25 Mid-Fall Tasks for a Happier Holiday Season
October 11, 2022
Not to rush through fall or anything, but mid-October is only six weeks before Thanksgiving and then there’s only a few more until Christmas. Things are going to start getting hectic pretty quickly, especially if you are hosting, decorating, gift exchanging, or doing anything else to celebrate the season. Take advantage of the mid-fall downtime to complete tasks to save you time, energy, and possibly even some money for a happier holiday season.
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No matter what your plans are for the last few months of the year, there’s a good chance you have a few busy weekends or entire weeks ahead of you. However, there are a lot of tasks you can complete right now that will make your life a lot easier down the line.
From getting your home holiday-ready to setting up systems, future you will be extra thankful that you decided to plan ahead this year. So if you find yourself in a lull over the next few weeks, there’s plenty you can do to fill the time and make sure future you is calm for the holidays.
Gussy Up the Guest Spaces
If you are having guests over, then there’s plenty of prep work you can do before they arrive. Maybe hold off on putting the chocolates on the pillows until just before they show up, but otherwise, get started now for a less stressful visit:
1. Get any laundry done and then set aside sets of clean sheets and towels.
2. Start clearing out the guest room if you’ve been using it for extra storage all summer.
3. Refill the bathroom cabinets and stock up on depleted supplies to give your guest bath the spa treatment.
4. Confirm guests’ travel plans like arrival and departure specifics, such as airport pick-ups.
5. Build a welcome kit, including a card with the wifi password and some travel-sized toiletries.
Get a Handle on Hosting
A holiday meal can be a lot to handle if you’re playing host, and even with a ton of planning ahead, you’ll still find yourself with lots to do when it comes to cooking, tablescaping, and making your guests happy. But there are a few places you can get ahead of the wild times:
6. Brainstorm your holiday menu, especially any new dishes you want to try out.
7. Fully stock the bar so you have the essentials on hand for any cocktail needs.
8. Prep and freeze what you can, like pie crusts and cookie doughs, for easier baking.
9. Put together playlists for seasonal parties or background music for meals.
10. Check your table needs to be sure you can seat everyone, and make arrangements to borrow folding tables and chairs if needed.
Dust Off Your Decorations
Speaking of tables, there’s a lot more than just the dining room to think about when it comes to getting your home ready and dressed up for the holidays.
11. Brainstorm tablescaping themes and ideas for any brunches or dinners.
12. Audit last year’s decorations, and replace anything that broke or is out of date.
13. Plug in your light strings, villages, and any other holiday electronics so you can buy bulbs before they’re out of stock.
14. Draw out a plan for any new seasonal decor pieces you acquired over the last year.
15. Stock up on the cozies, like plenty of fluffy pillows and blankets, to get ahead of the upcoming winter chill.
Psst, if you start early, the holiday season isn’t so stressful! Here are 25 tasks you can complete in mid-fall, so you’re ready for some happier holidays!
Estimate All the Exchanges
The holiday season is all about gift giving, card sending, and recipe swapping. And all of these are stress-causing activities that you can get prepped for. It’s all about making plans and making lists.
16. Get ahead of the holiday card rush by snapping photos and gathering addresses.
17. Organize any cookie or recipe exchanges you want to hold, and think about what you’ll be sharing.
18. Order custom gifts early, such as anything personalized from Etsy, or rare finds that may go out of stock.
19. Ask around about gift exchanges, such as at work, with friends, or among your family, to get ahead of shopping.
20. Write out your own wish list to make gift-receiving easier than ever, and take some stress off your loved ones.
Confirm Your Kitchen Needs
You’ll be spending a lot of time in the kitchen, whether it’s cooking, baking, or doing plenty of dishes. So you definitely want to focus on making your favorite room in the house a place you don’t mind being in, for hours, on your feet.
21. Pre-order any new specialty items like fun-shaped pans, bakeware, or cookie cutters.
22. Stock up on farm produce that won’t go bad before you need it, like potatoes, squash, and late-season apples.
23. Make a baking bucket list full of traditional favorites you don’t want to miss and newly bookmarked cookbook pages to try.
24. Overhaul your coffee bar for colder weather by finding fun mugs and flavored syrups for festive drinks.
25. Clean out the fridge to make room for all the prep work and leftovers that are about to need a new home.
Don’t Forget to Enjoy the Fall
It can be a lot of work to prep to ensure you have a happier holiday season, so be sure you leave yourself plenty of time to take in the fall season itself: bold colors, delicious flavors, and pretty perfect weather are not to be missed.
If you can’t wait until the holidays to have some friends or family over for a meal, check out some fun fall themes you can use for a brunch party.
