When to Start Planning for Christmas

I love the planning but don't like the stress. How can we really enjoy the Christmas holidays when we feel stressed and frazzled trying to buy and get things done before the big day. A little planning can help big time in reducing the stress and frustrations during the season and alot more enjoyment.
For me...anytime of the year is great for planning for Christmas. First...once the holidays are over and all the Christmas stuff goes on sale it is the best time to do it. Things like Christmas cards, wrapping paper, bows, ribbons and the like are really cheap...cheaper than when the Christmas season comes around again. Keep in mind though not to purchase things that may be torn, ripped or broken just because it's on sale.
Also, I watch for sales all year round. Every holiday and season has them. For example...purchase things on sale when mother's day comes around for the women on your Christmas list, or father's day for the men...etc. Watch for the sales and shop wisely.
Write down a list of all the people you are buying for to keep with you. I like to carry a little notebook and have a couple pages for each person so I can write down what I have picked up or found...or even writing it down to be picked up at another time and where/what store it can be found at.
Now some people love to shop online. When you shop on the internet, you have plenty of time to “window shop.” And items are not seasonal. They are available all year round. And of course sites have sales and promotionals just as the stores do. I myself don't prefer this method but if it works great for you then go for it. :)
Remember...when you purchase gifts...remember to write them down and if you know who you are giving it to then put their name down beside it. (re: the notebook I mentioned above)If you don't write down who gets what then you will end up spending more time trying to figure out what gifts go to whom.
Another time saver is wrap the gifs sooner and not later. I remember one year I waited till Christmas Eve to wrap gifts...for everyone! It was horrible...I spent hours in my room at night wrapping and I was so exhausted come 2 am I only had a few hours before the kids were bugging me to get up, letting me know Santa came. Not fun and I was grumpy the whole day still having to not only unwrap, get the toys out of those boxes that have a thousand of those wires tied to them, clean up the mess and cook the big meal...I was NOT a happy camper needless to say. So I wrapped a few at a time so I could make them look nice and not rushed. Then I put post it notes to whom it was for and what was inside on each one so that by the time Christmas came around I didn't have to try and remember what it was I had wrapped.
If you like baking or cooking like me and like to try new recipes...collect them all year. Don’t wait until you a need a recipe to start looking for one. Start collecting recipes from friends, magazines, and on food containers. Put them in a container or notebook. Then...test them! Put stars beside the ones you like and would be proud to serve. When it comes time to whip something up, it will be fast and easy to make choices. Nothing like trying a recipe last minute and it ends up in a disaster and you don't have something to serve!
Christmas can be enjoyed all year. You don’t have to wait for the season to begin. All year you can collect recipes, get decorating ideas, window shop, and make purchases. Make your choices wisely. You don’t want to experience buyer’s regret. I found doing all these tips helped me to not only relieve the stress during the busy holiday season but was able to enjoy and have fun during the Christmas season.