Make this holiday easier with the Ultimate ChristmasGuide for the most Christmassy Season of your life. From crafts, homemade decor ideas, Christmas tree inspiration, planning calendars, recipes, Christmas card ideas, Thank you note templates, Christmas lists, and so much more, you’ll have a Christmas to remember and less stress along the way. Christmas is aholidaythat makes space for families to sit in love and faith, and reflect on the birth ofJesus– but Christmas in the US also means gifts, decorations, lights, and lots of Amazon deliveries.
Yes, Jesus is why Christmas is a holiday. I tell my kids that Christmas is Jesus’ birthday because Jesus loves us so much, that he lets us get gifts for his birthday. Gifts can be time with family, Christmas cookies, Hot chocolate with friends, or simply taking a rest from our busy lives to be together. Whatever you choose to tell your kids, just remember to be clear that Jesus will be with us with or without gifts, ornaments, or any of the modern traditions.
However, thetraditionsare fun, and that’s what this post is for, navigating an unforgettable Christmas with ease.
Christmas is the best holiday of the year. However, I know that eggnog-filled, crazy relatives and a money-sucking holiday can be stressful. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the abundance of holiday stress. This post is my little present to you. It will help you create an ultimate guide – one that will make it the most Christmassy season ever! You’re sure to feel the magic this year! I’m typically the shop in June, playJingle Bells before Halloween, leave up my tree until March kind of girl, and I want the holidays to be just as magical for you as they always feel for me.
Christmas :
This isn’t the best part, but trust me, this holiday is fun. There are a few necessary annoyances to map out first- especially if you’re anything like me. I want to go crazy and ball out. Christmas feels like a vacation, and I’m naturally irresponsible on vacation. I’ll worry about it when I get home. I’m sure you can relate (right?!?…I’m going to presume you said “right” so I can pretend this is normal and I don’t have to deal with my problem). Creating a Christmas plan(which is what this guide if for) and preparing ahead saves a world of trouble. You can thank me later.
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1. Christmas Calendar:
Start with theChristmas Calendar. It’s essential to a stress-free, fun holiday. It helps you organize the season and keeps you focused on your goals. Mine are Christmas holiday gifts the family will love (and that’s in thebudget), Christmas party wear for the kids, finding new Christmas party recipes for this year’s events, and the list goes on. But ultimately, it’s having the best Christmas and making memories my kids will remember long after I’m gone- no pressure! But, great news. I’ve done all the work for you, so you CAN celebrate Christmas with ease and knock out the hard stuff early.
Christmas Calendar (Download and Print):
You can downloadthis free Christmas Calendar that I createdhere(that includes all the things: Christmas budgets, list, NBA Christmas calendardates, and more) or grab a regular one from Amazonthat works but isn’t as perfect for your needs! Keep track of all those appointments, deadlines, parties, and workday events not to mess up plans. This helps me ensure I’m not over-Christmasing- if there’s such a thing as “over-Christmasing.”
For example, we have a very busy Christmas holiday. We start our holiday season in November, the day after Thanksgiving,decorating and sharing small presents in our home. Tack on a Christmas Eve dinner and present exchange, Christmas Eve-Eve game night, Christmas breakfast, A three-hour drive to my mom’s house after breakfast, and it’s already craziness.
Now, add so much more: Holiday to-do list
- Christmas pictures.
- Send out Christmas cards.
- Find matching Christmas Pajamas.
- Watch the Christmas light show up CandyCane Lane.
- Find a way to celebrate and exchange gifts amongst ourselves with our son
- Shop our own Christmas list
- Find the perfect Christmas tree: I tend to go with fake trees because the cleanup is easier and their reusable. Spray pine scent on them and they’re as good as it gets.
- Get Christmas tree lights
- Decorate our own home
- Send packages out of state
- Remind our children that Christmas is about Jesus
- Find a way to give back This year we started with mini care packages for families affected by the hurricanes)
- Celebrate my birthday with the perfect Christmas party dress (because I’m a Christmas baby)
Pew, I’m tired just thinking about it! With so many obligations during the holiday season, having our ownChristmas traditions to start for our household is our way of forming lasting memories.
