It is now just less than 10 weeks away until Christmas which is super exciting. The 10 week mark is when I like to start very slowly making plans and taking action for Christmas so I can spread out the workload and not get freaked out when December 1 rolls around with all the work I need to do.
Planning and taking action ahead at this point helps in so many ways but I will list just a few reasons why I think you should start planning now:
- Having a planned approach to Christmas starting now means you can spend a few hours a week on tasks and avoid having to cram to get everything done in the immediate weeks leading up to Christmas. This means you should get to Christmas day feeling less stressed and less tired.
- Planning ahead now means you can also delegate tasks to other family members. In our house, I do most of the Christmas planning and activities but I love doing it so I am happy with that. Our daughter though has done all of our Christmas wrapping for about the last five years and this is a huge help to me as I don’t love this task at all! But there is no reason why just one or two people have to do the bulk of the work, writing up a plan now also gives those who you delegate tasks to plenty of time to do them too.
- Planning out now means you can set a budget and create gift lists early enough so you can take advantage of the sales in November and save money.
- Beginning your planning now allows room for things to wrong in the lead up without having to push through. For example, if you get sick or there is a family crisis in these next 10 weeks, starting early on your Christmas planning gives you a buffer to be able to cope much better if the unexpected happens.
2023 simple Christmas plan
Below I have shared a simple Christmas plan you can follow for 2023. It doesn’t have everything you need to do on this list, but it covers the big activities that need to be completed to ensure Christmas Day runs smoothly.
| Weeks To Go | Date | Activity |
| 10 | Mon 16th Oct | Create your plan for a Christmas and choose your Christmas theme |
| 9 | Mon 23rd Oct | Create a Christmas budget and a spending tracking mechanism |
| 8 | Mon 30th Oct | Choose Christmas wrapping options and create a wrapping box |
| 7 | Mon 6th Nov | Create a Christmas gift ideas list or spreadsheet |
| 6 | Mon 13th Nov | Calendar management and update family members and friends |
| 5 | Mon 20th Nov | Buy some Christmas presents (Balck Friday sales start Fri, 24 Nov) |
| 4 | Mon 27th Nov | Create a Christmas week work plan & take action on some of the items |
| 3 | Mon 4th Dec | Set up Christmas tree and start wrapping Christmas presents |
| 2 | Mon 11th Dec | Finalise Christmas shopping and do more Christmas wrapping |
| 1 | Mon 18th Dec | Create a Christmas week work plan & take action on some items |
You can access a Google Sheet template version of this plan via the link below:
Planning With Kids 2023 Simple Christmas Plan
Christmas themes for 2023
Each year I like to choose a theme for Christmas. Choosing a theme doesn’t mean I go out and buy new everything but it means that when I buy wrapping paper and cards etc I will use this theme, where I can I will weave the theme through the Christmas menu plan and I will repurpose what I currently have to fit the theme where possible.
Below I have listed three themes for 2023 Christmas to help inspire you with some ideas. I have been curating Christmas theme ideas for many years now so have a big archive of ideas if you find these themes don’t resonate with you. You can find previous years’ Christmas theme ideas here:
- Christmas theme ideas 2022 – Very Peri, Australian Christmas and Nativity themes
- Christmas theme ideas 2020 – Pantone Colour for 2020 – Classic Blue, Wood, Flora
- Christmas theme ideas 2018 – Ultra Violet, Stripes, Rose Gold
- Christmas Theme Ideas 2017 – Greenery, Recycled and Polka Dots.
- Christmas Theme Ideas 2016 – Kraft, White and Metal.
- Christmas Theme Ideas 2015 – Upcycled, Metallic and Neon themes.
- Christmas Theme Ideas 2014 – Red and Silver, Star and Chevron themes.
- Christmas Theme Ideas 2013 – Red, green and gold, yellow and recycled themes.
- Christmas Theme Ideas 2012 – Blue and white, Paper and Bird themes.
- Christmas Theme Ideas 2011 – Black and White, Peppermint Candy and Eco Friendly themes.
- Christmas Theme Ideas 2010 – Natural, Blue and Silver, Red and White themes.
- Christmas Theme Ideas 2009 – Non Traditional Bright Colours, Natural, Red, Green and Silver themes.
Scandinavian Christmas Theme
Image source: housebeautiful.com
Candles – as Christmas is in the deep dark winter months in Scandinavian countries, candles are used a lot at this time of year. Add some natural folage to make them look a little bit special.
Image source: tidbits-cami.com
Gift wrapping and tags – going with neutral colours and natural materials is a great way to give your gift wrapping a Scandinavian feel.
Image source: wildandgrizzly.com
Scandinavian place settings – making and decorating biscuits can be a gorgeous and fun way to create beautiful place settings.
Image source: julieblanner.com
DIY Christmas wreath – this is a great step by step tutorial using natural materials and the post has lots of great tips on general decorationg too.
Pantone’s Color of the Year, Viva Magenta 18-1750 Christmas Theme
Pantone’s Color of the Year, Viva Magenta 18-1750, vibrates with vim and vigor. It is a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength. Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative. Source
Viva Magenta Christmas flower arrangement – these peonies in the gorgeous Viva Magenta would be a stunning way to decorate your house at Christmas in the Pantone theme colour.
Image source: peachesandmint.com
Viva Magenta Christmas fruit arrangement – as I noted in the introduction when using a Christmas theme you don’t have to buy more “stuff”. You can choose food and natural items to help give a themed look to your Christmas day like this gorgeous fruit arrangment.
Flamingo Christmas tree – for those of you who love bright and fun and/or flamingos, then definitely check out this blog post from aunt peaches.
Viva Magenta Christmas drinks – this collection of drinks are all so pretty. If you prefer them to be non alcoholic you can use non alcoholic gins etc instead.
Nutcracker Christmas Theme
Image source: jonesdesigncompany.com
Nutcracker gift tags – you can sign up to access a free template to create these cute nutcracker themed gift tags and make them yourself if you like a bit of DIY.
Nutcracker Christmas platter – this super cute Christmas platter is currently at Target for $20 and would make a great addition to the Christmas table.
Image source: akailochiclife.com
DIY Nutcracker Christmas scene – another DIY project you can try if this is your thing! This post shows you how to make your very own Nutcracker Christmas scene.
Image source: thecafesucrefarine.com
Sugar Plum Fairy Shortbread Bites – another way you can weave your theme into food! These look very pretty and would also make great handmade gifts too.
Have you started Christmas planning for 2023 yet?
I am aware that Christmas is extremely stressful for some and planning like this is not going to solve the stress that they will have. These articles may help if you find Christmas an especially stressful time: