Old Navy launched their first holiday commercial and email and mailboxes are full of pre-holiday specials. To the consumer, the holidays have arrived. At More Than Paper, we’ve been thinking about the winter holidays for months now. We’ve added a slew of new greeting cards, gifts, and holiday gift-giving ideas and are excited to showcase all that’s new for the holidays (you can jump to the holiday category right now by visiting our site!
This year, we are vowing to slow down and enjoy the time with our children and family. It feels like it’s all going too fast! But how is Mom able to slow down and enjoy the time with her family while simultaneously being the “magic maker” (you know… the one that does all the decorating, shopping, wrapping, cookie baking, and honoring all the traditions?) It seems like a contradiction.
Let’s explore some ways to get a jump start on your holiday planning so that you can enjoy your time this season. Avoid the burn out with these simple tips and products to help you get started on the 2025 holiday season.
Plan your calendar
Have the party invitations and school calendar events begun to stream in? Start out by blocking out key dates for events that you will be attending. Then, you can add in dates that you want to accomplish your gift shopping, baking, decorating, and other traditional events. We love a paper calendar to write it all down! Also great to have on-hand? A festive notepad to dress up your desk and get yourself in the spirit.
We also love these other chunky notepads: that includes 200 sheets. These are also great for gift giving as the pads come tied with a coordinating ribbon.
Develop a budget
We’ve said this before but will urge it again. Make sure to set a holiday budget! List who you’re buying for and set a rough spending cap. Track all your online purchases on a spreadsheet and mark when they come in the mail. (This helps you keep track of what you have purchased and ensures you get all of your items!) Look for easy savings: early-bird sales and discount days like Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals.
You can also brainstorm DIY gifts that add personal flair without breaking the bank. Consider thoughtful, low-effort DIY options (custom bookmarks, photo magnets, photos in a frame). Since these items take time to produce, make sure you order ahead! Personalize these gifts with a note or write something special on a gift tag – one meaningful touch beats a pricey item. Consider investing in stationery that you could use all year-round but that works for the holidays, such as below, and handwrite personal messages of season’s greetings when you deliver cookies or a bottle of wine.
Simplify meals and entertaining
Freeze a few batches of soups or casserole dishes for easy weeknights when you are at holiday concerts or events at school that you just don’t want to cook after. Making a bunch of dishes ahead and freezing will save you time and will allow you to eat healthier than if you just run through the drive thru!
Deck the halls with intention
Pick one or two festive decor projects (a garland for the mantle, a centerpiece for the table, a menorah on a shelf). Declutter first, then decorate; a clean space amplifies the holiday feel. Sometimes less is more and maybe this year, you don’t have to go ALL OUT. Choose a couple of spaces within your house where you regularly congregate, instead of attempting to decorate the whole house, which can feel overwhelming.
Nurture traditions
Lean into small rituals: a weekly holiday movie night, an ornament-making session, or a baking Saturday. Start a gratitude jar: jot one thing you’re grateful for each day. Whatever your holiday traditions are, make sure you make the time to nurture them!
Do you send holiday cards in the mail to your friends, family, and colleagues? Consider ordering them now in October or early November so that it’s one less thing on your list. More Than Paper has a great selection of holiday cards and all styles from photo-mount holiday cards to digital-photo holiday cards, to letterpress, foil-stamped and digitally printed personalized greeting cards, interfaith holiday cards to boxed cards that are not personalized. We also have a selection of cards that give back to non-profits, which is a wonderful way to support causes that you care about and send some snail mail love.
We love these holiday cards that are photo mount (you add your photo to the card using adhesive). These are letterpress printed and you can upgrade to double thick for a fee (make sure to weigh them at the post office to ensure you have the proper postage). These are beautiful, keepsake cards for the stationery aficionado.
We know that with a little advanced preparation you will find the time to slow down and enjoy the holidays. So, make the most of it this year – if it all seems like it’s going by so fast, it’s because it is!
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