Thanksgiving is just days away. That means that the holiday season will be in full-swing before we know it. *Cue Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You.*
Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, this time of year often involves exchanging gifts with others.
Do you have a process for planning your holiday gifts?
The past two years, I planned to make homemade gifts for all my friends and family. But I didn’t plan accordingly, and ended up stressed and scrambling to pull something together at the last minute.
I want to provide some holiday gift planning tips to help you avoid this chaos. After all, the holidays are a special, beautiful time to celebrate with our loved ones and feel warm and cozy. I love this time of year and want to savor every moment of it, not feel bogged down by gift-giving stress.
Make a List
The first step to planning your holiday gifts is making a list of everyone you want to give a gift to, like your family members and your friends. Don’t forget people that you might not realize are a big part of your life, like your friendly neighbor, your doctor’s assistant, or the barista at your favorite coffee shop. Also remember any regular service people you have, such as hair stylists or nail techs.
Listing everyone out will help you stay organized.
Decide What Gifts You Want to Give
Next, determine what you are giving to each person. Personally, I like to do this in a Google Sheet (that is the kind of brain I have). I list everyone out and write the gift ideas next to their names.
How to Come up With Holiday Gift ideas
Do you struggle to come up with creative gift ideas that people actually want to receive? Pinterest and YouTube are great resources for coming up with awesome, thoughtful gift ideas! In addition to looking for online inspiration, you can also check Etsy for fun and unique gifts.
Another way to get gift inspiration is to search “holiday gift guides.” Tailor this by including some keywords about the person you are searching for, such as “holiday gift guides for mom” or “holiday gift guides for friends.” There are so many online magazines and even stores that post gift guides, which are helpful resources that can give you creative gift ideas.
Photo by Erica Marsland Huynh on Unsplash
Homemade Holiday Gift Guide
If you are making DIY gifts, think about items you can make in bulk and give to multiple people. For example, I plan to pick a relatively simple crochet project and spend a few hours preparing gifts for my friends and family. Finding a simple craft that everyone can enjoy will make the process less stressful for you. This is especially important if you are a beginner like me.
Don’t overestimate your abilities and/or energy levels. You don’t need to make a customized, intricate, labor-intensive gift for every single person in your life. Frankly, that is unrealistic and you are going to burn yourself out.
Give yourself more than enough time. Feeling stressed because you ran out of time to complete your gifts is not fun (told by someone who put themself in that position two years in a row).
DIY Gift Inspiration
Photo by Mel Poole on Unsplash
Give Yourself a Budget
Determine a realistic budget that you feel comfortable with before you start making purchases.
Remember, It’s the Thought That Counts!
We all know this saying, but we need to remember how true it is. Your loved ones don’t need you to exhaust yourself planning and executing elaborate gifts. The goal is to show people that you are thinking about them and care about them.
A simple gift, given with love, is just as meaningful as an extravagant gift.
Store-Bought Holiday Gift Guide
In-person Holiday Shopping Tips
Go to the stores as early as possible.
If your schedule allows it, try to go to the store during off-times for a more peaceful shopping experience.
What you want is to avoid the stress and crowds that come with last-minute holiday shopping. Especially if you are buying popular, high-demand items.
Online Holiday Shopping Tips
If you plan to order your gifts online, make sure you account for delivery time, so your gifts arrive when you want them to.
Make sure you have your loved ones’ updated addresses.
Photo by Bianca Ackermann on Unsplash
I hope this holiday gift planning guide helps you plan your gifts, for a reduced-stress holiday season.
Now you know…
✨ How to come up with holiday gift ideas.
✨ How to stay organized when planning your holiday gifts.
✨ How to manage your expectations when making DIY gifts.
✨ How to optimize your shopping trips when purchasing holiday gifts.
Make sure to subscribe to my email list to stay updated on the latest blog posts with tips to help you design your ideal life. And make sure to connect with me on social media (links below) for more intentional and joyful lifestyle content. I would love for you to tag me in a post of your DIY holiday gifts!
And let me know in the comments: Do you have any useful holiday gift-giving tips?
Featured Image: Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
Life by Julia 