I hope you’ve been following our monthly Christmas to-do list. (If you haven’t, scroll down to see our month-by-month list.) The idea is to do a few things every month so that the holiday season will be less stressful and more enjoyable. Here are the things I do to get ready for Christmas in September.
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Getting Ready for Christmas in September
ONE: DEEP CLEAN LIVING ROOM
We’ve been deep cleaning one room a month so we’ll be ready for all our holiday visitors. This month we’re focusing on the living room. Deep cleaning would include decluttering, which I do in September because that’s when I put up my fall decorations. Before the fall decor goes up you can move the furniture, sweep/vacuum/dust under and behind it, dust the ceiling and corners of the room, take the wall decor down and dust it and the wall behind it, dust the ceiling fans and lamps, clean out any drawers or baskets (including that pile of magazines!), wash or clean your window treatments, remove couch cushions and vacuum under them, and finally, dust or clean everything on the bookshelves.
TWO: GO SHOPPING
It’s hard to fit all the holiday shopping in one month’s budget so I like to buy a few things early:
- Christmas pillow covers – I’ve written a whole article about how I decorate my living room by switching out throw pillow covers and where to get them for under $10!
- batteries – You KNOW you’re gonna need batteries. Nothing worse than opening presents on Christmas morning and realizing that you can’t play with your new toy because it didn’t come with batteries! Buy a few of all the most popular sizes: AAA, AA, D, 9V. We keep a box marked “batteries” in our pantry.
- hard candies – I always buy a 5-pound bag of peppermints and another bag of Tootsie Rolls to add as surprises in my Etsy orders! One year I bought a box of mini candy canes but they didn’t ship very well. I ended up using them as treats at my holiday craft shows.
- canned goods for food drives – If you buy a few extra non-perishable food items each week you’ll have a great basket to donate for holiday food drives without even noticing a bite out of your budget.
THREE: MAKE GIFTS
Continue working on your handmade Christmas gifts. One trick I use to make a lot of gifts is to choose one project, set up an assembly line, and crank out a lot of gifts. We’ve made wreaths, necklaces, signs, and ornaments with this method.
Check out these DIY ideas for handmade gifts:
- Stenciled Nativity Ornaments
- Vintage Salt Shaker Christmas Ornaments
- 60 Ideas for Handmade Gifts for Adults
FOUR: SCHEDULE FAMILY CHRISTMAS PHOTO
Contact your photographer and get on their schedule early! These spots fill up fast! (BTW, my son-in-law is a GREAT photographer so leave a comment if you’re looking for someone in Ontario, Canada.)
FIVE: UPDATE CALENDARS & LISTS
Update all those lists you made back in July. Keep your calendar updated, too. As soon as you receive an invitation put it on the calendar. We always start checking with family members to see who’s hosting and who’s traveling for the holidays, too.
If you want to enjoy the holiday season more and do a little to prepare for Christmas throughout the year check out these other articles… or click “next page” to go to the next article in the series.
After Reading Christmas in September…
- 5 Things I do in July to Prepare for Christmas
- 5 Things to do to Prepare for Christmas in August
- The 5 Things to do for Christmas in September (you are HERE)
- 5 Things I do in October to Prepare for Christmas
- 5 Things to do in November to Get Ready for Christmas
Thanks for reading!
‘Til the next project,
Ann @ Duct Tape and Denim
Sheri says
Great ideas. Thanks for sharing at the To Grandma’s House We Go DIY, Crafts, Recipes and More link party. I pinned this. Hope to see you again next week.
Jodie Fitz says
I am so not ready to think about the holidays. I can barely think about September (lol) – I am currently living in denial. Thanks for sharing at Reader Tip Tuesday. I can’t wait to see what you have to share at this week’s party. Have a great week – xo
http://www.jodiefitz.com/2018/09/18/reader-tip-tuesday-weeks-craft-recipe-party-14-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2/
Richella J Parham says
Your organization inspires me! I usually leave things until nearly the last minute, then I’m overwhelmed with everything I need to do. Maybe this year I can follow your example!
Thanks so much for joining the Grace at Home party at Imparting Grace. I’m featuring you this week!