Do you wish there was less hustle and bustle around the holidays?  What if you could have more time to relax and enjoy the Christmas season?  We’re here to help with a few “Christmas in July” ideas.   Consider doing just a few things in July to get a head start on Christmas and make your season more enjoyable.

Christmas in July Tip #1: Update Your Christmas Card List

Several family members and friends have moved in the last few months.  Take a few minutes to update their new addresses.

Have you made a few new friends this year?  Jot down their names and addresses.  When it’s time to send Christmas cards, you’ll be ready to go.  You will also have a good estimate for the number of cards you plan to send this year.

If you need a good system for tracking addresses, use our printable address tracker which keeps track of names, addresses, and cards received and sent.

Address Tracker

Christmas in July Tip #2:  Organize Your Gift Wrapping Paper and Bows

July is a great time to organize wrapping paper and bows.  These are great projects to work on when it’s raining, or just too hot to go outside.  Take inventory of the supplies you have on hand.  Make a note of what you need for the upcoming season.

Be sure to group like items together.  If you have gift wrapping paper in the cellar, in a bedroom closet and maybe even some with your Christmas decorations, pull it all together, and find one location.

We actually have a gift wrapping drawer.  It is located in a hutch in our dining room.  We keep birthday and Christmas wrapping paper here, along with all of the necessary supplies:

Tape
Curling Ribbon
Gift Tags
Scissors
Colored Pens and Markers
Gift bags
Gift tissue for bags

This system has worked really well for us.  When it’s time to wrap a quick gift, we grab our supplies from the drawer and use the dining room table to wrap the gifts.  Easy, right?

Disclaimer: Some of the links below are referral links, which means that if you make a purchase, there is no extra cost to you, but Running A Household will receive a commission.

Christmas in July Tip #3:  Make Your Own Gift Tags

Use scrapbook paper like this one from American Crafts to make gift tags for your presents.

Step 1:  Simply cut a circle, or use a scrapbook tool to punch out the circles, like the Fiskars Circle Lever Punch. We love this one because it allows you to make consistent circles and it’s easy to use.  Just insert the paper and press down to make a perfect circle.

Step 2:  Use a Hole Punch Tool to make a smaller hole.

Step 3:  Attach a short piece of Curling Ribbon which can be attached to a present or gift bag.

Then when it’s time to wrap gifts, just grab a Sharpie Markerand add the “To and From” details.

Christmas in July Tip #4:  Make a 2020 Calendar

A calendar filled with personal pictures is a great Christmas gift for grandparents and relatives.  Since it requires gathering pictures for each month, start this project in the summer.

1. Create a computer folder for all of the 2020 calendar pictures.
2. Select a store online to create your calendar.  We love Walgreens because their calendars are reasonably priced, good quality, and we can pick them up at our local store.
3. Upload your photos to the store website.
4. Start creating the calendar.

Over the summer, we will pull together the 2020 calendar for January – August.  We also use pictures from last Christmas to get the December page set.  Then, we just need to do September, October and November.  We keep our eyes peeled for the 50-60% off sale day, and order in November.  By following these steps, we save a lot of time and money, and can enjoy the holiday season instead of pulling pictures together on December 15th.

Christmas in July Tip #5:  Listen Carefully and Start Your List

Keep your ears peeled for hints dropped by family members and friends.  Maybe they will point out an item they like.  Or, sometimes people will tell you that they wish they had a certain item.  Take note, and start a holiday shopping list.  This way, you’ll have a few ideas once the holiday season arrives.

Christmas in July Tip #6:  Buy a Few Gifts While on Vacation

The holidays will be here before you know it.  To make this holiday season a little less stressful, consider buying a gift or two while you are on vacation.

Gift Ideas

Whether it’s a gardening basket from your local farmer’s market, or a piece of jewelry from a place by the shore, these unique gifts will be sure to please your friends and relatives.  Other ideas include:

Art work
Glasses
Handmade soaps
Picture frames
Pottery
Specialty coasters

If you have someone who has everything, or who is difficult to shop for, try shopping for them in the summer.  You’ll be more relaxed and have a different selection to choose from.  Plus, you will avoid last-minute shopping in December.

Christmas in July Tip #7:  Shop for Gifts On-line During July Sales

We saved the best for last.  So much of our time around the holidays is spent shopping.  For years, I never started Christmas shopping until the day after Thanksgiving because of the great deals.

Now, retailers offer great prices in July. Be sure to check out this one on July 15-16, 2019:

If there’s an expensive gift you know you want to buy for someone, check out the price during this sale.  You may be pleasantly surprised to find a great deal in the middle of July!

Did you miss the big sale?  No worries.  Check out these discounts:

Our Recommendations

Wondering what we like to use around our home? Check out our solutions to help you run your household. From helpful organizational items to our favorite vacuum cleaner,  we’ve shared a few of our favorite items in these categories:

• Cool Gadgets
• Small Appliances
• Electronics
• Lawn Products
• Pool Supplies
• Gardening
• Get Organized

Check out our favorite products here:

https://www.amazon.com/shop/runningahousehold

Happy Shopping! 🙂

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Simple ways to organize gift wrap paper and bows

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