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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 ā Little Things I Do Every Single Day
- March ā Whatās In My Grocery Cart
- April ā 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! š 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!
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 absolutely agree Jennifer, she did a fantastic job!!
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
Thanks so much my friend, so happy you enjoyed this one and I’m getting the planner post together as I type! š A little later than I had hoped, but getting it wrapped up soon and hopefully it will be very helpful! I love that you get your shopping done before Black Friday, that is so incredible – I need to be more like you!
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!
They truly are amazing and I agree with you, so is she!! š Oh my, haha, that does it make difficult for you, birthday gifts and Christmas gifts all lumped together!
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
The sticky notes are so fun, and always enjoy chatting about our coffees! I so agree with you, it helps getting a jump start on planning/shopping and I can definitely see how it gets more difficult buying for teens than when they’re little ones.
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! āØš
Melody, you are so so kind!! Thank you for the cozy compliment, that’s one of my biggest goals to make this space cozy, safe and a happy place to be! You’re the best! I appreciate you and all your sweet comments!
You are so right with this post. Thinking of you. May your day be blessed by the Lord.
http://www.rsrue.blogspot.com
Oh, thank you so much Regine!! Your comments always make my day, and wishing you a wonderful and blessed day and upcoming weekend! š
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 Radi!! I hope you have the best holiday season and can fit in a ton of fun activities!
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
You are so welcome my dear friend, I am in love with the one I purchased and it’s still making me smile each day I look at it! š Thanks so much for your kind words and so happy you loved the fuzzy slippers too, they are so comfy!
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!
RampdiaryĀ
Aww, thank you Jyoti, that is so kind of you and truly the best compliment!! š Yes, I can so relate on the coffee note, it makes my day so much better no matter what is going on. I hope you have a fantastic day and upcoming weekend, my friend!
What a beautiful piece that your friend did! And yes to all the lists for the holidays! I couldn’t live without mine!
Thank you so much Lindsay!! I know you’re a fellow list-maker, I always love following along with the ones you post on your stories. š Kathrine’s pieces are truly one of a kind and I’m still so in love with mine!
Getting back into a good blog routine can be tough, but it sounds like youāre finding your groove! Your holiday prep tips are super helpful, especially the part about making lists and tracking sales. Itās 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
Thank you Melody, I’m still very much working on getting into the groove again but it’s getting better! š Can’t wait to check out your post!
I love what you post here, I love holidays time š
Oh, thank you so much Kinga! š I love the holidays too!
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
Thank you tons Ashley, and I absolutely agree with you, so shocked at how fast it’s come by this year! Then again, I say that every year, haha! š
I loved reading this! It’s hard to believe the holidays are already right around the corner! Thanks for sharing some of your tips to prepare for the busy season! š
https://melissakacar.com
That makes my heart so happy Melissa! š I so agree with you, I can’t believe we are *this* close to the holiday season, but blessed to be here nonetheless and looking forward to some holiday coffees soon, haha!
These are really great tips to prep the holiday season and I love Kathrine’s Etsy shop. She has some wonderful pieces that would be great gift ideas.
Julia x
https://www.thevelvetrunway.com/
So happy you checked out Kathrine’s shop, I couldn’t agree more, she is so talented!! Thank you so much for stopping by my friend, and your kind words!
What a delightful post on prepping for the holidays! Your enthusiasm for the season shines through, and I love your approach to planning with listsāso organized!
Aww, thanks Melody!! I’m a sucker for a list, I have a million of them but they’re all organized and I love ticking off those to-do’s! š
I love this post. I haven’t started preparing for the holiday but i have already started making my list (i love making lists) š
Annie,
https://www.anniesfooddiary.com
Oh, I’m so happy you loved this one Annie! š So happy you’re a fellow list-maker, there is something so satisfying about them, haha! š Good for you on getting your list together and I need to do the very same!
Ah wow you really have the holidays mapped out. So organized girlie. I am really looking forward to decorating for the holidays. I have a Home Goods close to me so I always pop in there and get at least one new thing for the holidays.
Allie of
http://www.allienyc.com
Thank you Allie, I am trying my best over here, but I’ll definitely still fall behind on something or another, haha! š Oh that sounds so fun, I wish I had a Home Goods, our closest one is maybe an hour and a half away. Hope you find some great decor!