With events piling up, there’s no way to get through the holiday with all of your marbles in tack without a concrete schedule. It’s all worth it because we all come together to hang out, have a good time, and make new memories for the kiddos once a year. Because of this, we keep a Christmas Calendar. Mark dates, and check our schedule before committing to anything new. Whether at a work party or family gathering, we don’t over-extend ourselves.
*Pro-Tip:
Remember, if your schedule is too busy and it’s causing stress, or you don’t have enough me-time in there, say “no” to some things. It’s okay. People will understand, or they won’t, but taking care of yourself is what’s most important- boundaries are okay!
2. Christmas Calendar Guide:
I love this guide and calendar because it has a place for your gifts, so you can manage who gets what and when – no more surprises! You’ll love how much money this saves you if you tend to over-buy because you forgot that you already purchased something for someone. I start shopping early, so this happens to me a lot. You can get this digital version which is perfect for those who are constantly on the go, and it’s available as aChristmas printablewith free Christmas templates for the kids to color, and even includes the Christmas Schedule NFL to keep you in good graces with the men in your life (or women like me who enjoy sports too) for those of you who like to stick with the traditional paper planners as I do. I love the nostalgia of good old-fashioned pin and paper.
My guide is different from most calendars, as my guide includes details. I created it because most calendars don’t provide space for anything more than quick visual references- dinner with mom, get mom’s Christmas cookies recipe, order groceries for Xmas dinner, Birthday party. In comparison, my calendar for Christmas guide that I created (and is sharing free to you, of course) includes my full Christmas preparation list for grocery shopping along with fun Christmas holiday activities, times, and locations. Gifts are also listed here, as well as dinner recipes. I’ve included a holiday box with ideas/instructions on things to do and make a note if we need any last-minute supplies for the holiday fun games.
My Calendar for Christmas includes an area for my Christmas cards – designs I like, an address list of everyone, a cards list, and a Postable link for people who still send holiday cards- I’m people! Friends and fam can post their addresses and receive cards through the same link. In my planner, I also have an area to include notes from our game night Christmas Eve celebration, Eve dinner with my side, and Christmas morning gathering. My calendar & guide also includes a section for Christmas movies, so we have options without spending hours surfing the internet arguing about what we like and don’t like.
3. Keep Christmas simple:
It’s Christmas! You don’t need to go overboard with your Christmas decor. Please keep it simple and small yet festive. This year I’m adding a few new things – switching out a few string lights and possibly adding an “It’s Cold Outside” welcome mat. The rest of my decor is pretty much the same as last year. I’m keeping things simple and small yet festive this year.
I don’t need anything extravagant or expensive to enjoy my holiday! The less extravagant and more simple, the better. For example, our seasonal cards are happening in October this year. Last year I tried this, and it saved me so much agony from wondering when to send Christmas cards and hoping our Christmas cards were shipped in time; one less thing to rush through during this busy time of year, leaving me a stress-free holiday. I love holding a card in my hand. Also, knowing that most people won’t print the cards if I send them digitally, I opt for physical copies. I mean, think about it, how often have you printed something someone texted or emailed you that wasn’t essential? Never, right?
Therefore, I prefer printing cards and sending physical copies instead of digital Christmas cards online. I don’t bother getting Christmas cards minted, as I like my Christmas cards personalizedwith Christmas card photos (though here’s a simple way tomintthem). I love giving people the option to hang them if they choose. I still hang holiday cardsall around my home like my great-grandmother has done my entire life- it just doesn’t feel like Christmas without the gaudy influx of family and friends cards cluttering my house. The Christmas tree with Christmas cards taking over the entryway screams “home”.
However, if everyone receiving the card knowing they were thought about is enough for you, though they may skip the printing process, go digital. Not only does it save you time, but it also saves the earth and saves you money.
It used to be that we would have to wait weeks to receive our cards from Shutterfly or Printerpix, who is swamped all ofDecemberand a big part of November. Not to mention we’d easily spend over 100 dollars on stamps alone. I still do because I’m a crazy person, but there is another way, and sometimes when things get too chaotic for us, we opt in for a digital cardas well. Take a load off this year by going digital. Then, spend lots of time and energy collecting addresses and updating old addresses from our mailing list. Again, Postableis awesome. You can collect the addresses and send cards directly through their app. They make the process easier and more efficient (P.S, I don’t get a commission or anything for mentioning them, I love the app’s ease).
