All right, let’s talk about holiday organization—keeping your sanity, staying organized, making the holidays fun, enjoyable, and filled with good memories. Basically, how you can plan for this Christmas season and avoid overwhelm.
This is a continuation of last week’s Christmas episode. If you missed that one, no worries! You don’t need it to understand this episode, but I’d still recommend checking it out. In that one, I talked about holiday tradition ideas for your family.
In this episode, we’re talking about staying organized with things like gift-giving, parties, hosting, and all the different things that happen during the holiday season. This applies whether you have kids or not. These are things I’ve learned over the years—being married, buying gifts for in-laws, parents, and more.
I’ve also grown as a mom, dealing with teacher gifts and other holiday responsibilities. Over the years, I’ve noticed how much more there is to manage, and these are tips that I think will help you, no matter your season of life, to make Christmas and the holiday season more enjoyable and restful.
So let’s get to it!
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Two years ago, I recorded my very first Christmas episode, and it was such a fun experience—and you all really loved it! Last year, I re-aired that same episode instead of creating a new one. But this year, I’m excited to bring you a brand-new Christmas episode. If you’d like to check out the episode from two years ago, here it is. That one covers different topics, including practical tips for taking time off from your business during the holiday season, and traditions through the lens of having even younger kids—Colin was only about a year old back then.
Now, let’s dive into the traditions! I’ve got seven to share with you today. One of them has a lot of subpoints, but most are big-picture ideas, with a focus on how to bring Jesus more into your holiday season. Let’s get started!
1. Create a holiday note that you add to each year and reopen when the season starts.
Let me explain. This might sound confusing at first, but it’s something I started doing two years ago, and it’s been a game-changer. I keep a Google Doc in my Google Drive, in a folder with other family-related documents. In this document, I add notes for myself about Christmas each year.
Here’s how I keep track of it: I’ve added it as a recurring event in my Apple calendar. Every year, on November 1st, it reminds me to review the document. The calendar event is called something like “Review December Doc” or “Review Holiday Doc,” and it includes a direct link to the file in the notes section.
This system works so well for me that I made a similar document for the fall season, since the Thanksgiving and Christmas one has been so helpful. You could adapt this idea for any season—summer, spring, or whatever suits you.
For the past two years, this document has covered everything from Thanksgiving through the end of the year. It’s just a collection of notes I’ve added each year. I’d recommend starting your own document after this Christmas season ends. It takes about 15 minutes to create, and I promise, your future self will thank you.
When you open it next year, you’ll find all kinds of helpful notes that you would’ve otherwise forgotten about. If you’re still thinking about fall right now, you could even make a fall version while it’s fresh in your mind.
Here’s an example of what I include:
- Send Christmas cards earlier than you think. It takes a long time to get them shipped, even when you pay extra for fast turnaround.
- Go smaller. Last year, ours were accidentally giant. Smaller would work better.
- Buy stamps early. USPS takes forever to mail stamps ordered online.
That’s it—just a few simple notes, but they make such a difference.
I also includes notes about:
- Timing the Christmas meal.
- Picking a Christmas church service that works with family visiting.
- Hosting Christmas at our house.
- Light shows we like to attend, including when to go.
- Social obligations—I wrote a big note for myself last year that I overbooked in December and didn’t want to repeat that.
This system has made planning so much smoother. You could even use a note on your phone if you want something quick and easy to add to anytime. Personally, I prefer sitting down at my computer to type everything out.
The key is to keep building on the same document every year. For example, this year would be your 2024 note, next year 2025, and so on. Over time, it becomes an invaluable resource for making each holiday season easier and more enjoyable.
So that’s my first and biggest tip: Make a holiday document to help your future self. It’s a game-changer!
2. Use Babylist for your family/kids wish list
I’ve actually been doing this for years—even before Babylist offered it as an official feature. Back when I was pregnant with Colin, I made a Christmas wish list for Adam and me on Babylist, in addition to my baby registry. So it was like two separate lists. Now, Babylist has expanded, and you can create registries for Christmas, birthdays, or an expected baby. It’s really cool and completely free to use.
What I love about Babylist is how versatile it is. You can make lists for gifts from a variety of stores, not just Amazon. In the past, I’ve seen people create documents where they link to gift ideas or type out suggestions for family members. But what makes Babylist better is that it allows people to mark items as purchased so you don’t get duplicates. You can also write descriptions about why an item would make a great gift or even mark certain items as “most wanted.”
Here’s what works well for us: we make one list for our whole family and share it via a single link. It’s super easy to send, and my in-laws, my mom, and my sister all really appreciate having it. They don’t have to guess what to get for Colin, Ethan, or even us. Everyone else in my family also does Christmas wish lists—most of them use Amazon, but we stick with Babylist.
Now, if your family dynamic is different and some people might be offended by a wish list, this might not work for you. But if your family asks, “What do the kids want? What do you want?” This is a really great option.
