Your Holiday Planning Primer {+ Free Holiday Planning Printables}

The key to enjoying the holidays? Proper planning of course! Become a holiday planning Ninja with this step-by-step process (+ free planning printables)

Last Updated – November 2020

We’re focusing on ways to make the holiday season less stressful and more joy-filled this month as part of the Organize and Refine Your Home Challenge. Last week, we took a hard look at our expectations and attitude heading into the holidays, spent some time setting our holiday priorities and eliminating holiday obligations. This week, it’s all about holiday planning.

How to Become a Holiday Planning Ninja

1. BEGIN YOUR HOLIDAY PLANNING EARLY

Would it surprise you to hear that most of the holiday planning books and resources suggest that you begin the planning process in late September/early October? 

When you begin your holiday planning well in advance of the official holiday season, it will enable you to spread out your massive To Do list into bite-size chunks (always the key to nipping the “overwhelm” in the bud).  In addition, you will be able to identify tasks that can be completed well in advance, which frees up more time for relaxation and enjoyment as the holiday week draws near.

2. CREATE A MASTER HOLIDAY TO-DO LIST & CALENDAR

Begin the planning process by creating a Master Holiday To-Do List, that outlines each task that you need to complete for the holidays and order them by the month in which the task needs to be completed.

{Click on the image to download your Master Holiday To-Do List}

Be sure to consider the following broad categories when creating your To-Do List:

Holiday Home Preparation – cleaning, decluttering, decorating, taking inventory of your pantry, prepping the kitchen

Holiday Hosting – grocery shopping, menu planning, sending out invitations, cooking/baking;

Holiday Shopping/Gift Giving – budget, gift recipient list, gift ideas, shopping, gift wrapping, homemade gifts;

Holiday Traditions – family portrait, holiday cards, caroling, tree farm, religious events

Once you’ve completed your To-Do list, the next steps in your planning process are to:

1. estimate how long each task will take to complete
2. determine a start date and a deadline for each task
3. enter these dates into your holiday calendar.

{Click on the image below to download a reusable November/December printable calendar}

3. CREATE A HOLIDAY PLANNING BINDER

A holiday planning binder is really THE most essential tool for maintaining your sanity during this time of year (read why binders are your organizing BESTIE here).

Your holiday binder should serve as the home for all information, resources, and planning tools you need to accomplish the tasks on your Master Holiday To-Do List.  In addition to your To-Do List and calendar, the holiday binder is the place to store the following:

• holiday budget
• shopping lists
• party menus
• holiday card recipient list
• coupons
• receipts

Create your binder with a 3-ring binder filled with page protector inserts to protect your printables. Next, it’s time to go on the hunt for printables.

Use holiday planner printable sets to create a holiday planning binder that’s customized just for you (no need to start from scratch!). Check out my Holiday Planner here. Other great resources for free holiday planning printables are the Organized Christmas and Life Your Way websites.  Both of these printable sets include a super-comprehensive array of checklists, inventory sheets, and shopping lists that you can use to create a customized holiday planner that perfectly suits your needs.

4. DELEGATE HOLIDAY-RELATED TASKS

I do believe that one of the major reasons we experience holiday overwhelm is that we feel like it’s our job to complete all of the things on our Holiday To-Do list ourselves. Um, nope!

This year, I invite you to challenge that belief and explore ways to delegate some of the tasks to others.

Have your kids stuff the holiday cards into the envelopes. 

Divvy up the shopping by dividing the gift purchase list in half and give one half to your spouse. 

If you’re hosting a holiday dinner party, make it a “potluck” so that you’re preparing only the main course instead of the entire dinner.

If you’ve got a bit of cushion in your holiday budget, then by all means, consider hiring professionals to outsource certain tasks (a handyman to install exterior lights, a professional cleaning service, a printing company to address and send out holiday cards). These small investments will pay you back tenfold in the form of less stress!

YOUR HOLIDAY PLANNING ASSIGNMENT:

1. Create a Master Holiday To-Do List
2. Identify tasks that can be completed early in the season
3. Print out a November-December calendar and schedule items from your To-Do list in your calendar
4. Create a holiday planning binder using one of the printables sets listed above (or another set of your choice)
5. Determine which tasks on the To-Do list you will delegate and determine who will be responsible for completing those tasks.

And that’s how you plan your holiday like a pro!

Do you have a favorite holiday planning tool, resource, or method?  Let me know about it. I’d love to check it out!

This post is part of the Organize and Refine Your Home Challenge