However, I will add a little extra effort to Christmas gifts decorations. Another one of those things that take a bit more energy, but has a big impact. Work smarter, not harder. Here are a few cute ideas I’m considering for this year:
- Christmas gifts wrapped with a creative twist for a personal touch: simple hacks
- Photo-printed wrapping paper
- Fun boxed Christmas-themed wrapping
*Tip: How to Christmas gift wrap
Other ways to keep things simple at Christmas:
- Brain dump everything you feel is a necessity this holiday
- Leave a few spaces for miscellaneous things that are sure to come up.
- Circle the things that are “must-do.”
- Cross out the things that can wait or are “Christmas optional activities”.
- Here’s your newChristmas Preparation List.
*Pro-Tips: Your loved ones want to see you because they love you. They may be disappointed that you cannot show up to everything, and that’s okay. Remember, it comes from a place of love. Try to find other, less time-consuming ways to show you care without giving up so much of yourself. Perhaps you can’t commit to another holiday party, but you can commit to tea and coffee over Zoom with girlfriends and their little ones. Maybe, another Secret Santa isn’t in the budget. Still, a scheduled Christmas Craftday (on video or in-person) could be entertaining- everyone can bring supplies that they have lying around, from old clothes they don’t mind being savaged for the fabric to the ribbon. Tissue paper from old packages, and everyone gets to leave with a craft that they made and put their heart into. Get creative with your time.
Make Christmas special at a distance: make it a real celebration
- style your hair
- prepare traditional Christmas party recipes as if you would in person
- Wear matching Christmas party tops or Ugly Sweaters- and vote on the winner
- Decorate with fun aChristmas party background
- Long-distance gifts: DIY crafts together as mentioned above, cute coupon book for more time together
- Have fun!
4. Celebrate Christmas with ease: Shop for presents early
Xmas is a hectic time of year. For most people, the festivities start the day after Thanksgiving. Most people are done shopping by Christmas Eveand have everything they need to enjoy their memorable Christmas traditions! Not I. For a simple Christmas, your best bet is beating the crowds. Planning and shopping before everyone else does is your secret weapon. When you go to Target or make an Amazon purchase, add an extra item to your cart. Check the sale section for anything your children, nieces, nephews, or parents may like, and you may be surprised by the great deals you find.
Typically my Christmas shoppingstarts in August, at a minimum. I store away a few things over the weeks and grab items that have longer shipping times to get them out of the way. We all know that shipping this time of year is madness. To avoid stress and keep calm, I tackle those items first and add the names and the items to my Guide to keep track.
Not only does it keep me sane, but it also saves me from overspending simply because I can’t resist a deal during Black Friday. If we finish our shopping early, we can stay out of the stores altogether during their promotional Christmas campaigns designed to lure us in and spend all of our money. Work smarter.
The holidays are a time to enjoy yourself, not agonize week after week over Christmas budgetsand “stuff.” The best way to do this is to plan and make small purchases over time.
5. Make decorating A Family Affair:
Moms try to do it all, mostly because our husbands don’t care. At least mine don’t. But, somewhere in my frantic brain, I manage to get the tree up, put up cards, have Christmas decorationsthroughout the rooms, and handle all of the decor like a Ninja. However, last year my mother-in-law enlisted the grandkids, and that’s when it occurred to me- Make them help. This doesn’t have to be a solo mission. The children helped place ornamentson the tree and garland around the house. Though not perfect, and perhaps there were a few sections of the Christmas tree with six trims while other areas of the tree were empty, it saved time, they enjoyed it, and we moms weren’t utterly exhausted by the end of the day. All in all worth it.
In my house, we take the day after Thanksgiving to put up Christmas decorations together. We then celebrate the monumental task by eating the cookies we put in the oven before the decorating began and watching Christmas movies to signal that the season has indeed started. If you’re into cheesy holiday movies, you’re in for a treat because there’s a whole section of recommendations later in this post.
