#Holiday stress will really start to #snowball after Thanksgiving. Why not get some of your baking out of the way now? There are plenty of #recipes you can make ahead of time and pull out of the freezer to enjoy at a later date, Parade says. Homemade cookies and confections such as peppermint bark, peanut brittle, sugar cookies, gingerbread, fudge and (everyone’s favorite) peanut butter blossoms can be baked weeks in advance. Freeze them and thaw them out a few hours before giving them as a gift in a festive tin or plating them for the holiday feast. You’ll have more time to relax and enjoy the celebration! #HolidayTips
Tag: holiday gifts
Take Stock of Your Home Early in the Season
Take stock of your home early in the #holiday season, the Seattle Times says. Start with holiday #decorations by weeding out anything you don’t use and #donating those things before you have the chance to store them for another season. “It’s also a good time to go through and #donate clothes, coats, toys and books,” the story says; services such as ClothingDonations.org make it easy to get those items to homes that want them while contributing to a good cause. Finally, guest-proof your house by making sure there’s adequate seating, that all surfaces are clear of clutter, and plenty of fresh towels and linens are available. #HolidayTips
Start Your Holiday Shopping Early
If you haven’t already begun your #holiday shopping, this week is a good time to start. Consult the internet for early-bird specials from your favorite retailers, and check the social media for gift ideas. Make a budget and a list of the people you plan to buy for, and jot down a few ideas for each. You’re less likely to overspend if you have the elements of a plan in mind and #shop strategically. If you see a great deal, grab it — that price (and the stock) may not last, so get it while you can. And allow plenty of time for delivery of your holiday orders to avoid costly last-minute shipping fees and get everything under the tree on time. #HollidayTips
Make Lists to Better Manage the Holidays
Many large retailers started staging #holiday displays and promotions well before #Halloween was over. And while #Christmas, #Hannukah and the other #winter holidays may seem like they’re a long way off, now is the time to start planning. It’s never too early to make lists: Who’s on your gift list? Who gets a card? Who’s hosting which celebration? Get these things decided now, and you’ll have a lot less stress when the big celebrations roll around. You can also make a list of the spaces you want to #declutter before guests arrive, says Rooms Need Love; since a lot of people and stuff will be coming in, make space by #donating what you don’t need. #HolidayTips
Look for Last-Minute Gifts at the Thrift
With only two days to go until #Christmas, you might want to check the options at a #thrift store supplied by generous #donations to ClothingDonations.org if you’re short on #gifts. Not only do they offer plenty of lightly used goods at nice prices, you can often find unique #gifts that might be just right for a particular person on your list if you browse for a few minutes, no shipping required. And if you’re feeding a crowd over the weekend, you can get necessities such as linens, baking pans, serverware and other essentials for the holiday table — and maybe even the perfect ugly #holiday sweater or white elephant #gift. #HolidayTips