Christmas Planning Guide: The Practical Stuff
A couple of years back we had a major Christmas fail. MAJOR! The star gift… the gift that Big M had been requesting for months… the trash truck with the arm that carried the trash can up over the truck and actually dumped… didn’t work.
We didn’t realize it was broken of course, not until we were setting everything up Christmas Eve. Late Christmas Eve at that. We had no other option than to get creative. A quick note from the big guy was all we could do. “Yikes! Had too much fun with your new trash truck and I seem to have broken it. I will swap it out for a working one as soon as I can. I’m very sorry. Santa.”
Luckily Big M is one understanding kid and he wasn’t too upset. We made the sneaky switch a couple of days later. Every year since then Big M makes sure to leave a note asking that Santa not play with his toys…
Hmmm… the worst part is that entire mess could have been avoided if only I had stuck some batteries in and tested it out ahead of time.
Today I’ve teamed up with Duracell and Toys“R”Us to help make sure you are completely ready for Christmas morning. A broken last minute surprise will not happen to us again!
Christmas Planning Guide: The Practical Stuff
The month before:
Think about what the perfect Christmas looks like to you and make sure you plan for that.
- Make a list of everyone who you plan to buy for and jot down gift ideas as they come to you.
- Make a budget. Include everyone (especially your kids) and don’t spend more then the amount you’ve decided on. Visit Toys“R”Us and find out the prices for all of your must have items to help keep your budget realistic.
- Plan for downtime. We have a strict “nothing until after 12pm on Christmas day” rule. That means every Christmas we get at least a few hours of relax and enjoy time before rushing to get ready. Christmas Eve and Christmas afternoon are for everyone else. Christmas morning is ours.
- Take all the help you can get. Enter giveaways (like the one below 😉 ). And keep an eye out for coupons like these:
On November 22, look for a $3 OFF coupon when you buy any 2 packages of Duracell batteries
(AA/AAA 16pk, D/C 4pk, 9V 2pk or larger, Quantum AA/AAA 6pk, D/C 3pk or larger). You’ll find
this coupon in most Sunday newspapers.
On December 13, look for a $1 OFF coupon when you buy one package of Duracell Coppertop and
Quantum. This coupon will be available in most Sunday newspapers.
The week before:
Do a dry run. Set everything out and really examine what else needs to be done or added.
- What can be put together before Christmas eve?
- Which presents can be taken out of the packaging ahead of time?
- How many batteries do you need? What size batteries and can they be put in now?
- What needs to be tested. (Make sure EVERYTHING works!)
- Fill the stockings. Do you need any last minute stocking stuffer ideas to finish them up?
- Check camera and phone memory. Do you need to make room?
The night before:
Christmas Eve is always busy. Doing these few extras will be worth it though.
- Charge the camera, video camera and cell phones.
- Put together a Christmas morning basket. Fill it with everything you could possibly need. Screwdriver, scissors, trash bag, extra batteries, the cameras, etc.
- Prep the coffee so all you have to do is turn it on.
- Go to bed as early as possible. No doubt you’ll be up early and getting enough sleep will make this very eventful day much more fun.
The morning of:
- Turn on Christmas music.
- Take pictures.
- Play.
- Relax. This is the fun part. The kids are busy with new toys. You have some time to just be. Enjoy it.
Check out the large assortment of Star Wars toys on Amazon like the Luke Skywalker Light Saber! Power up your new Light Saber and see the brightly glowing blade’s light effects! Swing and slice your toy through the air and you’ll hear motion sensor-controlled sound effects like clashing, battle impact and crackling sounds. But in order to “power up” – you need Duracell batteries!
PS – The kids love that these Light Saber are a part of the Blade Builders collection. They can connect to each other and form many different types of fun Light Sabers.
GIVEAWAY! (This Giveaway has ended)
What could be a better way to prepare for Christmas than a fun giveaway including a $100 Toys“R”Us gift card and 2 packs of Duracell batteries?
- Enter by leaving a comment sharing your best tip for being prepared for Christmas morning.
- One entry per person.
- US residents only.
- Giveaway ends Wednesday 11/25.
- Winner will chosen using random.org and will be contacted within 48 hours.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Duracell & Toys “R” Us. The opinions and text are all mine.
Good Day! What wonderful posts and idea!
I plan ahead and have all Kiddos gifts before Thanksgiving and a running list for everyone else, I buy throughout the month. I open boxes and check all the toys as I buy them so I can replace immediately. I do a slow declutter starting in September and a thorough clean by Thanksgiving. In my opinion Christmas starts on December 1st so I must be prepared by then. My advent calendar of activities, services and adventures needs my undecided attention. I stock up all year long on batteries and always have an extra micro SD card in case of memory overload. The night before Christmas Eve is Santa prep time. Christmas I have camera and phone charging and stocking stuffers in stocking. Christmas morning we unload our stocking…eat a nice breakfast, I drink my coffee slowly and then sit to open presents and enjoy the time up until around 2 pm when it’s time to see other family members.
Like someone already mentioned- Make sure the camera batteries are charged! And one way we ‘prepare’ for Christmas morning is to go to Mass the night before. Don’t need to get up and scramble out the door after opening presents!
I love the idea of the basket for Christmas morning. I always hate to kiss a minute going for screwdrivers and batteries!! I also will check ahead for what batteries I need. Thanks for reminding us o all this practical info!
I try to organize as much as I can ahead of time, and always do some overnight recipes so that I do not have to cook much in the morning! I…always set my alarm and get up before everyone….need that little last minute quiet time to make sure I am ready to go!
Okay, very true Christmas morning can be a little crazy! I’m alot like you I make list and organize everything and double check it on Christmas eve that way I know everything is good! I make list and try to color code wrapping paper on gifts to section off who’s is who!
As a newly single mom, I want to do everything I can to ensure my kids are happy. This is our first Christmas on our own and it will no doubt be different than in years past. Christmas has always been a special time of year at our house and I don’t want anything to change that. In order to keep the craziness to a minimum so I can enjoy our morning as much as the kids, we have been talking ahead about everyone having a small job on the big day whether it be passing out stockings to the little kids or helping cut packaging when needed. Even my two year old will have a job, trash collector. 🙂 Everyone has a part to play and it makes our morning more cohesive and enjoyable. When my kids help each other it actually adds to their magic because they share in each others’ excitement in addition to their own! Merry Christmas to everyone!
My best tip is to get everything done early to avoid crowds in stores. This includes meal planning and grocery shopping!
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 AT gmail DOT com
keep it simple, relax and remember everything doesn’t have to be perfect!
I hide the gifts in a plastic tub in the garage, one for each kid. That way they are all in one place and I can wrap or assemble as I have time. And keep up with how much I’ve bought! Christmas Eve I haul it in and arrange it. Done!
Great tips and reminders! For easy cleanup during the unwrapping of gifts,I keep a big trash bag close by to stuff the wrapping paper and other pieces of trash in. I also have a big (usually cardboard, doesn’t have to be fancy!) box for each kid to keep their toys all together after they unwrap them.