Christmas celebration family affair: More ways to have a fun family holiday
Of course, we’ll need a Christmas tree, Christmas lights, and all the fixings from ornaments to tinsel. No, I won’t get into how much Christmas trees cost, or Christmas and paganism. I definitely won’t touch the REALor artificial Christmas tree debate, nor will I tell you that the foliage of a Pine tree is better than that of a Birch tree or a Fir, I truly don’t know, and just go for what looks the best to my eye that day.
But, I do know that for Christians, the treerepresents the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s observed as a symbol of immortality due to the branches looking like the thorny crown of Christ on the cross- Adding fun family activities around Christmas tree decorations can only add to the festive day. Fun fact: This view is also a part of Christmas traditions UK and engrained in their celebration.
Family Christmas tree decorations Ideas:
- Gift wrapping Party/Christmas party with friends- wrapping day with gingerbread Christmas cookies, mimosas & friends
- Christmas Craft Day, where the kids make popcorn garland, handprintChristmas ornaments, and other decorations (I don’t love how it looks on my tree, but I give Jack his own (small) tree to decorate however he likes)
If you want to share the duties, schedule another “Event” day after celebrating with your loved ones to get help tearing down/dumping the tree. When they help you clean, you’ll look like a fun mom who loves to make memories. It’s genius!
This season is one of the busiest times of the year. The best way to keep itmagical is to plan and spread out your work over several days! You’ve got this.
6. Make a list
It never fails. When I don’t have a list, I over or underbuy- mostly over-purchaseChristmas decor and toys because I’m paranoid about forgetting someone. I also refuse to be the one house on the block whose lights are not up to par. My guess is that you do the same thing when you grocery shop without a list. It’s inevitable. That one thing that you knew you weren’t going to forget gets forgotten. Same with presents and decorations. Don’t forget anything. Create your gift list.
We keep it simple during theholidayand do our best to keep our list to the minimum- 99.9% family and less than a handful of friends. However, there are plenty of nieces and nephews to go around, with my husband being the youngest of four. So, our list gets complicated pretty quickly.
My List:
- me
- Husband
- Kid 1
- KId 2
- My parents
- Trent’s Parents
- Grandparents
- Nieces and nephews, 9 total (Rule of thumb: I don’t buy for people I won’t see during the holidays. I’ll catch them later.)
- Siblings (they’re optional because they’re all adults)
And then I extend it to optional gifts depending on our budget each year.
- The kid’s godparents (because they are amazing- though these could even be Christmas gifts crafts from the kids. A way to say thank you, and make memories)
- Godchildren (if they’ll be in town and I’ll see them, or if I particularly know that their parents could use the help this year)
- A few miscellaneous gifts for an unexpected guest or person that I somehow forgot.
7. Make a budget and stick to it
Why do we give Christmas gifts? Well, I give because there’s so much joyin giving and because a world where we’re kindto one another is a world I want to be a part of.
However, more often than not, we generous folks do a lot more giving than our bank accounts are ready for. One surefire way to release some stress during the holidays is to decide on a budget ahead of time and stick to it. Listen, I don’t care who wants what. If it’s not in the budget, we’ll have to find something else, or we can give them cash towards the purchase of the big-ticket item that they want. The great thing is that kids’ lists tend to have many options. Adults aren’t as flexible, but there are many great, thoughtful gifts that they’ll love just as much.
Christmas gift budget
Though it changes yearly, depending on our obligations, here’s a rough estimate of what we spend on our relatives for giftsduring a typical year. Remember that inflation this year may drastically affect the choices and gift quality options. It’s ALL expensive this year!
- Christmas gifts husband: $200-700 It honestly depends on finances and if we want anything. We’ve been pretty fortunate that most Christmass’ we’re looking to find things we want because we’ve been so blessed throughout the year.
- Christmas gifts for wife$200-700(AKA me! – same as above…but this yr I’m obsessed with this idea of a trip, we’ll see what the budget entails)
- Kids (our children ): $750-2500 As they grow up, we’re moving away from toys and more towards Christmas gifts experiences. Activities are more expensive, but the memories outlast the toys & that’s worth it to me.
