Planning for December
We’ve reached the end of the year, and the busiest time. So many things to keep on top of. I’m updating all my monthly planning posts that I created last year, to help you get more organised. I’m sharing our monthly list of things to do, plan, remember and celebrate, and for anyone who wants to be extra organised there’s a free downloadable printable at the end of this post. For 2023 I’ve added a B&W printer friendly version too! The downloads include two sheets each, one with and one without a space for notes on foraging.
To Do
Decorate the House for Christmas
You may have already done this (based on when your own family’s tradition is) – but a lot of people choose the first weekend of December as the time to decorate their home.
Bake Christmas Cookies
It’s the time of year where we go in to cookie baking overdrive – cinnamon stars, vanilla crescents, Lebkuchen…check out our favourite Christmas bakes here >> German Christmas Baking Round-up
Homemade baking also makes a great Christmas gift, so why not bake a few extras and package them up nicely to gift to friends, colleagues, or family.
Do Your Christmas Shopping
This one is obvious, and yet some people still need reminded every year not to leave it too late. I like to build up some overtime in advance of December, and then take a day off during the week to get some Christmas shopping done whilst the kids are at school and town isn’t too busy as I still like to support local where I can. I appreciate not everyone will have that kind of flexibility in their job, and of course there is nothing wrong with online shopping either, I do my fair share of that too. There’s lots of independent small businesses you can buy from online (like my own indie clothing store Awsm Street, hint hint…)
Write Your Christmas Cards
Do you still send cards at Christmas? I find we receive less and less each year, but I still like to send some out. I don’t do a blanket mail out though, I send a handful of cards to close friends I don’t see very often and take the time and effort to write more than just “To…Merry Christmas, From…”.
Check the Last Posting Dates for Christmas
If you have Christmas cards or parcels to send to friends or family in the post, make sure you don’t miss the last posting dates for them to arrive in time for Christmas! For the UK, the Royal Mail has an overview on their website.
Reserve Your Christmas & Hogmanay Grocery Slots
We don’t have a car, so we do all our big grocery shops online and get top-up for things like bread, milk etc. from our local shops. I always make sure to reserve a Christmas and Hogmanay delivery slot as soon as the are released, so I don’t end up missing out. Usually you can only book slots one or two weeks ahead, but the Christmas ones are released several weeks in advance. You can fill your basket to reserve the slot, and then amend it nearer the time so I always put a note in my Google calendar too – with several alarms – as soon as I’ve booked so that I don’t forget to amend it!
Time to Forage For
We’ve really gotten in to foraging over the past couple of years, so in my forward planning I’m going to include a reminder of what plants to forage for each month. This will of course vary hugely depending on which part of the world you live in. For us, it’s what’s ready to forage here in central Scotland. I’ve included two versions of the monthly download – one with, and one without a section for foraging (they’re both in the same document).
In December we’ll be foraging for…
- Rose hips
- Pine needles
Dates for Our Diary
There are so many dates from different cultures and religions to consider, I’ll just be listing the ones that we ourselves celebrate or commemorate (you can create your own personal list using the download at the end of this post). I’ll also highlight some previous activities from our archives, which will help us to celebrate.
Advent & Christmas
24 December: Christmas Eve
25 December: Christmas Day
Christmas Crafts
- Recycled Cardboard Gingerbread Village
- Citrus Peel Star Garland
- Lolly Stick Reindeer
- Paper Bag Stars
- Tissue Paper Stars
- Pine Cone Wreath
- Folded Paper Angels
- A Christmas Stick Tree
- Snowman Decoration
Christmas Activities
Further Christmas Recipes
New Year
31 December: Hogmanay/ New Year’s Eve/ Silvester
- New Year’s Eve Party Hats
- New Year Countdown with Kids
- Rocket Skewers
- Edible Sparklers
- Fireworks Cookies
Coming Up Next Month
One thing I’ve found with monthly planning, is that the things that happen at the beginning of the month can often take you by surprise (like World Book Day, every single year!) So that’s why at the beginning of each month I’ll also be reminding myself what’s coming up the following month…
- 6 January: Epiphany/ 3 Kings Day
- 25 January: Burns Night
>> Download December Planner (full colour)
>> Download December Planner (printer friendly)
As always, all resources and downloads on this blog are free, to make them accessible to everyone. However, if you are able and would like to support me with a small donation, which helps to keep this blog running, it would be much appreciated. Just hit the support button below. Thank you x
