We’ve made it to the last month of the year – December! This is the busiest month of the year for many people as business and schools try to fit in as much as possible before the new year. There are parties to attend, cookies to bake, friends to see, cards to write and presents to wrap! All while starting to think about how January will be here before we know it.
With two birthdays, multiple school events and Christmas, my December is very busy. And while in the past I used to have near panic attacks, I have found that staying focused and VERY organized have been key to maintaining my sanity during this busy season.
To help keep all of my ideas and tasks organized, I aways put together a monthly to do list. Knowing what needs to be done ahead of time helps me schedule my days so I can check these items off without stress.
If you need help starting your own to do list, never fear. I’ve put together a list of tasks I suggest completing in December. Feel free to print my list and add any other personal tasks that need to be done!
Here’s a suggested list of things to do this December to keep your home maintained and organized:
Go through holiday decorations
Going through holiday decorations is best done while you are decorating, not after. It is usually very clear what you actually love and use when you are setting things up as opposed to after the holidays when you just want things put away as fast as possible. And if you happen to find some decorations that you no longer like or use, December is the perfect time to pass them on to people who may actually use them!
Similarly, this is the perfect time to test holiday lights to make sure they are still working. If anything no longer works or isn’t fixable, it’s time to trash them.
Set up a hot cocoa bar
Nothing makes your home cozier for your family and friends than a hot drink bar! My kids look forward to a hot cocoa bar every year and honestly there’s nothing better than a hot cup of cocoa after a long school day. If you are short on space, consider adding a tray to your counter or use a rolling bar cart to hold supplies. And if you want to see how I set up my hot cocoa bar, be sure to check out the post below:
Kitchen Counter Hot Chocolate Bar
Organize winter gear
If the weather has started turning colder, it might be time to haul out your cold weather gear and go through it. I like to make sure things like snow pants still fit my fast growing kids and check that each person has a hat, gloves and boots. If you find you need anything, December is the perfect time to pick up new gear.
To make things organized and easy to find, consider giving each person in your family a basket for their own gear. No longer will you have to dig to find a matching glove and should it actually be a white Christmas, you will know exactly where your snow pants are.
Wrap presents
You know all those gifts you bought during Black Friday? Well, now it’s time to wrap them! Set aside some time in the evening, get out your wrapping supplies and gifts and see how much you can get done. I like to do my wrapping as early as possible in December because it helps me feel ‘complete’ with my Christmas shopping and prevents me from making additional unnecessary purchases.
For my favorite space saving way to store Christmas wrapping paper, check out the post below:
How to Organize and Store Christmas Wrapping Paper
Keep organized lists
December is the time of multiple lists! Keep lists of gifts to purchase, food to buy, cards to send, people to see and more! Just make sure to keep those lists together so you have everything you need in one place. In order to stay organized, I use my Holiday Planner to keep track of everything.
It has spaces for everything you need to keep track of during this busy time of year – calendars, to do list, cooking schedules and more!
Click here to purchase your own downloadable copy of The Holiday Planner.
Declutter toys as needed
If you have kids, then it is super important to do a declutter before Christmas. There’s nothing worse than trying to find homes for new toys received on Christmas, only to discover your closets and bins are already overflowing with toys. Get your kids involved in going through their toys and deciding what they have outgrown or what they no longer like playing with.
Clean your home before hosting
Are you hosting a party or expecting guests for the holiday? Now is the time for a deep clean blitz to get your spaces ready for visitors. I’m not a huge fan of an all-day cleaning marathon (mostly because it completely wears me out!) but I do believe in spreading out cleaning tasks over a week. Try to schedule tasks that will be very obvious to guests (like cleaning the bathrooms and vacuuming) for last, so that you know those will be clean before guests arrive.
Need some help figuring out when to schedule these cleaning tasks? I’ve got you covered! Click on the link below and download my FREE Clean Home in 7 Days Checklist. Not only will it take the guesswork out of getting your home ready for hosting, but it will break the daunting task into manageable daily tasks to prevent overwhelm.
Click here to download my FREE Clean Home in 7 Days checklist
Prepare for holiday meals and baking
Whether you plan to bake one batch of cookies or 12, it’s important to plan! List out each recipe you plan to make and make note of ingredients you need to buy. Schedule out when you plan to make each item and when it will be served. If you have a complicated holiday meal planned, consider making notes of the cooking schedules and times that each item needs to go into the oven.
Stock up on holiday storage bins
December is the time to assess your holiday storage and pick up a few new bins if needed. Did you add some new decor pieces and find you need more storage? After Christmas, the stores often carry a large selection of bins with red/green lids and also specialty storage items like ornament organizers or wreath holders. Consider upgrading your cardboard boxes for waterproof plastic bins, as these will protect your decorations for the long term.
If you are looking for recommendation on the best holiday storage, check out the post below:
The Best Christmas Storage Containers You Can Buy Online
Looking for a way to track these to-do items? Download your own copy of the December List
Click here to download a printable copy of the December List and use the extra empty bullet points to write in any personal to do’s
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