How to have a STRESS FREE Christmas 2024

Ah, Christmas! It feels like the whole world has collectively decided to 'skip right to Christmas' now that Halloween is over. I get it. Last year, while celebrating Halloween in London, I was delighted to see storefronts already decked out for Christmas on November 1st—because, oh yeah, no Thanksgiving in Britain!

So, while you might want to savor the fall season or even be prepping to host Thanksgiving, here’s a guide to having a stress-free Christmas this year. Now's the time to get our heads in the game for the best season of all! This is all according to me, Dani C., because if you can plan a wedding, you can plan the holiday season—and vice versa.

Step 1: Priority Setting 

 Just like with wedding planning, I recommend starting by checking in with yourself, your partner, and your family about your main priorities for the season. Last year, I did an exercise with my husband where I asked him to sort holiday activities into two categories: one for things he found ‘life-giving and loved,’ and the other for things he’d rather skip. Feel free to try it with this list below—or add your own!

• Going Christmas tree shopping
• Decorating the Christmas tree
• Decorating the house
• Buying presents for family
• Wrapping presents
• Doing a holiday-themed craft
• Baking holiday treats
• Attending a holiday show like The Nutcracker
• Having daily prayer or reflection time
• Enjoying the outdoors
• Watching a holiday movie
• Throwing a holiday-themed party

When I saw my husband's list, I was surprised at how little overlap there was! We usually enjoy the same things, but holiday traditions often come from how each of us grew up, so they can look different for everyone. While he loved picking a real Christmas tree at a farm, I was happy to get one from Home Depot and focus on decorating. He’d rather skip home decor and crafts, whereas I look forward to them and even plan ahead. He was most excited about beach bonfires, chilly hikes, and surfing; meanwhile, I was dreaming about cozy gatherings and movie marathons.

So, what do you do if your lists don’t match up? The beauty of the season is that you can do both! It’s about sharing time with family and enjoying the activities you all look forward to. It’s also a time for self-care and reflection. Even though our priorities were different, that conversation was so helpful—it allowed us to support each other's favorite activities and gave permission to skip the ones that didn’t feel meaningful.

This season is yours to shape as you like. Don’t bake cookies just because it’s tradition; maybe you’d rather go to the movies instead!

#2: Travel Planning

Here's something not enough people talk about: we often go all out decorating and planning for the holidays, only to leave halfway through December to spend it with family. The whole season feels rushed because you’re scrambling to pack and travel in the middle of all the holiday prep. And if you’re hosting, it can be even more intense. You’re decorating, shopping, wrapping, prepping your house for guests—and then, right before Christmas, you’re juggling cooking, cleaning, and playing host.

Bottom line? Whether you’re traveling or hosting, starting Christmas prep on December 1st isn’t enough time.

When you wait until December to start shopping, decorating, attending recitals, and hosting, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Many people think that if they don't start playing Christmas music until December 1st, they can’t start any holiday prep earlier either. That’s just not true! You need to start by November 1st—or even earlier. Here are a few things to make December much less stressful:

• Plan travel
• Block off time in December
• Buy gifts ahead

Start by reviewing your calendar now to see how the season breaks down this year. Remember, Thanksgiving’s on a set day of the week (the fourth Thursday in November), but Christmas is always December 25th, so the time between can vary. Look at your work schedule, weekend availability, and holiday travel plans. Knowing when you’ll be on the road and where you’ll be allows you to balance travel with family time and the new traditions you’re building at home. Take a look now to see if your schedule for this season feels right for you!

#3 Time Blocking

#4 Use November... that means now!

November is a great time to get ahead for Christmas. Solidifying your travel schedule, making Christmas shopping lists, and mapping out your home decor inspiration. Here's what I do. I look at the list of the items above that I categorized as NOT LIFE GIVING from the prioritization exercise. For me, I find buying presents, wrapping presents, ordering Christmas cards, decorating the house, and baking more stressful than fun. So then, these are the items I will get ahead of in November. This leaves me the time in December to setup the decor I've already bought, prepped and brainstormed, and do all the things on the priorities list I'm actually looking forward to doing.

December for me is all about enjoying the season, not frantically assembling it just in time.

But everyone is different. Some people love to shop closer to Christmas with the malls all lite up. Some people can only take a Christmas card photo when their family travels in. Some people may live cooking and baking the most! The concept is the same though. You should think now about how to do some of those essential but less life giving tasks now in November while time is still on your side. So start prepping now. As we have seen, there's just not a lot of weekend time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

Alright, I’m all about time blocking! I love setting monthly and weekly goals to create a good rhythm with work, homemaking, fitness, rest, play, and wellness. Everyone’s balance looks different, but time blocking is key if you want to fit in those fun Christmas traditions without stress. Here’s what I block out ahead of time:

• Travel
• Work/Vacation
• Rest days
• Bonus: Favorite Holiday Activities

1. First, block out your travel on the calendar. For example, this year we’ll be back from Thanksgiving in Palm Springs on December 1st, giving us three weeks at home to prep for Christmas before we head to my parents’ for a few nights. On Christmas Day, we’ll head to my husband’s family and stay home until New Year’s. How does your December look? How much time will you have at home before Christmas? How many free weekends?

2. For most people, year-end is busy, so block out your work and vacation days too. Add any big projects and mark the times when you’ll be fully free to enjoy the season. I keep weekdays for work and plan to have weekends plus the Christmas week free. What does your work/vacation schedule look like?

3. Rest days are non-negotiable. My husband and I set aside one full day each weekend as a true Sabbath—no work or nagging about holiday prep. If that’s Saturday or Sunday, that leaves us only half the weekend for holiday tasks, so planning is key.

4. I also put my favorite holiday activities on the calendar early—tree shopping, a festive party, and a few other must-dos. But I keep some nights and weekend time open for spontaneous plans or last-minute invites.

With all this planned in advance, here’s the real question: How do I keep it stress-free and still get it all done?

My secret? I save only the ‘life-giving’ Christmas stuff for December and get the rest done in November.

So, my top priority activities—like seeing The Nutcracker, going to the beach, attending friend parties, or hosting our own party—stay on the calendar in December. And since we both love Christmas tree hunting, we’ll do that then too. Everything else? Prepped in November.

#5 My Personal November Goals

"To get ahead in November, here are my three main goals:

1. Buy, prep, and plan all home decor
2. Take a photo, design, and order Christmas cards
3. Buy and wrap all presents (or as many as possible)

1) Home Decor Prep

I love a decorated home, but not so much the sourcing and setup—just enjoying it once it’s done! So this month, I’m tackling the prep work. I start with a mood board to capture my inspiration and sketch out the key elements. Then, I walk through my home to decide which spaces I’ll actually decorate. Since we have a smaller home, a tree and a few thoughtful touches go a long way. While I won’t decorate until after Thanksgiving, I aim to gather, organize, and have a game plan so that decorating only takes one weekend day. Once I find inspo online I map out how it will work in my space.

2) Christmas Cards

November is perfect for getting a jump on holiday cards. I like to plan a photoshoot this month, but if you already have a great family photo from earlier in the year, even better! I order cards online from a site that saves my contact's addresses, making reordering super easy each year. Many sites offer discounts in November, so ordering early can save you money, too. My goal is to have the cards ready and waiting to mail after Thanksgiving.

3) Buying and Wrapping Presents

November is my time to shop and wrap. If that feels early, I get it! Personally, I try to buy gifts while on our October vacation. This year, that didn’t happen, so I’ll make a list of everyone I’m buying for and order what I can now. I like to start with on-theme wrapping paper so I can wrap gifts as they arrive—keeping the wrapping from piling up.

Bonus Item: Make My Own Christmas List
My family usually asks for gift ideas, so I keep a list on my phone throughout the year. For example, when my boots broke a month ago, I added a new pair to my Christmas list. This habit helps when the season rolls around, and for some people, buying presents year-round works, too."

#6 Prepare your Heart

Christmas is a magical time of year, and it's never too early to start embracing the spirit of the season. Planning ahead gives me the space to truly enjoy what I love about the holiday. And remember, there’s always that restful time after Christmas to relax and savor with family.

Don’t let to-do lists take away from what makes Christmas meaningful for you. If you need to simplify or take things off your plate this year, that's perfectly fine! But I recommend using this week—before the holiday rush kicks in—to set some priorities, plan your travel, and make a game plan for enjoying what matters most to you in the coming months.

After all, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Let’s enjoy it!