This post contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase using a link on this page I may make a small commission. For more information please read my full disclosure
There are plenty of things to do in Summer to prep for Christmas. While we were celebrating this past Christmas I promised myself I would plan better in order to be better prepared. Let’s be honest Christmas can be chaotic! I love Christmas, but it can be maddening. This year I decided to try to do as much as possible over the Summer so as the holidays draw near I can be less stressed and enjoy more time with my family. The magic of Christmas is real in our home!
Imagine this: having NOTHING to do in December except enjoy it with your family. Isn’t that the dream? This December I plan to be free from the hustle and bustle the holidays bring and be more present to enjoy the small moments. My children won’t be this age forever so I want to do as much as I can now so I can spend my time making memories to last a lifetime. Years from now I want to look back the holidays knowing I did everything possible to make Christmas special for my family.
RELATED: Christmas Bucket List
Christmas is a magical time of year. Some of my favorite things include making cookies, watching holiday classics, decorating our tree and making gingerbread houses. My children love Christmas and the look forward to our Christmas bucket list each and every year. I thought it if I prepped for Christmas over the Summer I could add even more things to our list and add even more magic to the season. The better prepared I am for an event, the less stressed I am.
This post may contain affiliate links which means I make a small commission if you purchase something from a link in this post.
Ok, so HOW CAN YOU PREP FOR CHRISTMAS IN THE SUMMER?
Let’s find out. Follow these easy to follow steps and prepare yourself for a season filled with wonder and magic! Get excited! Now let’s get to planning!
What To Do In Summer to Prep For Christmas
Get a Planner
Invest in a planner where you can keep all of your ideas in one place. You can include recipe ideas you want to try, fun things you want to do with your family, gifts you need to purchase and more. Planning everything out will allow you to free up time as the holidays approach. By having in front of me, I have a clear idea of everything I want to do to make Christmas special for my family. Some questions to answer in your planner:
- Who do you need to buy gifts for?
- What recipes do you want to try?
- Things you hope to do
- Cookies you want to bake
- Crafts you want to make
Shopping
Summer is a great time to start shopping for people you know you need to buy gifts for this Christmas. My children’s interests basically stay the same from Summer through Christmas so I try to pick up a handful of gifts over the Summer months so I’m not overwhelmed once the shopping craze starts. Prime Day is also over the Summer which is the perfect time to pick up some big ticket items you might know you need. For example, this year I plan on purchasing my husband a new Alexa and a sound system for his car. By utilizing Prime Day I will save myself a significant amount of money. Sure, I could wait for Black Friday or Cyber Monday but the goal of prepping for Christmas during the Summer is to save my time and stress. Once Black Friday hits, I want to be ready to enjoy the holidays with my family.
Traditions
Personally, this is the most important part of my Summer prep. The purpose of planning so far in advance is to make sure I give myself enough time for my Christmas traditions. Think about what is most important to you when it comes to Christmas Traditions. Do you:
- like building gingerbread houses?
- baking Christmas cookies?
- watching Christmas movies?
- driving around to see the lights?
- reading a Christmas book a day?
RELATED: Christmas Traditions to Start with your Family this Year
Whatever your traditions entail now is the time to start planning what you want to do and when. You might not know the exact dates you want to do each thing but having a basic outline you are much more likely to do more fun things this holiday season. By getting a headstart on my Christmas planning last Summer I was able to add 5 new things into the mix for my family. I barely planned last year so I can’t imagine what this year will look like but I’m excited to see what happens.
Get Your Craftin’ On
Summer is the perfect time to start your holiday crafts. The last thing I want to be doing during the holidays is making handmade gifts and crafts. Instead, I used the Summer months to plan a big Christmas in July crafting event with my kiddos. We spend a week making all of our favorite holiday crafts and homemade gifts. I try to give each Grandparent a handmade gift from the kids every year and Summer is the best time to get those done and out of the way. Of course, we do a craft or two when Christmas comes ’round but it’s done more at a leisurely pace instead of a race to finish.
Start Pinning
Pinning is one of my favorite things to do in Summer to prep for Christmas. Head on over to Pinterest and start saving Christmas ideas you want to do with your family. Even if you don’t have time to fully prepare for Christmas during the Summer at least you can get a clear idea of what you want to do. Pinterest is a get place to get decor inspiration, craft ideas, gift suggestions, and recipes. Pinterest has saved many a Christmas’ in my home.
Likes/Dislikes
To be honest, there are things I don’t love Christmas – yes, it’s true! While planning for Christmas I make sure to make a list of all things I didn’t like about last Christmas. This past year my list of dislikes included:
- feeling rushed
- not enough time for fun things
- no day designated for cookie making
- too many holiday parties
- not enough time to see all the city sights
- didn’t have a chance to send out Christmas cards
This year I know I will try to rectify all the things I didn’t love about last year. It’s important to list out what you didn’t love so you can try to change things for the better this Christmas.
As important it is to list out the things you dislike about Christmas, it’s just as important to make a list of things you love about Christmas. This will make planning for a holiday in the middle of the Summer heat more enjoyable. Some things I loved about last Christmas:
- Grinch Day
- Home Alone Marathon
- North Pole Breakfast
- Going out for a fancy dinner after the kids Christmas show
- Gingerbread house building
By listing out the things you love about Christmas it will help guide you to where you want to focus your attention on this Christmas. With this list, I can see my family traditions are what I love most about Christmas and I’ll be sure to have enough time for even more traditions this upcoming year.
Final Thoughts
By prepping for Christmas in the Summer you are bound to stress less this Christmas. Do whatever you can over the Summer – the whole goal is to not put too much pressure on yourself. Christmas can be chaotic for some, but the magic and wonder make it all worthwhile. By planning ahead you can add even more merriment to your holiday! Enjoy and let me know in the comment what things you plan to do this Summer to prep for Christmas.
Leave a Reply