On our Babylist, I organize the categories not by item type (like toys or books, which is the default), but by family member. So our list has sections like Colin, Elizabeth, Ethan, Adam, Whole Family, and Both Kids. This setup makes it super easy for grandparents or other relatives to see what they might want to gift and to claim items so we don’t get duplicates.
Plus, what’s great about Babylist is that it’s flexible. If you’re someone who prefers experience-based gifts over physical ones, you can add anything with a URL. For example, you could include a zoo membership or tickets to an event. Literally anything with a link can go on the list.
I also have the Babylist app on my phone, so whenever I think of a gift idea for the kids, myself, or Adam, I can add it directly to the list. It’s so convenient and keeps everything organized!
3. Keep a document to track your gift-buying
For me, I like to use the notes app on my phone for this. I create a note titled something like “Christmas 2024 Gift Giving,” and under that, I list each person’s name with a bullet point list ready to go beneath their name.
Here’s how I use it: First, I jot down gift ideas as they come to me. If I think, “Oh, this person would really enjoy this,” I add it to their section. My family uses wish lists a lot, so I can also refer to those for ideas.
When I purchase a gift, I update the document to include what I bought and how much I spent. This helps me keep track of the total amount I’m spending per person and how many gifts I’ve gotten.
In years when I didn’t do this, I ran into problems. When you buy gifts gradually over time, it’s easy to forget what you’ve already purchased. You might end up overspending on some people or realizing too late that you underspent on others.
For example, you might find yourself in a situation where you only got someone a small $10 gift when you meant to spend more, or you might realize that you bought one family member way more than another—like getting your mother-in-law ten gifts and your father-in-law just one.
Everyone handles gift-giving differently. In our family, we buy gifts for everyone but try to keep the spending reasonable and not excessive. This list helps me make sure that we stay on track with what we’re spending and that everyone is covered equally.
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4. Do the same gift for teachers or other people who help in your life every year
I’m all about simplifying life by figuring out what works and sticking with it, especially for recurring gifts like those for teachers, lawn care providers, house cleaners, mail carriers, tenants (if you’re in real estate), or anyone else you give gifts to during the holidays. You don’t need to do this for everyone, but for the people you consistently give to, deciding on one go-to gift each year makes things so much easier.
It might take some trial and error to figure out your go-to gift, and it’s okay if it changes over time—like as your kids grow or your needs evolve. But once you find something that works, stick to it. It eliminates one of the many decisions you have to make during the holidays, which is such a relief.
I got this idea from the book The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi. It’s literally the first principle in her book: “Decide Once.”
I’m going to read a quick excerpt from it to explain the concept.
The easiest way to give your brain a break
The research on this is varied and probably hard to articulate anyway, but we make a lot of decisions—like a lot. Constant decision making is one of the reasons you don't have energy for the things that matter to you. By discovering a few opportunities to decide once, and then never again, you give your brain more room to play. You might think that making a preemptive decision is robotic, but automating makes you a robot only if you automate everything. Making one-time decisions about what doesn't matter, so you have brain space for what does, is the lazy genius way and you'll experience the benefits immediately.
And then in another part of this chapter, she goes on to say:
A single intentional decision relieves your brain of effort, freeing you to think about what matters to you instead of living in a cycle of choosing this and that over and over again. The possibilities are endless, but you don't need endless. Losing your grip on making 37 decisions by the end of this chapter, 36 of which you'll forget by tomorrow. Simply look for one idea that works for right now.
And then she gives you a lot of applications and she goes through examples of all of them. But one is deciding on gifts once, and she talks about gifts for teachers, birthday gifts for kids, friends, gifts for family members, wedding and baby shower gifts, and then all kinds of other things.
How I’ve Done This
For us, here’s how I’ve personally applied it: Our go-to gift for teachers and others is homemade sourdough bread and butter from a friend’s sourdough business. Depending on the recipient, we might also include a gift card. This has been our gift for teachers, local real estate tenants, and a few other people in our lives.
Once you figure out what works for you, make it a recurring to-do item each year—plan to buy or prepare the gift at the right time, and distribute it to everyone on your list.
You might try something this year and realize, “Okay, that didn’t work as well as I hoped.” That’s totally fine. Adjust for next year. The goal is to decide once and create a consistent gift-giving plan for the people you’re gifting during Christmas.
For us, sourdough bread has been a great solution—it’s thoughtful, supports my friend’s business, and is something I personally enjoy having at home too. It’s beautifully packaged, making it feel special. For some recipients, we add gift cards as needed to round it out.
Whether you choose one universal gift or tailor it slightly for different people, this approach simplifies the decision-making process, reduces stress, and makes holiday planning much easier.
5. Have go-to items that you make for holiday events every year to keep things simple.
This tip takes the "decide once” principle and applies it to something else: having go-to items that you make for all your holiday events each year to keep things simple. Similar to tip number four, this might take a few years or a few events to figure out, but it’s worth it to find what you, your guests, and your party attendees enjoy.
