Where is 2024 going?! Can anyone else believe it’s already October?! At this time of year, things start to fly even faster! Just think, the day after Halloween, the stores flood with Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations. It’s easy to get whisked away by the chaos and fun of celebrations in the next few months. Today, let’s explore some ways to plan for the rest of the year instead of being spooked by the chaos of the “ber” months of the year!
The first thing I’m doing is reviewing and setting my November & December calendar.
Over the past year or so, my husband and I have learned to live by our shared calendar. I prefer digital, because it’s something we can both reference right from our very phones no matter where we are and update it in live time. However, if you prefer your family wall calendar/planner, do what works for your family! Go ahead and start nailing down the dates for your family events. You may be the one hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas, or you’re the one navigating the roads to all your holiday celebrations with all sides of your families. Knowing the dates and times will help in reducing the anxiety of getting from point A to Z with three turkey dinners all in the same day. Plus, by planning ahead of time, you may be able to coordinate a schedule with whomever you’re celebrating with that could give more breathing room for your schedule (and your stomach). Half the battle is blocking off the time for these gatherings. Don’t let them sneak up on you!
Now that you and I have nailed down our calendars let’s talk about booking your holiday travel.
I’m a flight-searching fiend. Per my very extensive research, a.k.a. Google, most travel experts are recommending at least monitoring flight prices 60-90 days ahead of your expected travel dates. You can set tracking alerts on Google Flights or even use services like Hopper to monitor prices before you buy. The same goes for lodging! Most travel experts recommend searching for your stay and gauging prices at least 1-2 months in advance; possibly earlier if you’re near a popular destination like Disney! As a Floridian, I can confirm that Disney traffic surges during the Christmas season. Don’t wait until the last minute and pay twice as much! If you’re not travelling this holiday season, then just sleep well knowing you’re not having to spend beaucoup bucks to get to your family gatherings!
Many of us may have the great fortune of celebrating our festivities locally this year. Fortunately, both my immediate family and my husband’s immediate family are local. While extensive travel isn’t usually our concern, the timing and mastery of being in two places at once is difficult. This is year 4 of trial and error when it comes to celebrating two to three Thanksgivings in one day. If you would like to read the error of my ways in past years, check out my Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) blog from last year’s holidays. Also, be on the lookout for my upcoming Thanksgiving blog, where I will talk about my Thanksgiving pie-baking catastrophe. Please learn from my ways!
In year 4 of sharing holidays, the name of the game is preparation, my friends!
Make Halloween your deadline! I recommend reviewing your calendar, as previously mentioned, and making a list of what dishes, gifts, board games, etc. you intend to bring for your upcoming festivities. Build your shopping list and buy what you can ahead of time, things that you can freeze or won’t spoil by the time you need it of course. If you’re hosting, set up reminders for prepping your space for gathering. There are some great to-do list apps out there or good old-fashioned post-it notes! By preparing this information ahead of time you can even plan holiday expenses. It gives you time to scope out sales and save a few bucks along the way!
The famous Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Let’s make this holiday season one where we are very mindful (very demure) and less spoooooked.
October 2024
