Some say that a Christmas to-do list takes the magic out of the season. I disagree.
If you’re the primary planner for all things Christmas in your household, you know it can get overwhelming. You look at those twinkling lights and instead of sugar plums dancing in your head, you’re seeing all the presents you need to wrap, the snacks you need to send to school, and the stack of cards on your counter waiting to be addressed. I get it. It’s a lot!
We’re here to banish that overwhelm before it turns into “bah humbug.”
We’re here to transmute that mental load into merry and bright.
We’re here to help you get your magical elf vibes back.
And yes: I truly believe a calendar and to-do list can help make this happen! Get those swirling thoughts out of your head and put them in your digital planner. Even if they’re not done yet, you’ll feel at peace when there’s a plan. I’ll share a Notion template I created for Christmas planning that covers the primary things you should be thinking about, with dates and the ability to share with a partner.
Let’s get making that list!
Benefits of a digital Christmas planner
I see a lot of Christmas printables out there, but those don’t work for my style. Why? A digital planner is much more flexible. It allows you to easily add tasks as you think of them. You can also delete tasks, rather than using all the defaults someone else created for you. For example, you won’t find me buying new decorations every year, so I would delete that from any template I use.
With a digital Christmas planner, you can also view the same items in different formats. For example, both as a checklist and a calendar. If you like, you can get reminders about items on your list when their due dates are approaching.
Best of all, you can share the mental load with a partner. Using digital systems is one of the best ways to divvy up work in a way you can both view and contribute to. Just like at a job, it’s helpful at home to assign tasks to individuals, so you have a clear record of who’s doing what. This is a great way to get your spouse or partner on board and accountable for some of the huge workload that goes with the holiday season. There is such a thing as Christmas magic…but it takes some work behind the scenes!
What to put on your Christmas to-do list
Depending on how and where you celebrate, every person’s Christmas to-do list will look a little different. Here are some common plans to get you started.
Travel plans
Will you be traveling for Christmas? If so, you’ll need to request time off work, research and book air travel tickets and/or hotels, and pack for your trip.
Organizing a Secret Santa exchange
My siblings and in-laws and I prefer to do Secret Santa (or sometimes, not-so-secret) gift exchanges rather than buy presents for everyone. If you’re organizing an exchange for your family or friends, you’ll need to communicate to see who wants to participate, set a budget, draw names, distribute names, encourage everyone to exchange wishlists, plan when you will exchange gifts, and purchase a gift for your recipient.
Learn more: How to do Secret Santa this year.
Gift giving
For some people, this is the biggest category on the list! You’ll want to set a budget for gifts, make a list of everyone you plan to gift to, jot down your gift ideas, start shopping for items on sale ahead of and during Black Friday sales, wrap everything, and mail gifts for those out of town. If you have kids, remember teacher, nanny, and bus driver gifts. Consider gifts for other service providers in your life, such as hair stylists, house cleaners, and dog walkers.
Sending Christmas cards
While this may not be the heaviest-weight group of tasks on the list, it’s the one I would recommend starting the earliest. If your card will feature a family photo, you’ll want to determine your budget and book a photo session as early as September. Remember to plan and acquire outfits for the photo. It also takes some work to maintain your address list, design and order the cards, and if you’re mailing them yourself, signing, stuffing, labeling, and stamping the cards to go out. Luckily, there are strategies to send Christmas cards with less stress.
Decorating
Plan early enough that you have time to take stock of your existing Christmas decor, test all your strings of Christmas lights, and mark a date to get your Christmas tree. If you’ll be hand-making any decorations, also add tasks to get supplies and sit down and get crafting. With carols playing and peppermint mocha in hand, I hope.
Christmas meals and celebrations
If you’re hosting on Christmas day or otherwise throughout the season, the more planning you can do in advance, the less stress you’ll feel. This can include baking and freezing cookies in advance, making a menu and shopping list far in advance (I think my mom starts hers in September), and enlisting help for cleaning and preparing food.
Family fun
Some fun, like watching classic Christmas movies and driving around to see lights, can be done spontaneously. Other activities require a bit of planning, such as purchasing tickets to see a live performance of the Nutcracker, booking an appointment to see Santa, and acquiring an advent calendar.
The full list
To get all this in a checklist format, check out the ultimate Christmas To-Do list Notion template. I breathe so much easier during the Christmas season since I created this for myself!
What should your Christmas timeline look like?
If you’re planning all of the Christmas fun listed above, your timeline should begin in September.
September
- Cards: set a budget and book a photographer
October
- Travel: request time off from work, book air tickets, book hotels
- Shopping: determine your budget, create a list of all recipients, and begin shopping
- Cards: plan outfits for photos, have photos taken
- Celebrations: consider what hosting you plan to do and discuss with family
November
- Travel: make a packing list
- Secret Santa exchange: rally participants, set a budget, draw names, distribute names, make your wishlist, plan a time to exchange, and purchase a gift for your recipient
- Shopping: continue shopping, shop on Black Friday, acquire wrapping supplies, begin wrapping gifts
- Cards: update your Christmas card address list, design and order cards
- Decorating: take stock of your decorations, begin indoor decorating, get a Christmas tree, decorate the tree
- Celebrations: invite guests to any celebrations you are hosting, plan outfits for Christmas parties, and shop for anything new you need
- Family fun: book tickets for seasonal events such as concerts and plays, book an appointment to see Santa, acquire an advent calendar
December
- Travel: pack, travel
- Shopping: acquire thank-you cards for after the holiday, mail out-of-town gifts, complete shopping, send teacher gifts to school, complete wrapping
- Cards: write letter for cards if you plan to include one, purchase stamps, sign/address/stamp cards, if doing yourself
- Decorating: put up outdoor lights, finish indoor decorating
- Celebrations: determine menus, make shopping lists for food and drinks, make a plan for prep and cooking schedules, clean out the refrigerator, shop, clean the house, and prepare meals
- Family fun: start your advent calendar, write a letter to Santa, visit Santa, attend events
- Enjoy: it’s here! Relax and enjoy yourself with the festive beverage of your choice.
Ready to get started? Make your copy of the Christmas to-do list Notion template. Enjoy!
Do you use a Christmas planner of any kind? What about it works best for you?