- Parents $100 each
- Grandparents $75-100 (Typically Christmas gifts picturesina in a nice frame or other sentimental things are perfect, thoughtful presents for them)
- Nieces/Nephews $50 each
- Siblings $30-50 each
- Godchildren $50 each
- Godparents $50 each ( These tend to be whatever personalized Christmas giftsetsy has. Something handcrafted or personalized from their Godchild)
- Christmas gift ideas for coworkers $30-50 each (My husband is a manager at his job and it helps create good team morale)
- miscellaneous (unexpected additions-white elephant exchange, unaccounted for guest, etc) $76-150
- TOTAL spending: $ 2400-3400 My husband and I (the bulk of it goes to activities for our kids).
8. holiday activities
This is my favorite holiday, and I always look for ways to improve it. Now that my son is getting older, we’ve found a few family-friendly activities to do together that keep him interested! Rather you decide to add some excitement the week leading up to, the day of, or the week heading into the New Year; these activities are the inspiration for a festive holiday like no other.
- Celebration Christmas Lights: light shows are by far the best part of Christmas, especially for children. I find them fun to watch, but the best part is passing on the experience to my son, as going to see Christmas lights was something that we did pretty religiously when I was growing up.
- Decorate Christmas Ornaments
- Make hot chocolate bombs….and then drink hot chocolate together
Hot Chocolate Bomb Supplies:
- chocolate
- baking mold
- hot cocoa mix
- marshmallows- gingerbread marshmallowsare super festive
4. Decorate a gingerbread house (another one of our household favorites)
5. Candid photoshoot with the dog, the kids, and Christmas gifts under tree madness, in matching Christmas Pajamas
6. Candy cane hunts- like an Easter egg hunt, but with candy canes. It’s also nice to throw in random gift cardsand other low-ticket items attached to the candy canes
7. Elf on the Shelf– I must admit that I started this Elf on the Shelftrend last year. My BFF and goddaughter convinced me to join the Elf party this year. I’ll admit that I love it!
But I’m all about ease and Elf on the Shelf is anything but simple. Not if you schedule your Christmas calendar countdown to include Elf’s shenanigans, and start with the end in mind. “Our Elf” could never keep up with daily pranks as we’re often traveling, celebrating two birthday celebrations, attending my fav Christmas light show and the list goes on. Therefore, our Elfs have always been more of a December surprise rather than a daily mischief. They show up throughout December (sporadically), and disappear after Christmas.
We get to set the rules and they don’t have to look like everyone else’s.
8. Advent Calendar- Create a week-long, or month-long, December to countdown with the kiddos. Last year, we dressed in BlueyChristmas party outfit themes. So naturally, this year we’re going all in on the Bluey Avent Calendar to add to the month-long celebration.
9. Bake Christmas Cookies- The sweets are the best part of the holidays. Besides seeing all of my cousins, I always looked forward to the desserts. Determine a few special cookie flavors that you’ll make the week of Xmas and enjoy the aroma of throughout your home
10. Wrapping Paper Hot Potato: That’s what I call it. It’s a random game that my mom found on Facebook a few years ago. I don’t know if she’s ever played it again, but it was a lot of fun, and I find a way to play it at every event now. Fill a box with surprise Knick knacks, wrap it in gift wrap, and get a set of dice, whoever turn it is will use oven mitts to attempt to unwrap the gift while the person next in line tries to roll doubles. Once the person next in line rolls doubles, it’s their turn to put on the mittens and attempt to unwrap the box. Continue this process until the box is unwrapped and opened. That person is the winner and receives everything inside of the box.
9. Declutter in early November- pre-Christmas Season
Seeing that families are looking for presents in December, it’s best to organize early- November. I like to do my clutter-catching before our home gets crazy with holiday shenanigans. Take a moment to go through your kid’s room with them.
Take inventory of their clothes and toys. Anything they can no longer fit goes into a donation bag. Anything they have not played within the last 90 days also goes into the donation bag.
I do, however, give a little wiggle room here. If it’s an item tucked away or out of direct eyesight, I will leave it out for 2-3 weeks to see if he’ll play with it. If the toy gets no love, donate it.
