I’m sure you are wondering why I am doing a Christmas post In September.  I haven’t gone crazy, but I do like to avoid stressful situations if possible (especially around the holidays). I’m taking what I’ve learned and I’m going to tell you each month how to prepare for a stress-free Christmas.  Now, I’m not suggesting you get out your Christmas decor this early (although being a blogger it won’t be long before I’m pulling mine out of the attic.) There are lots of things to prepare for way before pulling the first box out of storage.  Take the time months before the actual decorating starts and your Christmas will go a lot smoother.  Trust me!!  Having a well thought out plan is the biggest stress reliever.  Check out my list of things you can do in September to prepare for a fabulous Christmas!

Christmas Planning In September

1.  First you want to review your past year’s themes and pictures.  Hopefully you documented some pictures either on social media or some special holiday moments.  You can look at the photos and see what themes, colors, and recipes worked as well as what was a flop.  You may want to repeat a theme you already did or try a completely different one.  This is your time to plan and use this time wisely.  You have a little while to do this process.  Take your time and really think about it.
2. Find inspiration from others.  There are so many sites now that are geared to the DIYer.  You can pull up Pinterest or Houzz and make boards or idea books to help you create inspiration for this Christmas.  If you’re looking for indoor seasonal decorating help, check out my services.  I would be honored to help you transform your space.  How can you know where you’re going if you don’t know what you want?  These beautiful search engines help us gather visual information and organizes it so you are able to share your style with others.  You can also build a community of people who share your same interest and vision.
3.  Walk around and take a visual inventory of where you’re going to put things.  This step is important because you need to decide how much of everything you need.  You can estimate how much ribbon you need and where you will put your main elements.  Then when you go looking at your decorations you can assess what you have and what you still need to buy.  You don’t know how many times I’ve come back with things I already had because I haven’t had my stuff organized so I could see it all.  If you’re looking for tips on organizing your Christmas decor, here is a great post to check out.
4. Look at your old stuff and evaluate what you currently own.  This is where putting your items up neatly from last year will come in handy.  If I know my theme at the end of last Christmas,  I try really hard to strategically place the tubs where I can get to the colors I need first for the next year.  That usually means putting all the colors I’m not going to use on the bottom of the stack.  Buy clear tubs if you can so you can easily see the color of your ornaments at a quick glance.
5. Buy ribbons, wrapping paper, and any other supplies as you see it on sale. Since I know my color scheme I have already begun buying things to match with my theme.  When I saw bathroom guest napkins, Lanterns, candles, and wrapping paper on sale I was able to buy them in advance and at a great price.  Getting things I need ahead of time saves me a trip I don’t want to take when I’m super busy in December.  I’m also saving money because I have time to actually wait until the items go on sale.
6. Plan your Christmas card outfits, pick your photographer, and gather addresses.  I don’t know about you but getting my Christmas card done is a huge task that bothers me until I have it sent out.   Last year we had family pictures done with my mother-in-law the day after Thanksgiving.  I should never have waited that long to do my own family’s photos.  I will never do that again!  I was so stressed.  By the time the photographer edits the photos and gets them to you then you still have to order them and address them.  I think they finally went out about December 18th.   It is too much when I’m so busy in December with other stuff going on.
7. Start getting stocking stuffers when you see something amazing.  I have always waited until the last week to get stocking stuffers and I am always running around to several different stores feeling like a basket case. I always end up finishing and pulling it off, but at what cost?  Last year I did it a different way and I have to tell you I will always do this.  I started really early and had this part done with the exception of a couple food items the kids always get.  I  just picked those up at the grocery store right before.                                                                                                        You can use your time and money wisely getting ahead with these Christmas planning ideas.  You will also be as prepared as you can when the time comes to actually decorate and purchase gifts.  No one wants to spend December rushing around and spending their time in stores.  Each month I will let you know what you can do to prepare for Christmas.  I hope these tips help you get organized.  Share with a friend who could use an enjoyable holiday season this year!