Even though it seems that fall just descended upon us, Christmas is just around the corner. It will soon be time to put away your pumpkins, leaves, and other fall decor to make room for holiday lights, Christmas trees, Santa Claus and snowmen. But because you have so many things to do during the holiday season, decorating for Christmas can quickly become forgotten. So here’s a checklist for Christmas decorating that will get you decking the halls with no stress at all.

Two months ahead

You may be thinking — why do I have to plan for Christmas two months before the big day? Think of it this way; the more time you have to plan, the more time you have to execute that plan without stressing out. With that in mind, here are a few things you should start thinking about around Halloween:

• Take stock of your inventory. It can be hard to determine what you want to decorate with this year when you haven’t seen your supplies in months. Consider taking out your decorations and going through what you want to use and what you’d like to get rid of and replace. Or, to make things easier for you, you can take pictures of your rooms the holiday before and store them on a private photo sharing app for easy access. Then, you can see all your decorations put up and in place and you’ll be able to easily determine what you need.
• Create your budget. With all the gifts you’ll be buying this holiday season, it can be easy to throw your budget to the wind and go crazy on your spending. But when you plan ahead, you’re less likely to go overboard and stick to your predetermined budget. 

One month before

Once Halloween is over, feel free to decorate with reckless abandon. To get into the festive spirit, here are a few things you can do:

• Focus on the outside. Take advantage of the nice weather you may have during the last few days of fall and put up all your decorations. Plan out your Christmas lights ahead of time, searching for christmas lights near me 2019 is a great way to find affordable lights that fit within your budget. Also consider using light timers so the lights are only on during the darkest hours — this is an easy way to save energy and money. 
• Buy your Christmas tree. Precut trees tend to dehydrate easily, so if your neighborhood tree farm cuts them, be sure to head out early so you can keep your tree in a proper environment, which is easier for you to do in your home than the farm can. 

The month of December

Now you’re getting closer to the big day, here are some things you can do to deck the halls:

• Deep clean your home before you start decorating. Not only will this make it look and feel less cluttered, it will save you time and effort when it comes to the cleanup.
• Get cozy. Don’t forget to invest in some items, in addition to your traditional decor, that will keep you nice and cozy during the winter months. After all, with all the effort you have spent decorating, you will want to spend time to actually enjoy the holiday spirit in your home.

With these tips in mind, you’ll be able to feel festive even before Halloween ends. So get to decorating and enjoy this hectic time of year, as it will fly by before you even realize it.