By doing this before the gift-giving season starts, you’re able to declutter your space and make room for the new things that your household will likely acquire, and offer those goods to someone who could use them. When keeping an organized home, it’s essential to think ahead and plan for space before the clutter occurs because damage control is a lot more work.
10. Meal Planning: Christmas Dinner Ideas, and Desserts
Food is a big part of every holiday tradition. Meal planning dinner takes a huge weight off your shoulders. Along with planning out recipes and grocery lists ahead of time, it elimantes last-minute stress. In my house, we eat soul food at Christmas and lots of desserts. So, our dinner consists of Macaroni and cheese, potato salad, collard greens, baked beans, deviled eggs, ham, ribs, yams that may be sweet potatoes (I don’t know the difference), cornbread, and several different kinds of cakes and Christmas cookies a basic list. Here are a few recipes for a great soul food Christmas. These aren’t exactly the recipes I use, but they’re most similar to my recipes that I could find already spelled out for you. So, they should be just as yummy. I’ve also added a few notes for things I’d switch up.
Soulfood Christmas Dinner and recipes:
- Macaroni and cheese– I’m not a fan of Velveeta. Real cheese is best. I prefer Sharp cheddar cheese(more of this than anything), Colby, asiago, a little bit of pepper jack for a kick.
- Collard greens– I would also mix in some kale because its a superfood, an onion, and a little more seasoning
- Ham– I don’t eat a lot of pork, but my husband does so I cook ham for him. One pro tip is to use a syringe and inject some of the juice inside the ham. Also, if you’re wondering how to stretch some of these big-ticket food items over the holiday season and want to properly freeze cooked hamfor those leftovers, I’ve got a post for that.
- Baked beans– I don’t typically cook baked beans from scratch. A can of Bush’s maple and brown sugar-baked beans with melted cheese and bacon is usually a quick solution that’s also tasty.
- Potato salad– Hot chorizo potato salad is the only way that I’ll eat potato salad. It’s delicious. However, I must warn you that this needs to be made fresh. Reheating this dish will ruin it. Letting it get cold will also ruin it.
- Devilled Eggs- I made these colorful eggs for Easter with Easter dyes, but I plan to make them during Xmas and useseasonal colors like red and green.
- Ribs– Don’t be shy with the flavors. Add in a lot more herbs and spices, but this is a good starter recipe
- Cornbread: If you’re a sweet cornbread girl like me all you’ll need is a few boxes of Jiffy cornbread and the instructions on the box. I play with the recipe a tad, but the recipe on the box is good enough.
- Candied Yams
- Christmas Cookies Ideas:
- Chocolate and toffee cookies scream holiday cheer (you can find these Christmas cookies with pictures and a full recipeat the link)
- Sugar Christmas cookie and frosting: My all-time favorite holiday cookie
- Gingerbread Cookies- There’s no such thing as a Santa celebration without gingerbread cookies. Avoid a Christmas catastrophe with this yummy Christmas cookies easy recipe
- Where to buy Christmas cookies: Crumble, Cravorycan ship right to your door, and William Sonomaeven has macaroons for us nonbaking mommas.
11. Christmas celebration songs: holiday Playlist Planning:
Nothing sets the mood quite like a bomb playlist when planning for the greatest season of love and giving. Looking for something upbeat to get you in the spirit or something traditional to play in the background as the perfect Christmas celebration songs? I’ve got you covered. Hearing the beloved traditional songs is the true sign that Rudolph is near. Here are a few pieces to get you started from my personal Christmas songs list. These would also make an awesome Christmas Carols song list for those of you who don’t sound like a wounded bird as I do. Either way, Christmas with music is the only way to celebrate.
Religious Christmas Playlist:
- Joy to the world
- Silent Night
- Hark The Herold Angels Sing
- Drummer Boy
- Mary Did You Know
- Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Soulful (upbeat) Holiday Playlist:
- Santa Baby
- All I want for Christmas is You– The infamous Merry Christmas Songs Mariah Carey
- Santa Claus is Coming to Town
- This Christmas
- Merry Christmas Baby
Traditional Xmas Playlist:
- Holly Jolly Christmas– If you have small children, check out this Blippi version. My son was excited to hear Blippiat Christmas
- Let It Snow
- Jingle Bell Rock– However, Mickey’s version is pretty cute too
- Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer
- Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
- The Christmas Song
- 12 Days of Christmas
Christmas Love Songs:
Shady Festive Song
*Note: Most of theChristmas songs lyricscan be found on YouTube if you want to switch it up and do a holiday-style family karaoke session.
