

# 8 Set the table. I know this won’t work if you use your dining table everyday but I know for many folks the dinning room only gets used on special occasions. If you fall into that category, plan ahead and get the table ready for your holiday dinner. Iron the linens, pull out the china and create your place settings. A few days before Christmas, create the centerpiece and you’ll be all set.

# 9 Plan you menu & buy cooking staples. Cooking is not one of my favorite things to do and I get really cranky when I decide to cook and find I’m missing a staple like baking soda or spices. Now is the time to loosely plan your holiday menu and purchase all of the staples you’ll need so you have them on hand.

and with all that preparation you be able to…

# 10 Enjoy the season! Taking time to prepare for the busy holiday season will pay off in big ways because you’ll be able to relax, enjoy a hot toddy and watch your favorite Christmas movies without stress.