The festive time of year is always so busy - both in our personal lives as well as professionally. We’re simultaneously trying to wrap everything at work up before a well-earned break, alongside buying and wrapping Christmas gifts up, ensuring our loved ones feel all that love, and planning the feast to end all feasts.
It can be so difficult to juggle everything - to make sure you stay on top of work, while hunting down those perfect presents & planning Christmas gatherings.
But don’t worry, we're here to help you streamline your life.
Confirm availability early
If you’re lucky enough to be invited to festive events during this strange year, whether they be virtual or in person, make sure you confirm whether you’re able to attend or not as soon as you possibly can.
That way you can pop it straight into your calendar, and not have to worry about juggling things, or accidentally double-booking yourself.
Keeping track of all the important dates by writing them in your diary or calendar - including work commitments and Christmas events - will allow you to see exactly what free time you do have, and whether you can squeeze in a quick festive drink on the last Wednesday before the big day.
Knowing exactly what you have planned will also allow you to have a contingency plan in place, which we’ll come to later.
Jot ideas for presents down on your phone
Or on one of our new FREE Ponderlily Printables - we’ve designed The Nice List and Secret Santa List especially to help you keep track of gift buying!
Jotting down present ideas for people is a year-round activity for me. If someone mentions something they’d like, or I see the perfect gift, I'll write it down straight away.
It makes it so much easier when the time comes to buy gifts - there’s no wondering what to get that difficult relative or the friend who already has everything, because I’ve got a whole bunch of ideas right at my fingertips!
It’s also very handy to keep track of what you have already bought for people. If you buy ahead, or buy lots of things in one go, you may forget that you’ve already bought Uncle Tim’s gift, and accidentally buy something else.
Save time and money by making a list, and checking it twice!
Look out for gift guides
We created a gift guide on our Instagram page right here to make it easier for you to shop with Ponderlily.
Bloggers, magazines and indie shops often compile gift guides this time of year, and they can be incredible resources for discovering wonderful small businesses, as well as finding the perfect gifts.
Keep your eyes peeled on your favourite blogs, or search hashtags on social media, such as #GiftGuide or #GiftsForHer, and so on.
To get you started, every holiday season, blogger Liv Purvis creates stunning gift guides for all the different people in your life. She showcases loads of small businesses and independent brands - check out this year’s offerings here.
Always add a contingency
Back up plans are always a good idea in my opinion, but especially during a year as unpredictable as this one.
The chances of plans changing due to people being sick or in contact with someone else who’s sick are pretty high this year, and we have to be more cautious than we normally would.
If you’re not already playing it safe by staying home for Christmas, have a contingency plan just in case your health, travel plans, or local guidelines change.
Make sure there’s something tasty in the freezer, hunker down with a blanket and a glass of something, and watch your favourite Christmas movie.
You can always post any presents beforehand if you’re super organised, or send them after Christmas to keep the joy going!
Printables
We’ve updated our library of free printables with loads of holiday themed lists and planning sheets to help you get the most out of this Christmas.
Whether you’re planning a party, needing to keep track of gifts, or simply want to take a moment to consider all the special things about the season, we’ve got a printable for that.