You’ve officially made it through Thanksgiving — now all that’s left is getting a head start on the rest of the year! In Part II, we’ve got tips to help you tackle the next couple weeks of holiday planning.
The first week of December
Simplify your life with bulk gift ideas
Your holiday gift giving may extend to family, neighbors, coworkers, and more. Keeping track of everything can get complicated (and expensive), but you can skip the headache by buying or making gifts in bulk, like the following:
- Holiday cookies or other desserts
- Coffee
- Oils or spice blends
- Candles
- Cold weather accessories, like mittens or ear bands
Try seasonal menu planning
Seasonal menu planning is meal planning with a twist. It focuses on scheduling and preparing meals that feature foods that are currently regionally available. Seasonal menu planning offers many benefits, such as:
- Helping you organize what you have to determine what you need
- Focusing on exploring local, in season ingredients and dishes that include them
- Opening the door for new family traditions
Look through your holiday home décor
Before pulling out your indoor and outdoor winter decorations, take the time to check for any broken or missing parts. By taking inventory before putting them up, you can make one early trip to get what you need, saving you a last-minute trip for parts, replacements, or batteries.
The second week of December
Give your home a winter clean
Cleaning your whole home may feel daunting, but it can feel a lot easier when you break down your winter cleaning into manageable tasks. You can ease into the process by cleaning the less-used rooms first.
Keep your home feeling lively with winter foliage
Adding winter foliage like the types below adds a beautiful, natural touch to your indoor winter decorations. To ensure freshness during your holiday gathering, do not purchase it or bring it inside until one to two days before your event. Make sure to double check your electrical connections for safety!
- Blue spruce
- Winterberries
- Black tulips
- Winter jasmine
- Glory of the snow
Make December easier with early holiday shopping
Getting gifts can overshadow the whimsy of the season, but handling your Christmas shopping list in the first half of the month gives you more time to sit back and enjoy it. Having all your gifts purchased and delivered early means you can also avoid longer lines, higher shipping costs, and items being out of stock — not to mention your gifts arriving after Christmas.
Create a holiday playlist
Whether your event is a block party or a quiet holiday dinner with family, set the mood with the perfect holiday playlist to take your gathering to the next level. Queue it up on the day of the event so everything is ready to go before guests arrive, and enjoy the ambience it sets for the rest of the night!
Be sure to check out Handling holiday planning: Part III of III for more information on how to prepare for Christmas, and explore our coverage guide or call 866.589.5767 to find out how to be prepared for an unexpected breakdown of your major home systems or appliances.
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