Preparing for the holidays… in an organized way
The busy holiday season can easily catch you off guard if you’re not adequately prepared and organized ahead of time.
This blog post aims to help you get your home and family ready for the upcoming holidays, so you won’t find yourself rushing at the last moment to gather outfits, decide on delicious meals, or decorate your space. With numerous tasks to complete during this hectic period, let’s break everything down into a well-structured timeline to avoid any last-minute chaos.
What follows is a detailed list and helpful tips based on my own preparations for hosting a holiday. This year, I’m excited to be hosting both Thanksgiving and Christmas. My goal is to relax and enjoy the holidays with family traveling in from out of state, and I’m confident I can achieve that through thoughtful, strategic planning and organization.
I enjoy preparing and baking all of our holiday foods and treats from scratch. I understand that this isn’t the case for everyone. If baking and cooking isn’t your thing, feel free to skip these sections of the list. You'll still discover plenty of useful ideas and tips throughout.
Now, let’s dive in. I’m starting the timeline well in advance to ensure there’s ample time to cover everything. We all know that unexpected situations can arise at the last minute, whether it’s a sick child, delayed travel plans, or some other unforeseen event. By planning ahead, you’ll be ready to handle any surprises that may come your way.
8+ weeks before the holiday:
make sure your appliances are all clean and ready to go. if not, schedule repairs now
do you have all utensils, platters, plates, etc to serve your meal and your crowd on the holiday? now is the time to take inventory and make any necessary purchases
work on gift wish lists (if applicable). I have ongoing Amazon gift wish lists for each of my kids that I add items to throughout the year. That way, I at least have some ideas for what they may want when a birthday or holiday comes around
create a list of everyone you will be purchasing gifts for as well as some ideas for each person
if you are traveling for the holiday it is time to book all necessary arrangements if you haven’t already done so
finalize plans for the big day. are there any reservations that need to be made? any tickets that need to be purchased?
6+ weeks before the holiday:
book any necessary haircuts for family members
start thinking about how you want your table to look. do you need to purchase anything new or do you have items from prior holidays you can reuse?
start planning holiday cards and order if you’re ready. purchase stamps and get updated addresses as needed (I keep all addresses in a google sheet so it I can update it from my phone or my computer as needed)
make space in your home for new gifts and toys. this is a great way to motivate your family members to let items go to either in the trash or to donations as needed.
5+ weeks before the holiday:
pull your holiday items out of storage. as you go through everything make sure it is still in good shape and fits your current style. determine what can be used for your table and home decor. if you find that you need some new items it is time to get shopping!
is there a new recipe you want to try? this is the time to do it, not the day of
finalize gift wish lists and send them out to family and friends as needed
revisit your list of everyone you are purchasing gifts for and the gift ideas. once you’ve finalized your gifts it is time to start shopping
4+ weeks before the holiday:
finalize your menu and recipes. I also like to incorporate a signature cocktail that I can make a batch of the day of the celebration to share with guests
finalize your table and home decor
if you haven’t already, now is the time to order your holiday cards
order shoes, clothing, accessories, etc that are needed for you and your family. my kids always need new dress shoes this time of year, so I try to grab them in advance before everyone else does
check your gift wrapping supply. if you need to purchase additional ribbing, tissue paper, etc this is a good time to do it. I like to wait and wrap all gifts at once but I know a lot of people like to wrap as gifts arrive so you will want to have all materials on hand to be ready
if you are hosting a party go ahead and send out invitations at this time so guests have plenty of time to plan their schedules and RSVP
3+ weeks before the holiday:
address and mail holiday cards
finalize outfits for the family to wear on the holiday
this is when I start to do my deep cleaning. some examples are: wiping out refrigerator, dusting baseboards, cleaning off light switches, etc.
2+ weeks before the holiday:
if you are hosting guests in your home make sure you have everything on hand they might need. I like to keep small toiletries, extra towels, soap, etc accessible so that they have everything at their fingertips
if there are any last minute gifts that you need to purchase, try and complete all of your shopping this week. regardless of prime shipping, items might take longer than expected
use this time to catch up on anything that you haven’t had the time to address prior
1+ week before the holiday:
start shopping for and purchase pantry items for your upcoming meal(s)
if you haven’t wrapped any gifts yet, now is the time to do it
the week of the holiday:
purchase fresh items needed for your holiday meal
do a cleaning of your home so it is fresh and ready to go
create a timeline for the food you are preparing. for example: if you know you want to eat at 4pm but the turkey is going to take 5 hours from start to finish, write down to turn on your oven to its temperature at 10:30 so the turkey can go in at 11am. try to do this for all of your recipes so that you have a clear understanding of what needs to go in when, their temperature and their duration
prep any food that you can ahead of time. I know that I can make the gravy, assemble stuffing, chop vegetables in advance. I like to use cookie sheets stacked between casserole dishes so save space in my refrigerator. I also cover prepared dishes with foil and write the temperature as well as the cooking time in sharpie so I do not have to refer back to the recipe itself
create a final playlist of music you want to hear during your meal
the day of the holiday:
cook, bake and prepare as needed!
focus on spending quality time with loved ones. don’t stress about things being perfect
take photos and enjoy the moments, knowing you’ve prepared well.
tips for after the holiday to save your sanity for next year:
pack your items away in an organized manner. I personally like to put all of the mantle decor in one box labeled ‘mantle.’ same goes for table decor, bar decor, etc.
take pictures of your home and all of it’s decor! this way you can simply copy and paste for next year. you will also be able to easily refer back to your photos as needed and remind yourself what you already have
create a list in your phone of things that broke or that you were missing this holiday season. that way, when all the holiday goodies hits the shelves in stores next year you will be able to focus on what you actually need
make notes on all of your recipes. write down what went well, what you liked/disliked, how long something actually took to cook/bake. You can also start a ‘holiday recipes’ binder to keep all of your recipes, notes, timeline, etc in one place
Thank you for taking the time to read my holiday timeline. I hope you found it helpful and will help you stay organized this holiday season. Your feedback is invaluable in making it even more comprehensive and enjoyable. If you have any tips that others might find useful, please share in the comments below.
Happy holidays!!
