How to Prepare your Home for Christmas in November

This month my ‘How to be an Organised Family’ monthly post has a twist as you can see from the title; It’s all about Christmas! I think that as it’s now the end of October it’s safe to start mentioning Christmas in more detail.  Otherwise how else can we be organised!

Home Organisation

Book any online food shops

Get booking ASAP before they run out of slots.  Some supermarkets have already released their Christmas and New Year slots but others will hopefully release them in November.

Make a note of when the release date is and chuck enough random items in your basket to checkout at the minimum spend. You can then go back and shop properly at a later date and just keep updating your order up until the night before.

We tend to do a big bulk shop online and then go and shop for the more vital Christmas food items ourselves, cutting our shopping time in store down to the minimum. This is all a sensible way to do it right now to keep shopping in stores to the minimum.

Household Priorities

Make a short prioritised list of things that need doing around the house and garden to get ready for Winter.

Try to fit these in during the weekend or weekdays, as come December the likelihood of any bigger household jobs getting done is unlikely.  So make a list and prioritise what’s important to do before Christmas, and don’t overload yourself with too many.

My top 3 priority list is usually having clean sofa cushions, having a shampoo carpet clean in the main carpet traffic areas and a ready for winter garden.

Top tip: if you haven’t already, plant some spring bulbs before it’s too late.

November is such a good month to get ahead of home organisation, so you can enjoy other more fun things in December.

Whilst I’m doing my bedroom cleaning, I will be having a speedy cull of unwanted clothes, toys, books, games and toiletries to make way for new gifts. Same in the kitchen, so that you can remain organised over the big cooking/baking days in December.

Planning Ahead on Dates

Book those hair and beauty appointments

You don’t want to lose out on much needed haircuts or waxing in time for Christmas. Obviously if you live in England this isn’t possible right now due to lockdown 2.

Family Commitments 

Look ahead at dates in the diary for everyone in the house and as soon as you get a new date, add it straight to the calendar and digital calenders as school commitments and kids activities are always crazy towards the end of term.

In fact trying to sync family members calendars is handy right now. Having it all written down in as many places as possible saves you missing anything.

Top Tip: Don’t forget to add in any little extras on to your calendars and to do lists such as raffle prizes, school baking or such like for any school fairs.  

Stir up Sunday

Sunday November 24th Stir-up Sunday is a centuries-old tradition where cooks spend the last Sunday before Advent ‘stirring up’ the Christmas pudding. Dating back to Victorian times, the whole family took a turn at stirring the Christmas pudding, making a wish.

Postage dates

The Royal Mail 2022 Christmas postage dates are; Wednesday 21 December – 2nd Class and 2nd Class signed for, Monday 19th December for 1st Class and 1st Class signed for. I would allow for extra time this year due to postage strikes that could affect deliveries.

Present Admin

Present List

We update our present list on our notes app on our phones every time we buy a present throughout the year and then we air drop it to each other regularly.

Now is the time to get writing lists to avoid the temptation of over buying or forgetting how much you already have, it’s so easily done!

Storing Presents

We start as early as we can and we store the kids’ (presents, not the actual kids!) in locked suitcases.

The good thing about using suitcases is you have all your children’s gifts in one place and so you can wrap and put back as and when you have time.  Try and get wrapping in November in the evenings to save yourself that epic Christmas Eve wrapping duty (Yes, I have been there!)

Teachers and Clubs gifts

If you’re a school or clubs gifter then remember to get thinking of what to gift them now; whether you bake, make or buy something getting just ahead and thinking about when you can fit these in to your schedule really helps.

We tend to have a baking session for nursery staff or School staff and plan that into our December diaries and then we can give a little something to the many teachers & club volunteers that help our children.

Organise for your traditions

Whether it be Stir up Sunday, Elf on the shelf, secret Santa or advent traditions, whatever your tradition might be get organised for it before December.

Here is a handy 24 days of Elf on the Shelf for inspiration.

I plan what we will do/need for Elf on the Shelf, buy our chocolates to fill our advent calendar pockets and order in ingredients early for Christmas baking to avoid disappointment in stock running low in December.  So don’t delay – get purchasing these ingredients each week throughout November, it also helps spread the cost and your time!

See my previous Christmas post on cutting corners at Christmas.

Checking and Stocking Up

Batteries for new toys, new fairy lights, winter essentials for the car and home such as de-icer. Boring I know but simple things that save time later.

The prettier things

I maybe should add fairy lights into this section, as they’re pretty not basic! This section to me is all about getting organised with craft and decor bits that you’ve seen and don’t want to forget or leave too late.

My kids love to start the crafting at the end of November/Start of December, so a trip to a poundshop and Hobbycraft for some festive arts and craft supplies is a must in November.  Here are some ideas for December Seasonal Play Ideas

Festive clothing

Dig out those jumpers! Get checking what will still fit everyone and either hand it down to the next sibling or pass it on to friends or charity. For me I always make sure they have their Christmas jumpers, socks and tights at the ready to wear from the beginning of December. Second hand Christmas clothes are a great idea for being more frugal and mindful of the environment. I have picked up a few in the past and have in turn sold some of our old bits and bobs on second hand sites.

Check your cupboards from last year

It’s so common to forget what wrapping paper, gift bags and leftover Christmas bits you have stored away from the previous year. Make sure you do this before you hit the shops for more unnecessary packaging.  I have stocked up on brown paper this year for sustainable reasons and will be pimping it up with some Christmas stamps/stencils.

November Meal Plans 

As always I have included my November Meal plan and tried to focus on quick and easy winter warmers and slow cooker meals, as it’s a month getting organised for Christmas, so meals need to be simple and efficient.

Self Care 

Now is the time to look after nails and hair in the winter months. I find asking for a deep conditioning at the hairdresser helps and keeping on top of strengthening base coat on my nails and popping hand Cream and lip balm in my bag helps keep my hands and lips moisturised.

I have also popped in a cream that I can use on the kids as they get sore/chapped around their mouths in this weather.  Planning some time out at Christmas with girlfriends, or a crafty evening can also be the perfect kind of switch off time. Last year I attended a fun wreath making evening as part of my me time.

I I hope this list leaves you feeling like you can be more organised this season and hopefully making December for Santa’s little helpers that bit more enjoyable.