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Peace on Earth begins at home.
Oh, the joys of Christmas! Sleigh bells, carols, sumptuous foods, and presents wrapped by loving hands under the tree…. There’s a lot of living to pack into the all-too-short holiday season. Don’t let time stress steal the luster from your Christmas. Preparing in advance allows you to enjoy time with friends and family as you celebrate the birth of the Christ Child.
Year after year, on a night before Christmas, the same nightmare used to haunt me. In my dream, it would be Christmas Eve with the stores closing and none of the store clerks sympathetic to the fact that I hadn’t finished my Christmas shopping. Can we say holiday stress?
I developed a plan to manage all the elements and tasks of the Christmas season, and the nightmare left and never returned. Each year, Christmas becomes more like a dream come true.
Seeing this past the start date?
You're not too late!
Each week the Christmas plan contains a quick catch-up guide.
What You Can Expect From the Old Bohemian Christmas Plan
- You’ll receive a new update every Wednesday with fun holiday planning and preparation assignments, plus fall cleaning tasks to help you ready your home.
- Free printable Christmas binder pages are my gift to Old Bohemian Homestead subscribers.
- Each week there will be a catch-up plan to help you stay on track, so don’t worry if you’re seeing this past the start date. Just jump in.
- Each post will link to additional content to support the week’s assignments.
- You’ll be accepted into the Old Bohemian Homestead Facebook group, where we’ll talk all things Christmas, post photos to show off our decorations and handmade Christmas gifts, share recipes and tips, learn about holiday traditions from one another, discuss holiday music, recommend Christmas books, and cover anything else that is in good taste and Christmas-related.
The Old Bohemian Homestead Christmas Plan is right for you if:
- You are tired of facing a yearly Christmas crisis and are ready to follow a structured guideline to create a slice of peace on earth in your home.
- You would like to receive free planning worksheets and checklists to shortcut Christmas preparations.
- You are not offended by references to Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.
- You enjoy a feeling of camaraderie from knowing others are working on the same things as you.
- You want to feel like a kid again at Christmas.
How to Join
Creating a Christmas plan is the key to serenity. The Old Bohemian Homestead Christmas Plan, outlined below, starts September 29th . Subscribe to the Old Bohemian Homestead to help organize your own beautiful and peaceful Christmas.
The Old Bohemian Homestead Christmas Plan
Week 1 (September 29-October 6)
CHRISTMAS PLAN
- Interview your family and daydream about the Christmas to create.
- Decide on a holiday theme and determine the types of activities and gatherings you want to include.
CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS
- Hang exterior Christmas lights so you don’t have to do this in the numbing cold.
FALL CLEANING
- Deep clean and spruce the entrance to your home.
Week 2 (October 7-13)
CHRISTMAS PLAN
- Plan all Christmas activities and gatherings.
CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS:
- Put together a Christmas binder with pull-out folders for activities, gatherings, recipes, and the like.
- Secure advance reservations and tickets, as needed.
FALL CLEANING
- Declutter, clean, and organize your Christmas storage.
Week 3 (October 14-20)
CHRISTMAS PLAN
- Decide who will receive handcrafted Christmas presents from you.
- Determine the homemade gifts you plan to make and list the supplies you will need.
- Schedule the time you will need to make your homemade Christmas gifts. Remember to be realistic in what you expect of yourself and your time.
CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS
- Purchase or schedule to purchase all the supplies needed to make your handcrafted Christmas gifts.
FALL CLEANING
- Declutter, clean, and organize your office and/or desk area.
Week 4 (October 21-27)
CHRISTMAS PLAN
- Decide who will receive purchased gifts (including Christmas stockings).
CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS
- Shop online and in stores.
FALL CLEANING
- Clean, declutter, and organize hallways, stairways, and the linen closet.
Week 5 (October 28-November 3)
CHRISTMAS PLAN
- Verify the mailing addresses for those on your Christmas card list or email address list if you send emailed greetings.
CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS
- Purchase Christmas cards or holiday stationery.
- Schedule picture taking so you can include a family picture with your Christmas cards.
FALL CLEANING
- Declutter, clean, and organize your bathrooms.
Week 6 (November 4-10)
CHRISTMAS PLAN
- Take stock of your dishes, glassware, dishware, utensils, candles and matches, table linens, and the like.
CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS:
- Pick up any needed dishware.
- Double one meal this week and freeze half to use in December.
FALL CLEANING
- Declutter, clean and organize your kitchen, pantry, and dining room.
Week 7 (November 11-17)
CHRISTMAS PLAN
- Plan all holiday meals.
- Make dated grocery shopping lists.
CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS
- Plan for house guests. Do you need to purchase extra pillows and bedding or stock up on sample-sized personal-care items, extra toothbrushes, soap, lotions, and the like?
FALL CLEANING
- Declutter, clean, and spruce up your living room.
Week 8 (November 18-24)
CHRISTMAS PLAN
- Prepare cookie and pastry dough for the freezer.
CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS:
- Address and prepare your Christmas cards and mail them the day after Thanksgiving.
- Send Christmas party invitations.
- Double one meal this week and freeze half to use in December.
FALL CLEANING
- Get your family room or den in order so you can better enjoy it with friends and family.
Week 9 (November 25-December 1)
CHRISTMAS PLAN
- Plan your Christmas decorations.
- Make Black Friday your last Christmas shopping day (including stocking purchases).
- Advent begins on Sunday.
CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS
- Purchase and decorate a tree, if you follow that custom.
- Decorate your home.
FALL CLEANING
- Declutter, clean, and spruce your bedrooms.
Week 10 (December 2-8)
CHRISTMAS PLAN
- Engage in Christmas activities and gatherings.
CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS
- Wrap, package, and mail gifts for relatives you will not see in person this Christmas.
INSPIRATIONAL ACTIVITY
- Call a relative or friend who lives alone and wish that person a heartfelt Merry Christmas. Give the gift of your time and attention.
Week 11 (December 9-15)
CHRISTMAS PLAN
- Wrap Christmas presents.
CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS
- Wrap and decorate the rest of your gifts.
INSPIRATIONAL ACTIVITY
- Give small presents to service people (like your mail carrier).
Week 12 (December 16-22)
(Above link is live on December 15th)
CHRISTMAS PLAN
- Make last-minute preparations
- Stuff Christmas stockings.
CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS
- Prepare Christmas stockings for your family.
- Clean your house for Christmas.
INSPIRATIONAL ACTIVITY
- Plan to attend church on Christmas Eve and/or on Christmas morning.
Subscribe to Old Bohemian Homestead for more Christmas articles from Janalyn Voigt!
