Three Things to Do in April to Prepare for Next Christmas

Time really flies when you're having fun. Here we are with less than 10 days left in April, but I knew we still needed to share this list with three things you can do this month to prepare for next Christmas. 

Photo credit: Freepik

Start Saving Money 

Since you set your budget last month, now is a good time to start putting away a bit of money each week or once a month to pay for Christmas gifts. Do you remember our post about Christmas Club Savings Accounts? These accounts were set up at local banks for people to put money away strictly for the holidays. Each November, account members would cash in their current accounts and start a new one for the following Christmas. Any type of savings account could work to help you put money aside so that you can reduce or eliminate credit card spending.

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Check out After-Easter Sales

While I am personally a big fan of discounted candy, stores and online retailers often run sales after Easter to get rid of seasonal inventory. This could include toys, craft items, and clothes. The Krazy Coupon Lady has put together a list with links to Easter clearance sales to help make it easier for you to get started.

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Plan Elf on the Shelf Ideas or New Party Games

This one might seem a bit early, but the year often gets away from us. If you think about what new mischief your Elf on the Shelf can concoct in December or what new party games you want to try, this gives you time to execute your ideas for seasonal fun. 

These tips can make Christmas easier once the season is in full swing. 

Christmas... in the News: Toy Industry Tariff Challenges, Christmas Tree Farm Recovery & "Christmas Together Tour"

 

Welcome to this edition of Christmas... in the news. This is a review of some of the Christmas articles and news over the last week. It's nice to have Christmas news this early in the season. 

The first bit of news goes against my rules of sharing gloomy news, but the topic of increased tariffs impacting Christmas is on the minds of people. NBC News spoke with two industry insiders who expressed their concerns for this year's holiday season. You can read the article here. 

Out of Avery County, North Carolina, the owner of Christmas Corner Choose & Cut talks with Carolina's Own Queen City News about rebuilding after Hurricane Helene. You can read about the challenges they face and what they love in this article. 

Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, and Cece Winans have announced a planned stop at the Altria Theater in Richmond this holiday season for their “Christmas Together Tour.” As reported by ABC8News, tickets for the November 29th show will go on sale later this week. You can check out the article here, which shares a link to the theater's website. 

That's it for this week. Hope to be back with more news again soon. 

Christmas... in the News: Widow Rebuilds after Tragedy, 2025 White House Christmas Ornament Reveal & Christmas Cruising

 

Welcome to this edition of Christmas... in the news. This is a review of some of the Christmas articles and news over the last week. This time of year we don't always see Christmas in the news, but when we do, we like to share it. 

It's been so neat to see Christmas in the news lately. Some news isn't so great, like reports of customers rushing to buy gifts or ornaments being hard to find this year because of expected tariff increases. Others are heartwarming or fun signs of the season. Those are what we focus on at Christmas Year Round. 

Our first news bite comes from KOCO News 5, where journalist Eric Jones shares the story of how Kay Allen rebuilt when her husband--and 167 others--lost their lives in the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. Kay was left to provide for their six children. Allen spoke of "finding strength in her family and memories." You can read this article here. Though the interview with Kay is from around the time of the 1995 event, there are links to survivor stories on the page from people reflecting 30 years later. 

PR Newswire reported the White House Historical Association has revealed this year's White House Christmas ornament. You can read all about it and find a link to purchase it here.

Have you ever been on a Christmas cruise? If not, and you are curious about what to expect, check out this article from Forbes.

That wraps up this latest edition of Christmas... in the news.

More Christmas... in the News: Christmas Cafe Closes, Christmas Gift Lotto Winner & Is This the End of Christmas Tree Lane Walk?

 

Honestly, I'm pleasantly shocked that so much Christmas news has been posted lately. This week is a mix of melancholy and joy. 

Back in November of last year, we shared an article about the opening of the Christmas Cafe in Boardman, Ohio. Today, we discovered 21WFMJ's report that Boardman's Christmas Cafe had officially closed. Sounds like they are making a move. You can read about it here.

Frustrated members of the Fig Garden Home Owners Association in Fresno, California, have threatened to end the Christmas Tree Lane Walk Nights unless the city helps them with vendors who have trespassed on residents' property to set up shop, blocking driveways and side roads. YourCentralValley.com discussed concerns with one of the HOA's members. Read the article here.

Happy news out of North Hollywood, California, where one man won a $7 million lotto jackpot thanks to a last-minute Christmas gift from his father. KTLA5 has more details. Click here.

Enjoy your week! 

Christmas in the News: Hallmark Channel Teams Up with Buffalo Bills

 

Welcome back! I was pleasantly surprised to find more Christmas in the News this week. Media outlets like USA Today reported that filming for Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story will start later this year, and the movie will be shot in and around Buffalo, New York. Sounds like this collaboration could be interesting. According to the article, last year's football romantic comedy was the "most-watched movie of the year." You can read more details here. 

Christmas in the News: Hallmark Channel's 2025 Countdown to Christmas News

 

Imagine how excited I was when I stumbled across some Christmas news earlier today. Sometimes, I check out NewsBreak in the early morning to catch snippets of local and faraway news. That's how I learned that Cinemablend was sharing what they know about Hallmark Channel's upcoming "Countdown to Christmas" schedule.

According to Cinemablend, Hallmark Channel will be offering a "Christmas-themed limited series" for 2025. It's currently titled "The Twelve Dates of Christmas,"  and is based on a book of the same name by Jenny Bayliss. Did you read that one? I haven't yet. 

One of my favorite actors, Jane Seymour (Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman) will be portraying a character, so I'm super excited. Might have to read the book before this series comes out. 

You can read the full article here. 

March Madness and Christmas

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My brain works in odd ways, so I thought it would be fun to see what I would get if I typed "March Madness and Christmas" into Google. 

Here are a few results:

New York Post: "Breaking Down How March Madness Selection Sunday Will Play Out"

Elvis Duran Show: March Madness or March Merriness?!

Melissa Manages: March Madness Saving for Christmas 03102025

Christmas in the City March Madness Bracket (Half of your donation will go to CITC).

Which post is your favorite?