Holiday Countdown: Weeks Two to Four

By: Christy McKenzie

Tame the chaos of the holiday season and relax into December with this easy-to-follow holiday countdown.

Homemade Gift Ideas

Important Mailing Dates

Our holiday countdown helps you mail and ship everything early, a great way to make sure every gift and card makes it on time. The United States Postal Service (USPS) offers these suggested shipping deadlines for delivery by Christmas:

International mail and packages should be shipped by the end of November, check the USPS Web site for each specific country.
Domestic Parcel Post should be in the mail by the second week of December.
Domestic Priority Mail can be sent in the third week of December.
Domestic Christmas cards should be sent out by December 19 at the latest.
Express Mail can be sent as late as December 21.

Tips for Preparing Packages for Shipping

Pack gifts in a shipping box with 2 to 3 inches of packing material on all sides to insure safe shipping.
Always use shipping tape to secure the shipping box.
Include an index card with the recipient's address and your return address inside the box.
Clearly print the recipient’s address and your return address on one side of the shipping box.
Avoid waiting in line at the post office by going to the USPS Web site to order stamps, order shipping supplies, purchase and print out shipping labels and postage, and set up free package pick-up (packages must be 70 pounds or less).
Check online for the USPS yearly guide to holiday shipping for exact dates and current information.
Mailing centers offer additional alternatives for shipping and will be able to help you compare the cost and speed of different shipping methods.

Have you been following our "Holiday Countdown: Six Weeks to Sanity" plan? Use the following tips and make the most of the next three weeks.

Week 2: Planning and Organizing

Create a gift list, estimating prices to make sure you stay on budget. (Don’t forget wrapping and shipping add cost to each gift!) Divide the list into four categories:

1. Gifts to be shipped
2. Big-ticket or time-consuming gifts
3. Gifts to be hand delivered
4. Easy pick-ups

Talk with your family about your holiday card; choose a picture, theme, or style. Order or purchase supplies. If sending a letter, write a first draft and send it around the family for editing and revisions.
Take inventory of your holiday decorations. Does anything need to be replaced or updated?
Clean out closets and less used spaces like guest rooms.
Freeze two extra meals and make a few batches of cookie dough for the freezer. See our articles Freezing Cookies and Cookie Dough and Holiday Baking: Bake and Freeze for helpful tips, and find fun ideas for the foodies in your life in Festive Food Gifts.

Week 3: General Preparation

Start planning menus for holiday feasts and collect recipes. Make preparation schedules and grocery lists.
Begin working on the first group of gifts and pick up wrapping and packing supplies as needed. Pack gifts that are ready to ship, print labels and postage. (See side bar.)
Ship any gifts going internationally. (See side bar.)
Deep clean and organize high traffic areas.
Make and freeze two more batches of cookie dough and a few dinners.
Finalize the holiday card list and print labels or address envelopes. Finish and print letter, if using.

Week 4: Focus on Thanksgiving

Focus on preparing for Thanksgiving. Grocery shop early in the week and make as many dishes ahead of time as possible. For more great advice on planning for Thanksgiving, check out the Thanksgiving Planner: The Four Week Plan in our tips and advice section.
Polish silver, clean serving ware and china, if needed. Label each serving piece with its dish and place serving utensil with it. This will help others help you on the big day.
Use frozen meals on Tuesday and Wednesday to save time.
Relax and enjoy time with family and friends!
Complete any online ordering and catalog shopping for holiday gifts.
Make the best of Thanksgiving sales by shopping for big-ticket gifts.
After Thanksgiving, pack away your autumn decorations and bring out the holidays.

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