11. Christmas gift exchange planning:
Budgeting for presents is only the beginning of getting ready for Christmas. Once you know how much you can spend, it’s time to buy gifts—knowing what to get, for who can be difficult, so I provided a quick list of some of the things we love- for all age groups to help you prepare and stay sane.
Holiday Toy Ideas for Kids 0-2 (First Christmas Toy Hacks)
- Smart Noggin Lightup Rattle– This was one of Jack’s fav toys as a baby. I’ve also purchased it for all of my nieces and nephews and they’re a fan fav.
- Stacking Rings
- Mickey Push Car
Holiday Toy Ideas for Kids and Teens
- Remote Control Monster Trucks
- Building Blocks
- Magnatiles
- Barbie Camper
- Nerf toys(We don’t play with guns as toys, but lots of children do, and if your relatives are among those that do, you best believe that they love Nerf toys)
- Journal sets
- Gift cards
- BlueyWater Bottle Tumbler (or BlueyANYTHING)
- Hot Wheels Ultimate Garage Race Track (we got this last year, and my 5 yr old still loves it… Bonus because there’s a large Dinosaur)
Christmas Gift Ideas for Adults
- Golf balls
- Facebook Oculus
- Echo Show
- Wine Bottle Stoppers
- Personalized Beer Bottle Opener
- Single Serve Coffee Brewer
- An Audible Membershipto read their favorite books each month (Books: Bridgerton Series, , Michelle Obama: The Light We Carry,Atomic Habits, and more)
For A more in-depth list that fulfills all of your Gift Giving Needs, check out my post: Ultimate Guide to Christmas Gifts the whole family will love. This post is perfect if you’re hoping for inexpensive but well-worth-it items. You’ll find toys for all age groups, Christmas crafts, and budget gifts to have a special holiday no matter what.
12. Christmas Movie Marathon Planning
Lastly on the Ultimate Christmas Planning plan is to squeeze in as many Christmas Movies as Possible. This is where it gets serious. From Hulu to Amazon, to Netflix, and the goat- The Hallmark Channel, Christmas movie marathons are the ultimate sign that Santa’s coming. For me, the cheesier, the better. A good feel-good story with a little comedy and a cute love story gets me every time. Yes, the guy gets the girl, or the girl gets the guy. We know the story, but it’s still great every time! Yes, the little factory in the middle of nowhere saves the company, and everyone gets to keep their jobs because it’s a Christmas miracle.
With so many options, you have to plan your weekends accordingly. Be sure to add your movie dates to your planner. Plan a few Girl’s Nights, Movie Nights, and Movie Nights to make it more exciting with wine, pizza, and snacks. It’s a special time of year.
I made a list to get you started.
FavoriteNetflix Christmas Movies List
- Holidate (Romcom)
- The Holiday Calendar (Romcom)
- Trolls Holiday (movies together)
- The Knight Before Christmas (Romcom)
- Dash and Lily (new seasonal series, not a movie)
- Mighty Express A mighty Christmas (movies together)
- Home for the Holidays (movies together)
This plan will keep you sane during the happiest time of year. I tend to overthink everything, and without a set schedule or a checklist to keep me on task, I look like a deer in headlights. I’ve found that sitting down and taking a little time before things get crazy is the best way to manage the chaos. I hope you can do the same this holiday with a few tips from this plan.
Free Holiday Calendar
Before you go, be sure to grab your freeUltimate Christmas Plannerhere
P.s:
Please share your experience in the comments. I’d love to know if you played any of the games or activities, watched any of the movies, tried any of the recipes, or found a way to relax because you deserve it.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
Your new friend,
Diamond Janae!
If you want to get A jumpstart on organizing your kid’s space before all of the new toys arrive, see
