Write it down

Take a moment to think about what the holidays mean to you and your family. Take a deep breath, and spend a moment to discussing what being together at this special time means to your family. Write it down, and share these feelings from year to year.
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Wrapped and ready

Have gifts wrapped and ready to distribute before your guests arrive. They are lots of fun to shake and look at for the kids in your family. This will also allow you to spend time with your family instead of locked up in your bedroom wrapping presents!
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Start baking!

Start baking! If you are responsible for baked goods this holiday, start baking a few days before your events. Do not leave it all to the last minute! If you run out of supplies, the store may be closed, or out of any last minute ingredients.
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Your guest bedroom

Take inventory of your guest bedroom. Can your guests sleep in there comfortably? Does the room need to be cleaned? This is a great time to get the room organized, and to throw out or donate some of the items that have found their way into your guest room.

Ask your guests if they have any special dietary needs before they arrive. This will help you avoid any last minute trips to the grocery store.
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Holiday journal

Keep a holiday journal. This can include meals that were easy to prepare, people you sent cards to, presents you bought, your budget, and what the kids found the most fun. This will make preparing for the holidays so much easier next year!
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New holiday traditions

Start one new holiday tradition this year. Ask your kids what they would like to try.
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Break it up!

Break it up! Clean the house room by room. Pick a room to clean each day, or a few rooms each week. Or schedule a special session with your normal cleaning service, if you have one. Don’t wait until the night before everyone arrives to start cleaning.
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Now is the time

If your family gets dressed up for the holidays, now is the time to have kids try on formal wear. Adults should do the same, but they tend to be more consistent with sizes from year to year. If anything needs to be cleaned, send it out to the dry cleaners immediately.
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Sleeping space for your guests

If you don’t have a guest room, prepare a sleeping space for your guests. Make sure your family knows that it is to be treated as a bedroom while guests are in town.

Also give them a private place to change and wash up. If you don’t have space for relatives at all, do a little research and provide your relatives with local hotel information.
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What they want

Don't give random presents just to say you have given something! Ask the recipient what they want before you buy!
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Spend time with your relatives

Be prepared to spend time with your relatives. Do your cleaning and preparation ahead of time so you can spend time relaxing and visiting, and not in the kitchen. If your relatives will be around for a number of days, make dinner reservations at a local restaurant so you can take a night and all relax together.
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Gift cards

If you are purchasing gift cards this holiday season, research the laws that govern gift cards in your state. Can gift cards expire in your state? Does the company deduct a surcharge every month? Make sure your recipient is aware of gift card expiration, or surcharges that deduct from the value.
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Holiday budget

Create and stick to a holiday budget before you start shopping. This should eliminate the shock of paying the holidays bills in January.
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Wrapping supplies

Get your wrapping supplies together now! Take inventory of what you have and make a list of what you need. Nothing is worse than sitting down to wrap, only to have to go back out to buy supplies. Again, try to purchase reusable supplies.
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Get the dishes ready

Get the dishes ready. If you use special serving or holiday dishes, take them out now and get them washed. Use the dining room table as a staging ground to keep them until the holiday. This will also act as a deterrent for putting clutter back on the table.
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Hostess gifts

If you are going to lot of parties this holiday season pick up some small, generic hostess gifts. Keep them in your car if you think you will forget them on your way to the party.
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Be green this holiday season

Be green this holiday season. Use reusable gift bags, and commit to using them every year. Have your other family member commit to the same. This will keep wrapping items out of landfills, and help our planet.

You can also consider NOT wrapping presents this year. "Wrap" gifts in blankets, pillow cases, quilts, clothes, or reusable felt bags. Be creative, but focus on NOT using disposable wrappings.
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Buy them the gift they want!

Do you know that most gift certificates that are purchased are never used? Take the recipient to the store and buy them the gift they want!
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Holiday cards

Start addressing your holiday cards as soon as possible. Create a basket with all of the items you need: cards, envelopes, stamps, address labels and stickers. Carry it with you from room to room, and in the car. This way you can address a few cards at a time, when you have time. Mail them as you finish them.
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Clean off your dining table today!

Clean off your dining table today! I don’t mean the night before, do it today— or at least get started. Start finding a permanent "home" for each item that has accumulated on your dining room table. Chances are good that the same items end up there again and again because they don’t have a permanent "home" within your home. Involve the whole family, as most of the time, clutter on the dining table belongs to more than one person. Once you have the table cleaned off, put a centerpiece on it, or a nice tablecloth and dishes. That will ensure it does not accumulate stuff before your dinner party!
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