There is an undeniable magic to the holiday season. Full of traditions, busy calendars, and plenty of cheer, the holidays can be the most joyful time of the year. But if we aren’t intentional, that magic can easily be swallowed up by last-minute errands, endless lists, and stress. We see it all the time! The secret to actually enjoying the holidays in December is to do the heavy lifting now. By taking care of the logistics early, you free up your time and mental space to sip hot cocoa, watch holiday movies, and focus on what truly matters: your family.
Here’s your early November guide to making December holidays your best one yet.
Conquer your Holiday Card
Sending holiday cards is one of the sweetest traditions of the season, but it quickly turns stressful when you’re licking envelopes on December 20th. The key to success here is organization and getting things done early.
- Book Your Photo Session Early: Whether you’re hiring a professional photographer or having a friend snap a family portrait at sunset, schedule it now. Aim to have photos taken by late October or early November so you have plenty of time for editing and ordering. We don’t think that this part should be overly complicated or stressful. Some of the best holiday cards are collections of family photos from the year. No time for a professional shoot or even for a friend to take your photo? We are willing to bet there’s a photo or two already on your camera roll that will work for your holiday card. Skip visions of it being “perfect” and just make sure it’s “you.”
- Audit and Organize Your Address List: Don’t wait until you’re sitting down to write cards to realize you don’t have your cousin’s new address. Export your contact list into a digital spreadsheet, flag any missing details, and send out quick text messages to collect updated addresses. You can use third party applications like Postable to keep addresses updated throughout the year and put the work on the recipient.
- Stock Up on Stamps: Beat the long December lines by buying your rolls of holiday stamps at the Post Office (or online at USPS.com) ahead of time. Keep them in your card-writing station and shop for a good quality gel or felt-tip pen in the color of your choice.
- Choose Your Design. Create a Pinterest Board of your favorite holiday card designs. You can start picking out your holiday card now, even if you don’t have your photo or aren’t ready to order just yet. Create a Pinterest Board, 2026 Holiday Card Favorites, and start pinning your favorite designs. Include horizontal and vertical formats, just in case you like a particular photo so you will have the best fit. Decide now if you are looking for a photo mount card or digitally printed holiday card, or if you’d like to have a personalized greeting card with no photo or a boxed holiday card version. More Than Paper offers hundreds of styles including letterpress, thermography, engraved, digital, cards with foil, and more – and now is a good time to think about your budget and style preferences. Below are some of our personal favorites when it comes to holiday cards.
2. Set Up a Joyful Wrapping Station
Nothing ruins a festive evening quite like searching for lost tape or realizing you’re out of ribbon with five gifts left to wrap. Don’t wait! Wrap presents as you go and store away from little one’s sight. Turn gift wrapping into a delightful ritual by stocking your station in advance and having a dedicated space to wrap.
- Order Premium Paper & Ribbon: Invest in a cohesive color palette for your holiday aesthetic this year. Whether it is classic tartan, whimsical Santa Clauses, or minimalist kraft paper with metallic accents tied with ribbon, deciding and ordering now will ensure you have what you are looking for and get you set to shop!
- Don't Forget the Details: Stock up on gift tags, enclosures, tissue paper, sharp scissors, and double-sided tape. Having a fully stocked wrapping basket with all these items ready to go makes wrapping effortless and more fun. More Than Paper has a variety of personalized gift tags and personalized gift enclosures that really add an extra special touch to your gift wrapping. You will find square and circular adhesive personalized gift stickers and personalized gift tag options in hundreds of styles. Match to your wrapping paper and ribbon and you have the recipe for beautiful, elevated gift wrapping that will surely impress. Below are some of our favorites when it comes to personalized gift tags, gift enclosure cards, and personalized gift stickers.
Prepare for a Busy Party Season
When invitation season strikes, you want to focus on what to wear and having fun, not scrambling for a last-minute host gift on your way out the door. Build a gift stash. Dedicate a shelf in your pantry or closet to pre-purchased hostess gifts for the season (many people do this all year-long, not just at the holidays! It’s a true luxury and lots of fun!) Great options to buy in bulk include artisanal olive oil, coasters, luxury hand creams, festive linen cocktail napkins, chic-looking games (like a mini-wooden chess set, and gourmet specialty chocolates.
Elevate a simple bottle of wine or champagne instantly with personalized wine tags from More Than Paper. Having a stack of custom tags on hand (featuring your family name or a warm holiday greeting) turns a quick bottle of wine into a thoughtful, gift that looks intentionally curated. Stock up on a variety of wines or champagne so that you can easily grab and go. Below are a few of our favorite personalized wine tag designs for the holidays!
Advanced Menu Planning & Entertaining Shortcuts
If you’re hosting this year, the key to staying out of the kitchen and present with your guests is strategic planning. Draft your menus now! Decide on your Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or party menus weeks in advance. Group your ingredients to determine what you can buy now versus what you need to buy fresh. You can also batch and freeze. Bake cookie doughs, prepare soups, and bake savory casseroles ahead of time. On party day, all you’ll need to do is pop them in the oven. A little bit of work over time will really help set the tone for a stress-free season.
Presence Over Perfection
Getting organized for the holidays isn't about creating a picture-perfect magazine spread or making more work for yourself, it's about removing stress so you can be present. When the cards are stamped, the gifts are wrapped, and the host gifts are ready to go, all that's left to do is celebrate and create memories. What is your favorite way to get ahead for the holiday season? Let us know in the comments below!
