Christmas is now just less than a month away and I think this is a great time to get ready for Christmas activities so that December can be a time of celebration instead of frustration. The best way to get organized is through an elaborate Christmas countdown checklist which will help you and your family have more festive cheer and less stress. I have come up with my ultimate December Christmas Countdown Checklist to help you keep track of the important things that need to be done before Christmas Day!
***3 WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS
1.Buy a live tree
This is the right time for you to go shopping for a fresh Christmas tree. Make sure you have picked out the perfect Christmas Tree for your home. Trees will slowly be disappearing from many stores towards mid-December so it’s best to stock up as fast as you can!
2.Decorate:
Get your Christmas tree lights, tinsel and other decorations out of the storage! By putting up all your decorations that will get everyone in the mood for the festive season. Also, this will allow you to find out if anything is missing and get it on time.
3. Begin online shopping: Early December is the ideal time for online shopping for gifts because you’ll find many discounts offered from retailers around Black Friday and Cyber Monday.Also, This will give you time to return and replace any unsuitable items.
4. Send cards: This is an ideal time to start sending Christmas cards to friends and relatives.
***2 WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS
5. It’s about the presents! Start Wrapping!
It is time to wrap up those gifts! Make sure you have all the wrapping accessories you need! At this stage everyone is obviously starting to get curious about their gift which is why you should wrap them up to avoid spoiling the surprise and also to fill the space around the Christmas tree which will make a perfect backdrop for your holiday photos.
6. Get a Christmas photo taken
Whether it’s for your Christmas cards, gifts for the grand parents or just for your own records, now is the time to get a family photo taken. If you want to get them done professionally and haven’t booked your photographer yet, you may want to do that right now!
*** 1 WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS
7. A really deep clean
Prepare your home for Christmas by getting things super clean. Your decorations will look even better when the house is clean and the rooms are well organized.
8. Shop for fresh ingredients: Hit the shops for the last-minute vegetables or fruit you need for meals before they sell out.
9. Set the table:Get out your finest silverware or Chinaware from your cupboards and set the table.
Setting table and designing centerpieces are my favorite activities for Christmas. Here are some centerpieces from my previous Christmases!
***Non-Floral Centerpiece: Create a dramatic holiday centerpiece by combining bold bright red ornament balls with white plain candle. This is perfect for when you don’t have time to buy fresh flowers (and fresh flowers can be very expensive around Christmas Day)!!!
***Floral Centerpiece: even if you are not experienced with arranging flowers, you can never go wrong with hydrangeas (their full bloom do most of the work already)! Or some simple combinations of red/white roses with pinecones!
***Formal Place Setting: Here are some examples of how I set up my place setting. One of my favorites was the Pinecone Setting. Each place setting can be dressed up with a white washed pinecone and a tint of fir leaves!
***A DAY BEFORE
10.Finish up wrapping : If you bought any last minute gifts, this is the time to wrap them up and keep them safely.
11. Make a Christmas cooking timeline: Decide when your family will be feasting, then count backwards to determine when to begin cooking everything cooking and prepare a schedule for Christmas day.
Using this list should help you feel confident that your priorities are in place and that you have everything covered. Crossing off tasks when completed, that way you are on top of everything and have a good idea of your progress as you go.
With everything done on Christmas Day, just sit back and relax and be merry! Don’t be caught up in your arrangements that you forget to enjoy every moment you spend with loved ones.
Happy Holidays!!!
November 30, 2016
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