How I'm Prepping For The Holidays

Thanksgiving is over and things are in full holiday swing over here. This is such a fun month and there are so many things to enjoy and celebrate. Christmas is a holiday filled with much loved traditions for me. Like all traditions there’s a lot of prep work involved. I’m sharing a few ways that I start my holiday prep in this week’s post so check it out if you need some tips for planning a wonderful holiday season.

List Making

I usually buy gifts for folks throughout the year since it’s a little easier on the budget, but in the first week of December I make my gift list to make sure I have something for everyone.

If you’ve haven’t yet, check out my Jetsetter Gift Guide for gift ideas for the traveler in your life.

Buy a real Christmas Tree

The day after Thanksgiving I run out and get a real tree and begin decorating for Christmas. I firmly believe in waiting until Thanksgiving is over, but essentially once the clock strikes midnight, I’m in full blown Christmas mode. If you get real trees, and live in a smaller apartment or condo like me it’s especially important to get it early because the reasonably sized trees disappear fast.

Book tickets to the Nutcracker

It has become a family tradition to go see the Joffrey Ballet’s Nutcracker so I buy tickets early to make sure we get decent seats. Chicago in particular has so many wonderful holiday traditions that if you don’t like the Nutcracker, there are plenty of other show options to choose from so get your tickets quick!

Send out Christmas cards

Last year was the first year I sent out Christmas cards and I’m determined to keep this a tradition. I love snail mail and its a time of year where its acceptable to send. Even if you didn’t get to meet up with someone during the year because life is crazy these days, sending Christmas cards is a nice way to show them you care and they are still in your thoughts !

Organize photos

For the past few years I give an album to my parents that contains photos taken throughout the year. It’s filled with pics from special occasions but even has those every day snapshots taken on my phone. To do this I organize and clean up an entire year’s worth of photos on my phone and laptop. It usually takes me a few hours since I take way too many pictures but its worth it to stay organized !

I use Shutterfly to make the album and its such a lovely gift. I also make a copy for ourselves and it’s a nice way to keep memories! Pro tip: only order their photo books when there’s a sale to save cash. Shutterfly has 50% off sales all the time so make sure you order at the right time.

Leave one weekend free

December is one of those months where there’s an event almost every evening and weekend. I love staying at home and enjoying those cozy winter nights. To make sure I stay sane I always block off one whole weekend with nothing to do but enjoy sitting by my tree and watching my favorite holiday movie, White Christmas.