Three Things to Do in July to Prepare for Christmas

How are we already past the halfway point in the year? Christmas is in 165 days!

For the first time in a couple of years, I didn't buy a Christmas ornament when we visited The Christmas Shop and General Store in Manteo on vacation. Luckily, I can always purchase online if something inspires me. Buying myself a couple of early birthday gifts made me feel more thrifty. 

How are you doing with following our to-do list to prepare you for Christmas? 

Here are the recommended steps to take in July:

Take advantage of Christmas in July sales

Once an odd gimmick, so many stores, online retailers, and even local artisans take advantage of Christmas in July these days. You can't forget Amazon Prime Days, which just happened last week. I bought myself an early birthday gift--a new Kindle Fire. Our town, like many others, has a local Farm and Artisan Market. We visited two while on vacation and picked up some nice handcrafted gifts. 

Buy any DIY project supplies

On June's list, you decided on your DIY projects and handcrafted gifts for family and friends. Now, it's time to buy those supplies. If you haven't been crafting all year long, August is a great time to get started crafting. Take advantage of early sales to find what you need. 

Put together your Christmas Reading List with classics and 2025 new book releases

So many seasonal titles hit the shelves in the fall, and the best way to create a buzz for them is to make them available for pre-order, like I'll Be Home for Christmas by Jenny Bayliss. Some Christmas titles have already hit the market. I added some backlist titles to my Kindle recently. You can check them out here. What are some seasonal titles you're looking forward to this year?

Following these seven months of helpful tips, you can make the holidays less stressful. See you next month!