Let the Holiday planning commence! In order to lower the physical, mental, financial stress of the holidays, I try and start planning/shopping/baking starting in November. I am already gathering recipes and bookmarking gift ideas now. Here are a few things that I do (that you can do, too!) to help lessen the load in December and let me and my family spend that time enjoying all that the season has to offer:
Freezer meals
I plan on putting together 5-6 freezer meals this month to enjoy next month. These can also include dishes for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. We typically have 2 Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners (one with my family, one with my husband's) and I always contribute a side or dessert. It's nice during the hustle to know that you've got a few good meals in the freezer that you can fix for your family instead of relying on fast food or take out. Here are a few I will be doing. It's helpful to make 2 of the same one at the same time as well:- Lemon Chicken
- Cheesy Chicken with Beans and Rice
- Creamy Ranch Pork Chops & Potatoes
Prepare and Freeze Cookies/Pie Dough
Cookie baking time really sneaks up on you during the holidays. You can't bake them too far in advance because you want them to be fresh, so you end up rushing around within a few days making gifts for friends, neighbors and parties. Within the next few weeks, I'm going to start planning out my baking and freezing my cookie and pie dough so when the time comes, I can thaw, bake and decorate! It's a simple way to save time on the front end. Here are some of the recipes I will be freezing:- Sugar Cookies (thaw and bake)
- Cranberry Noels (thaw and bake)
- Chocolate Crinkles (can bake and freeze)
- Pie Dough (thaw to use)
Start Gift Shopping NOW
No time like the present to shop for presents. At least start keeping friends and family in mind while you're in a store or browsing online. If you can mark people off your list here and there, your future self will thank you. Plus, it won't be such a burden on your December paychecks. We usually start setting aside money in an envelope for the holidays around August which helps as well. Black Friday flyers are popping up all over the internet, so if you are a Black Friday shopper you can go ahead and see what items you are going to be able to get that day and if they are really a good deal or not. I try and have all of my shopping done by Black Friday with the exception of my husband's gifts. We always see where we are budget wise after shopping for others before we buy for ourselves.Crafts and Handmade Gifts
If you like to give handmade gifts or make homemade decorations for the holidays, now is a great time to start. Though your December calendar may look pretty wide open, you will start getting more invites and activities jotted down in those now blank squares. I can tell you from experience, December 12th is no time to start knitting a scarf if you want to keep your sanity. I enjoy making handmade tags and bows for my gifts also, and I hope to start on those very soon. That way, you can enjoy the process knowing that you have the time to.I plan on putting together some gift ideas in the next few weeks so check back soon!
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