best 2022 christmas checklist

THE COMPLETE CHRISTMAS CHECKLIST FOR AN ORGANIZED 2022 HOLIDAY SEASON

Preparing for Christmas early is a savvy way of avoiding stress and chaos in the December holiday frenzy. It can be difficult to know exactly when you should start preparing for Christmas 2022 and in what order you should complete tasks. If you are feeling stressed, spend a few minutes reading through our tips on how to beat holiday stress to put you back on the right track. Make the 2022 holiday season your most organized Christmas yet by planning ahead with this comprehensive Christmas preparation checklist. Starting two months in advance, this Christmas countdown checklist will teach you when to do everything from making Christmas cards to cooking Christmas Eve dinner. With job and family obligations that don’t take a holiday it can be difficult to even think about Christmas preparations, but this list makes it simple and fun!

2 OR MORE MONTHS BEFORE CHRISTMAS (October 20th - 31st)

• Set a Budget: The first step for Christmas planning is to make a holiday budget that you can commit to. When planning your budget, consider the prices of gifts, holiday cards, decorations, travel, and Christmas Day and Christmas Eve meals. Looking at prices online is an easy way of gauging how much everything will cost.
• Create a Gift List: Start thinking about gifts early in your Christmas prep. Make a list of everyone you want to purchase gifts for, and then brainstorm ideas for each person. Planning your gifts ahead will help ensure that you have enough gifts for every person. Thinking about gifts far in advance is also important in case you need to buy something early, such as tickets to a popular play or sports game. Don’t forget that practical gifts – such as soaps, spices, books, or phone stands – are appreciated just as much as fun gifts. Also consider educational gifts, such as books, especially for children. We have some great ideas on Secret Santa gifts too!

• Start Your Gifting Research: If you are struggling to think of gifts for someone, reach out to them or to their friends to see what they’re interested in. If you need gift inspiration for any children, ask them to write a gift wishlist for Santa Claus. In fact, writing a letter to Santa can be a fun part of the entire family’s Christmas countdown, along with sending holiday cheer to armed services members who are away from their loved ones. See a full assortment of Minted gifting here.
• Schedule the Family Photoshoot: Do you want to use a family photo for your holiday card, but don’t have any recent ones? Find a time to get everyone together to take a family picture.

7 WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS (November 6th)

• Create a Holiday Calendar: Piece together a thorough holiday calendar for yourself so that you stay on track for all your Christmas preparations. To maximize efficiency, reference this calendar frequently. Be sure to list out any family dinners, school recitals, and work parties so you can have a good understanding of what days will be free to accomplish some of your important planning tasks. Minted has some beautiful calendars you can personalize with key dates for a comprehensive holiday planning checklist!
• Order Online Gifts: Get ahead of the game and begin ordering presents that must be purchased online by consulting the Christmas prep list you made in the earlier steps of this holiday organizer. They may take a long time to arrive, so the sooner you order, the better.

• Start Planning Your Christmas Card: Have you recently been married, had a baby, or moved into a new home? If so, you might want to select a Christmas card that announces that milestone. Whether you do that or not, you should next consider what kind of Christmas card you want. Are you looking for an elegant and classic 5” X 7” card, an innovative and trendy Booklette™, or a savvy and stylish postcard? The Minted Holiday Card Guide describes all these kinds and more so that you can find your perfect Christmas card. Whether you want something simple and minimalist, modern and edgy, or vintage and luxurious, there will be a card for you.
  
  Have you chosen a family photo, but don’t know which design it would look best on? Take advantage of Minted’s Text Us Your Photo service to help you decide. First, text your photo and answer a few short questions. Then a Minted stylist will text you back previews of your photo on five selected card designs. This is one of our favorite tips for how to prepare for Christmas 20222 because it’s easy, fun and free!

6 WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS (November 13th)

• Finalize Christmas Day Plans: Decide who among your family/friends is going to host Christmas. If you’re not hosting, prepare for Christmas by buying a ticket as soon as possible if travel is required to get to your host. Make any other travel arrangements you’ll need as well, like booking a pet sitter and adding packing to your Christmas to-do list. If you are hosting, start planning the guest list. If there’s any chance guests will be staying in your home, plan where they’ll stay, and see if you need to do anything else to accommodate them.
• Create Your Christmas Card List: Begin making a list of who you want to send your Christmas cards to. Use Minted’s easy Address Collection service to gather your contacts’ addresses and put them on an online address book. Minted’s Free Recipient Address Printing in combination with their Address Collection Service will make mailing your Christmas cards much less time consuming when the time arrives.

5 WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS (November 20th)

• Audit Your Christmas Decorations/Supplies: You may be planning to shop on Black Friday or Cyber Monday after Thanksgiving. If so, check your stowed away boxes to see what Christmas supplies you already have from last year before preparing for Christmas with new decorations. Additionally see if you need anything for your home, especially if you’re the host. Write down everything you need. You might also want to pick something up just for fun, such as holiday-themed napkins.
• Check Your Wrapping Paper: The last thing you want is to be short on wrapping paper in the middle of wrapping gifts! If you need more wrapping paper or just want some new designs, consider getting a mix of anything from classic Christmas wrapping paper to customizable wrapping paper of your family photos.

• Order Your Holiday Cards: After you’ve perfected your Christmas card design, it’s time to place your order! Make sure to order a few extras to send greetings to armed services members spending the holidays overseas and a few more, just in case. You may even want to keep a couple copies for yourself. Don’t forget to buy accessories for your Christmas cards to elevate their look. Wax seals, ribbon, colorful envelope liners, and return address labels are perfect tools to uplift your Christmas card’s elegance.

4 WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS (November 27th)

• Shop Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sales: Once the Thanksgiving meal hangover has subsided, be sure to take advantage of the great sales that many companies launch during the following days to purchase gifts for your friends and family. Be mindful of your budget and keep your gift lists on hand. In addition to gifts and holiday supplies, you may consider buying other things like Christmas decorations, gingerbread house-making kits, or advent calendars.
• Purchase a Few Extra Gifts: It’s always a good idea to buy some additional presents to have on hand. It never hurts to have an extra bottle of wine or a box of chocolates to give to someone who unexpectedly shows up, or to someone you don’t have as many gifts for.
• Stock up on Batteries: One of the most commonly forgotten, yet one of the most versatile, items for any Christmas preparation list is batteries. It may be beneficial to purchase some spare batteries, even if you’re positive you don’t need them – you may end up saving the day for somebody else.

• Put International Gifts in the Mail: Once you have all of your purchases, mail any gifts to overseas friends and family who live abroad, as it might take a long time to send.
• Communicate Christmas Party Details: If you are the host of the Christmas festivities this year, give your guests a plan. Include when they should arrive, what they should wear, and what they should bring. The sooner you communicate this to your guests, the sooner you’ll know if anyone has to arrive late, change plans, or cancel. Knowing this information will help you plan for your holiday get-together appropriately. Minted has some fun Christmas party invitations that can help relay your details in festive style. After all, if stay-at-home orders are over, perhaps it’s time to get your family and friends together…. finally!
• Buy a Christmas Tree: Turn this into a fun family event by going on an excursion to pick the tree as a group. Then, decorate the tree with your friends and family, using your old ornaments as well as any new ones you may have purchased.