Ultimate 2024 Holiday Planner: Tips & Checklist
This is the Ultimate 2024 Holiday Planner, complete with tips and a holiday checklist for relaxed and organized holidays. Free, Printable Holiday Planning Checklist and bunches of tips for your most organized and relaxed Thanksgiving and Christmas ever! Week-by-week suggestions of what to tackle so that come the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas, you are all set to just relax and enjoy the festivities.
While I am a list maker in general, it took me way too long to get my act together to put everything that I want to do/need to do on paper. Now that I have this planner, my holidays are much less stressful
So, let’s talk about what we can do now, in small increments, to be able to enjoy all the holidays have to offer and reduce the exhaustion that we would otherwise feel when the big days roll around.
Table of Contents
This Holiday Planner Helps You Get and Stay Organized
I have found that the best way to avoid stress and enjoy a relaxed holiday is to get some planning and preparations done early. And as much as I use my phone for grocery lists and appointments, I find a printable planner works best for keeping me organized.
You can access this Printable Holiday Checklist in the Subscriber Benefits Library or click on one of the buttons at the bottom of this post, and I’ll send it right to your inbox. I have two versions of this Holiday Planner; one is already filled in with suggested activities for the next seven weeks, with extra space for your additions, and the other is completely blank…ready for you to fill in with all of your activities.
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Holiday Preparations in November:
Our first priorities this month will be Thanksgiving Preparations, but we can also toss in a few Christmas Preparation tasks as well.
First Week of November:
Now is the time to wrap your head first around what you will be serving for Thanksgiving. There is space on the planners to do this, but you could also pop over and print off the Thanksgiving Planner)
For many of us, this will be easy as we serve the same traditional dishes every year. However, for some of us, there will be some modest changes to that menu.
Jot down in your Holiday Planner what your menu will look like, where you will find the recipes, and start a grocery list of what will be needed for that sumptuous Thanksgiving feast. If you need some ideas, I’ve queried some of my talented foodie friends for their favorite Thanksgiving dishes.
Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Maple Cinnamon Butter
Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Asiago Cheese
Green Bean Casserole from Scratch
3 Secrets to The Best Turkey Ever
At the same time, noodle what your table will look like. (there is space on the planners to do this) Do your linens need to be washed? Do you need some flowers for your centerpiece? If you are hosting a large group, do you have all the dinnerware and silverware you need? This post might serve as a prompt for some of these preparations.
Make a note of your Christmas gift budget in total and by a person. After years of using an excel spreadsheet to manage my gift budget, I have just started to use the Christmas Gift List app…but I think it is just available for Android. The Christmas List seems to be a popular app for Apple. I’ll report back on my thoughts about the app after I have used it for a while.
Start thinking of the gifts you hope to give. I am forever seeking gifts that will be useful and appreciated! Given my neverending desire to scale back and declutter, I am loath to add to someone else’s clutter! Make sure you are thinking about hostess gift ideas as well…we all have holiday parties that we will be attending!
If you will be making gifts to give, go ahead and plan that out. What will you make? Do you need some supplies? Need some ideas?
Buckwheat and Lavender Microwavable Neck Wrap
Make sure you have enough time to get your indoor and outdoor plants together for your holiday decorations. I plant my amaryllis bulbs around the first week in November to allow them enough time to grow and bloom for Christmas.
Second Week of November:
We will get a lot done this week for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and you will be so glad that you got these preparations started.
- What food can you make ahead for Thanksgiving? (there is space on the planners to do this) This Turkey Stock is my go-to for the very best gravy. I have called my local groceries, and the turkey drumsticks I need will be in next week. And this Winter Cranberry Conserve is sitting in my pantry ready for its big day.
- Gather your addresses and edit your Christmas Card List. Spend a few minutes updating your list now to know how many cards you need so you won’t find yourself trying to find that ‘new address when you are trying to address your envelopes.
- If you are getting a photo taken for your Christmas Cards, go ahead and plan that.
- Plan your food gifts! (there is space on the planners to do this) Need some ideas?
- Plan your Baking Schedule. This Holiday Baking Plan for Christmas cookies and treats will help you decide what you will bake and when you need it.
- If you are baking Fruitcakes this year, go ahead and get that started so that your flavors have time to meld.
- Will you be entertaining over the next two months? If so, go ahead and plan those events. When? Where? Menu? (there is space on the planners to do this)
- If you plan to switch up your holiday decor this year, now is the time to figure that out. (there is space on the planners to do this) Do you need to purchase anything? Make anything?
- Along the same lines. If there is holiday decor you will not be using anymore, now is a great time to sell it on eBay or Facebook Marketplace or donate it to Goodwill or ReStore. Your church may also know of families that may need some Christmas cheer.
- Check your Gift Wrap Stash. Do you need more wrapping paper, ribbon, tape, gift tags, etc.?
- And along the same lines, it is not too late to organize your gift wrap. This DIY Wrapping Paper Organizer Cart is truly one of my favorite organization projects.
Third Week of November
Thanksgiving is next week, but we’ve been diligent about our holiday preparations, so we are not the least bit stressed! In fact, we are soaking up all the fun that happens this time of the year.
- You’ve got your list of Food Gifts that you want to make, now is a great time to get in the kitchen and start to make some of those food gifts and chip away at that list.
- Clean your home in anticipation of Thanksgiving and (if you are like me) Christmas decorating next week.
- Pull out your Baking Schedule and get some of those treats made. We like to have a few Christmas treat when we start decorating the day after Thanksgiving.
- Get those gifts that need to be mailed at the beginning of December.
- Purchase as much of your Thanksgiving meal as is practical, leaving those perishables to be purchased next week.
Fourth Week of November
Make and Freeze your Pie Crusts up to 3 days in advance. Here is my failproof Pie Crust recipe for tasty, tender, and flaky pies.
Set your Thanksgiving table early in the week.
Plan your Black Friday and Cyber Monday Shopping. Need some gift ideas?
Useful Stocking Stuffers for Cooks
Start decorating for Christmas after Thanksgiving.
Holiday Preparations in December
First Week of December
With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, it’s time to buckle down and prepare for Christmas.
- Mail out-of-town gifts
- Bake Christmas cookies
- Purchase and Wrap Gifts
- Plan Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals (there is space on the planners to do this!). I have some brunch and breakfast recipes for Christmas if you are interested.
Second Week of December
Our Christmas Preparations continue this week…
- Purchase and Wrap Gifts
- Purchase your yearly ornaments. If you are like us, we are each given a special Christmas ornament from my mom every year. If this is your tradition as well, make sure you have purchased those ornaments. We use these Ornament Gift Bags to wrap them.
- Do you have a puzzle going over the holiday? If so, do you need a new one?
- Plan your Christmas table
Third Week of December
Finish purchasing and wrapping gifts
- Shop for Christmas Meals
- Drive around and look at Christmas Lights. This website might help you find Christmas Light displays in your area.
Fourth Week of December:
- Soak up this time with your family and friends!
Phew, that was a lot! But in bite-sized pieces, we will really be prepared come the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas. As much as I think I thought of everything, I am sure I missed something. What did I miss? Please chime in with your suggestions so that I can add them.
So, grab your Holiday Planner Checklist in the Subscriber Benefits Library or click one of the following buttons and I’ll send it right to your inbox!
If you want the Holiday Planner pre-filled with suggested tasks, click this button:
If you’d like the outline of the Holiday Planner, but want to fill in all your own tasks, then click this button:
Bookmark this page or pin the following image to refer back to this Ultimate Holiday Planner in the future.
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Until next time…
Hugs,