We all have holiday parties where we need to cook or bring something. A few years ago, I realized I was stressing myself out trying to find new recipes every year. I’d be on Pinterest, looking up cookie or appetizer recipes, trying something new every time. Often, I didn’t even like what I ended up making or spent so much time on it only for it to flop.
So now, I have one standard dish I make for all parties where I need to bring something—and it’s always a hit. I’m still working on my go-to Christmas dessert or cookie recipe, but when it comes to appetizers, I’ve found my staple. Last year, I made this recipe at least three, maybe four times in December. It became my go-to for Christmas parties, and people raved about it. At Adam’s work Christmas party, someone even told me it was the best appetizer they’d ever had.
It’s a cranberry jalapeño cream cheese dip served with Ritz crackers. The base is whipped cream cheese, and the topping is a sugared cranberry and jalapeño mix. It sounds like a strange combination, but it’s so good. It’s not hard to make, and people love it. Plus, it can be made ahead of time because it needs to set in the fridge, so you don’t have to worry about making it right before the party.
I made it on repeat last year, and I’ll be doing the same this year.
In addition to that, I also have two go-to items we make every Christmas morning as part of our tradition. It took me a few years to figure out what I wanted these special items to be. For a couple of Christmas mornings in a row, I tried different things to establish a tradition—this was even before we had kids. I tested a few breakfast casseroles, but none of them were great. One was hash-brown based, and the other was potato-based, but they were just unimpressive.
After two or three years of experimenting, I found my home-run dish. It’s a crescent roll breakfast casserole with a top and bottom crust, sausage, eggs, and cheese. It’s easy to make, can be prepped the night before, and my whole family loves it. Colin has enjoyed it, and we’ll see if Ethan likes it this year as a baby.
The other thing I make is a “done up cinnamon roll” recipe that’s so good. It’s become a tradition for both Christmas and Easter. But the breakfast casserole is reserved just for Christmas, and it’s something I look forward to every year.
So that’s number five: Have go-to items that you make for your Christmas events to keep it simple.
6. Buy things early (especially if they often run out before Christmas arrives!)
Okay, number six: Buy the things early that you can freeze and that often run out before Christmas arrives. This is just a simple thing to add to your calendar—whether it's the first week of December, the second week, or whenever you’re listening to this.
For example, we do this with the cinnamon rolls I mentioned earlier—the done-up cinnamon roll recipe we make. Those tend to run out, and if I wait until the week of Christmas, I’m running around to Publix, Kroger, and all the places trying to find them. So instead, I’ve learned to start early. I literally add them to my Instacart order every week until I manage to get some. It took me two weeks for them to be in stock this year, but now I have them in the freezer, ready to go.
I also do this with the frozen breakfast turkey sausage I use for our Christmas breakfast casserole. Since it’s something that freezes well, I can grab it early and not worry about it being out of stock later. This ties into my earlier point about having go-to recipes and preparing in advance.
So, this tip is about adding a reminder to your calendar to get these kinds of items early. It saves you from the stress of last-minute shopping and ensures everything is ready to go when you need it.
7. Have a gift wrapping night and do ALL the gifts at once
Number seven: Have a gift-wrapping night and do all your wrapping at once. This is something I’ve figured out after trying different approaches over the years. One method some people prefer is to wrap gifts as they buy them and put them under the tree. If you enjoy seeing presents under the tree all December, definitely stick with that. But for me, I don’t really care about having gifts under the tree early, and I’ve found that waiting to wrap everything at once saves a ton of time and energy.
By doing it all at once, you avoid forgetting what you’ve already bought because everything is still unwrapped and visible. Here’s what I do: as I shop, I put all the Christmas gifts in our guest room closet. That’s also where I keep all the wrapping supplies—paper, bows, bags, tape, everything. Then I set a date close to Christmas and plan a night to wrap everything. For us, it’s usually a weeknight like a Wednesday, after the kids are asleep.
Having a specific wrapping night allows me to get Adam involved. If I wrapped sporadically, I wouldn’t realistically have him help every time. And let’s be real—gift wrapping and organizing for holidays often fall to women or moms. This method makes it a shared task. Last year, we turned on a Christmas movie, sat on the floor with all the wrapping supplies, and wrapped everything together. It was fun, relaxing, and nice to get it all done in one go.
This approach also means I only have to pull out the wrapping supplies once, which simplifies things. It’s a personal preference, but I think it’s worth deciding what works best for you. And it’s one less decision to make during the busy month of December.
You can decide, “I’m wrapping all my gifts on December 20th,” or whatever day works for you. Then as gifts come in, you just store them in your designated spot without stressing about getting them wrapped right away.
Links Mentioned:
Try Babylist
Read The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi
Cranberry Brie Appetizer Recipe
"Done Up" Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls
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