Christmas planning in July 2014

Today kicks of my annual Christmas Planning in July series. A little later than anticipated, but here at last! You can see previous posts on planning for Christmas in July here:

I find taking time out in the middle of the year in the cooler, quieter months, allows me to think about and start organising Christmas. This is not so Christmas can be over the top, but to even out the workload through out the year.

In Australia Christmas comes at the end of the school year. It is a time when their are end of school concerts, end of year break ups and lots of Christmas activities. Each year I like to hand make some small items and have them on hand for friends, family and teachers. If I left this all to the end of the year, it just wouldn’t happen!

If you haven’t undertaken some prior Christmas planning, why not give it a try and see if it reduces the stress for you at the end of the year. Here is a list of simple tasks you can do in advance:

Key tasks for Christmas Planning In July

  • Set or reset the Christmas budget. You can download a free template and see how I budget for our Christmas in this post here.
  • Choose a theme if not already chosen. You can see themes I have curated in previous years here and I will share some themes for Christmas 2014 later this month.
  • Decide on handmade gifts and make some if possible. Previous hand made gifts I have made are travel candles, coasters,  DIY chalkboards and fabric button hair ties.
  • Start a Christmas present gift list, potentially make purchases in the sales if appropriate.
  • Update the Christmas card list and think about the type of cards you will send out (if you do them!). I like to use a photo of the kids so I start thinking about how I can pull it together this year so it is different from other years.
  • Determine where and how you will spend Christmas Day!

Christmas ideas on Pinterest

Follow Nicole’s board Christmas Ideas on Pinterest.
And if you are on Pinterest you might like to follow my Christmas Ideas board, where I pin all the inspiring posts, websites I come across in my internet travels.

Do you undertake any planning for Christmas at this time of the year?