6 Must-Do Tasks—NOW Before the Holidays
So…maybe there are still three whole months until the end of the year…there’s “no rush” to send off your Santa letters just yet, right?
Wrong.
As you walk around town these days, local storefronts will tell you the truth of the matter. With holiday card stock already on the shelves—not to mention the decorations and your favorite holiday foods all around—it’s all you can do not to check your calendar and wonder just how close the holidays really are!!
Just like an image flashing in your rear-view mirror, however, things CAN be closer than they appear…don’t just count the number of DAYS or WEEKS until the holidays this year, count the things you could do now to avoid heartbreak later AND to set yourself up for the most enjoyable holiday season this year!!
Even with big events like Halloween still to come, it’s in your best interest to consider these 6 key tasks to get ready for real holiday cheer this year. Allow yourself to get excited sooner, alright?! After all…what else are the holidays for if not to show our gratitude AND excitement for time with loved ones (and a NEW year on the horizon)!!
6 Must-Do Tasks
With even a little bit of forethought now, you can save yourself a TON of time later…not to mention effort, cost and heartache…because December will roll in FAST and nothing will be “as planned” this year.
The last eight months have probably given you a good sense for that…
Now is the perfect time to get ahead of the things that start the ball rolling on even more activities once November and December grow near.
Dive into this list of 6 must-do tasks…and tell me which of these YOU will be most excited about this year!!
1: Gifts – NOTHING is “too early” this year…
Take your regular planning calendar for gift shopping and bump it up by WEEKS. Shopping has to be done sooner this year for two key reasons:
First, there are HUGE supply interruptions getting products to stores, meaning there will be fewer of everything available…
Second, even if you ARE doing most of your shopping online, as we get closer to the holidays the DELAYS in mail and courier services will only get more pronounced.
Be sure to read our “Christmas in July” checklist to see where gift shopping falls in the calendar of all your other holiday to-dos!!
2: Stage BEFORE décor!
If you’re as BIG a fan of holiday decorations as I am…you’re ALWAYS ready to put them up! But even we get tired and frustrated after our arms turn to limp noodles…with all the pinning and hanging and draping décor around the house, it’s kind of a slap in the face when you have to shove things around later and mess it all up!!
Staging for the holidays is a BIG thing to consider that virtually NO one takes into account. But…if you will be entertaining, or if you need more space in the kitchen to cook…how will the flow of the main spaces in your home accommodate that?! This question has to be answered in your living area staging.
You’ll find LOADS of stuff on Google about staging your home to sell over the holidays. But those of us staying put need to think about our comfort over the next three months, too, and that starts with staging!
Staging, in fact, needs to be done BEFORE you decorate for the very reason I touch on above…if your living room is going to get moved around, put stuff in place first so you can better visualize and plan your décor.
3: Decorate!
Yes, THEN it’s time to decorate!! You can’t do everything all at once, of course, so schedule this to be done within a timeline that is realistic. You want to enjoy it, after all! If you feel overwhelmed or pressed for time, that will suck ALL the enjoyment out of it…
EXPERT TIP: As you put decorations up, be sure your lights in living spaces are equipped with dimmers. These are inexpensive and easy to install…and bring instant ambiance and light control to each room.
And another tip…part of décor are AROMAS! If you’ve already filled your home with the smell of cookies a time or two this year, try peppermint next…you will INSTANTLY be in great holiday cheer!! Make your home feel warm all season long…
4: Don’t forget the holiday pajamas and slippers!
This is such a small thing, but makes such a BIG difference! Not only will you be cozier with some cute holiday PJs this year…but if you keep several pairs of slippers by the door (for each member of your family, as well as a couple extra pairs for visitors), every experience in your home will be a warm and inviting one…AND you’ll protect your flooring from winter gunk and chemicals!
Trust me, this one detail has FAR greater value than you might imagine…
5: Get important people on your calendar!!
We ALL have that handful of people closest to us whom we KNOW we’ll buy gifts for…and since these are the special folks that automatically make it to the list, we can start doing better research earlier to find them the PERFEC presents this year!
Listen actively to what these special people in your life say over the next several weeks…and invent a reason to call or chat, too! What are they saying? What do they value? And what do they look for from you?
When ideas do pop up, write them down and get shopping!
6: Think about your fur babies, too!!
Surely you’re NOT surprised that I’m writing about pets…
This REALLY is something to talk seriously about. As you prepare for the holidays, pet safety includes everything from knowing what table scraps are “dos” and “don’ts” to ensuring none of the shiny “new stuff” in your holiday décor attracts a curious set of teeth!
Pets climb, pets chew…and NOTHING can spoil your good cheer like an emergency visit to the vet!
We wrote about the most important pet-proofing safety tips or the holidays in an article…be sure to check it out!
Also: do YOU know what the #1 safety hazard is for children and pets in homes?! Click to read and find out!!
Be honest…which of these would you have REALLY thought of on your own?! What does your holiday “honey-do” list look like? Don’t forget…we provide staging consultations and LOADS of handyman and maintenance work for the holidays every year, starting now…including coming over just to lug the tree out of the attic for you!
Give us a call or ask us your questions on Facebook!! I mean it, this is stuff to do NOW!
