It’s time for this month’s Let’s Look! linkup and it’s a very festive one!
I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d get this one together in time, I’m still trying to move back into a good blog routine after all the things that have happened lately! I appreciate all of you for always being so supportive and understanding, and I’m excited that I get to share this one with you today!
Be sure to check out the posts by Shay and Erika after you’re all done here! Also, just in case you missed my previous link ups, I’ll jot those down below also!
- February – Little Things I Do Every Single Day
- March – What’s In My Grocery Cart
- April – My Daily Quiet Time
- August – What’s In My Pantry
It’s so hard to believe it’s October and getting close to the holiday season! I always look forward to this time of year so this a really fun little post to put together for how I prep for the holidays! Maybe you’ll get an idea or two, and I’d absolutely love for you to share with me some of your favorite tips in the comments!
Grab your coffee or favorite beverage and let’s dive in!
But first, coffee!
I mentioned this in my last edition of All The Things, but I feel like as soon as it’s pumpkin spice latte time, it’s beginning to look a lot like the holidays! You know I adore my coffee if you’ve been here with me even for a millisecond (is that a thing?!), haha! I always enjoy my holiday coffees and chatting with Carrie from Curly Crafty Mom about it…I think we may chat about our coffee on the daily even if we don’t always have it daily!!
Make a List
Actually, I make about ten lists and check them way more than twice! 🙂 I love planning, so it’s no secret that one of the first things I grab when I start to prep for the holidays! I adore my Erin Condren LifePlanner and I got the extra months in this one so I could start using it right away. Some of the lists I like to make are…
- Who I’m buying for and gift ideas off the top of my head
- Christmas dinner list w/ ingredient shopping list
- Decor or supplies I want or need
- Deep-cleaning list for the house to get it ready for winter
Keep your eyes peeled for a more in-depth blog post on this beauty of a planner, I’ll be sharing a walkthrough and then I will be sharing my favorite tips for getting the most out of your planner (way overdue on this one for Jill!). By the way, aren’t these little coffee cup sticky notes cute?! Stephanie got them for me as a birthday gift!
Start Tracking Sales
I just want to say first thing – just because it’s on sale does not mean it’s best to buy it! Sometimes things are still super pricey and I’m sure we all can agree that literally everything is pricier right now than it used to be, so no need to run yourself into the ground for gifts! That’s not what the true meaning of Christmas is about!
My best friend Stephanie is the queen of Christmas shopping early and I think she gets a lot better deals because of that. So I’m trying to learn from her this year (it only took me 15 years…) and start like right now! Today is the last day of Amazon Prime Deals and I’ve found a lot of goodies already!
When we replaced our tv last month because our old one finally bit the dust, we got one that runs on Amazon TV. So Kyle got us a Prime subscription to go with it! We’ve had those free trials off and on, but never had a full subscription if that makes sense. Did you know you can add your significant other to your household and they can have Prime on their account too? I’m sure I’m the only one living under a rock on this one, but I thought it was so neat when this happened yesterday, haha!
In case you’re shopping the sale too, here are some of my favorite things!
My dear friend Kathrine started an Etsy shop recently and I was so excited to get my hands on one of her pieces! Isn’t this stunning? It truly brightens my day just having it here at my desk. Her mixed media art in stunning vintage frames would be an absolutely perfect and thoughtful gift for the holidays!! Be sure to hop over to Peace of Kathrine to check out her one-of-a-kind pieces!
Have a Goal Session
If you’re a fellow goal-getter like me, then you’ll definitely relate to this one! The last quarter of the year is a really good time for reflection, seeing what has been working great for you and then what hasn’t been working at all. Yikes! I love my Cultivate What Matters PowerSheets Planner and I’m actually staring at it open right now on my last Quarterly Refresh section. It’s one of the ways I love to reassess my goals, pivot where needs, and just keep swimming on all the rest of the things.
You can save 10% on your order of $25 or more with my code MAKELIFEMARVELOUS.
Carve out Time for Seasonal Activities
So all the pumpkin-patch plans, sunflower field visits, spooky mazes, apple festivals, Christmas light drives, touring the caves displaying the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of our Savior! All the fun things need planned out a bit, so this is a good time to get all those things scheduled out a bit!
That’s a wrap on some of the ways I prep for the holidays with this month’s Let’s Look! linkup, sweet friends! I hope you’re having a wonderful week so far, and I’d love to hear how you like to prepare for the holiday season down in the comments!
Don’t forget that you can also link up next month (November 13th) if you have a blog, we would love to have you! You can see November’s topic as well as December’s below too!
Kari Miller says
Scheduling big holiday bucket list activities is KEY! You have inspired me to go and put a couple items on the calendar NOW before it fills up!
Aww, so happy I could inspire you Kari!! I love my planners and jotting things down helps me so much! Hope you have a fantastic day!
That piece from Kathrine is beautiful!
Jennifer
https://curatedbyjennifer.com
I love getting a peak into your planning! I’m in list making mode right now for the holidays! I like to have all of my shopping done by Black Friday weekend. I’m also making a holiday bucket list this year! Can’t wait for your planner post! I know I’m not utilizing mine as well as I could.
Jill – Doused in Pink
Kathrine’s pieces are so special! I love the color and the vintage frames! She is amazing! I always try to shop early as much as possible, but our kids have November and December bdays so it makes it a bit harder. Haha!
Haha! We do talk about our coffees on the daily. I love those coffee sticky notes your friend Stephanie got you! I feel it is harder to shop for the teens these days too! It was so much easier when they were little. I really feel like it is less stressful though when you get going on things super early.
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Your blog is such a cozy place full of great ideas, and it’s wonderful how you’re embracing the festive season with such positivity! Keep up the great work, and I hope you have a magical time preparing for the holidays! ✨🎄
You are so right with this post. Thinking of you. May your day be blessed by the Lord.
http://www.rsrue.blogspot.com
So cute! Can’t wait for the holidays. I really want to make more time for holiday activities this year.
http://www.fashionradi.com
Thank you so much for sharing my shop and what you purchased! I hope you enjoy seeing it as much as I enjoyed creating it. Love all your Amazon picks. I want those slippers! Can’t believe the holidays are almost here!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Love your blog, its so cozy. And even a thought of coffee makes my day so yes, coffee for me as well. It always comes first for me. Wishing you a great day!
Rampdiary
Getting back into a good blog routine can be tough, but it sounds like you’re finding your groove! Your holiday prep tips are super helpful, especially the part about making lists and tracking sales. It’s always fun to see how others get ready for the festive season. Thanks for sharing.
New post: https://www.melodyjacob.com/2024/10/there-are-several-reasons-to-consider-business-retreat-abroad.html
I love what you post here, I love holidays time 😀
I really can’t believe the holiday season is RIGHT around the corner- starting to plan early, track sales, etc., is so smart, Ashley!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge