21 Things I Do Before December 1

Christmas lovers agree that planning carefully is what makes the season extra special.  Having certain things in place before the official Christmas season makes the season far less stressful.  Here are my 21 things to do before December 1.

1. I pin every day.  I look for ideas on the things I am planning and I pin away!  Links to my Christmas boards are here
2. I organize my Christmas stuff by sorting what stays and what is going. I take photos and start selling my stuff in November.
3. I plan my Christmas card and photo.  We love to send photo cards!
4. I work on my Christmas blog.  We use this instead of a newsletter.  Here is are our Christmas blogs from years past.
5. I create a paper calendar for the month of December.  I write down all the dates of events that I hear about on Facebook, online, word of mouth, etc.  When we buy tickets, all that gets added to the paper calendar.
6. Make a list of movies that I want to revisit and ones that are being released that I want to see.
7. Create my Spotify list.  I add some songs and take off some that I didn't care for the last year.
8. Buy a new Santa hat!  When the Christmas stuff starts to make its appearance, I want to buy something and this is something I know I will use!
9. I order my husband a new set of Christmas socks.
10. Through the fall I will make and taste several cookies and candies.  Since I am going low carb as much as possible, this is going to be a big event for me this year!
11. Using the Starbucks app, I look for the season's holiday drinks, look at what I can do to reduce the sugar, and load my "created" recipe into the app for easy ordering!
12. Send out Facebook invites to my family for our holiday gatherings. I know, they probably roll their eyes, but we almost always have every one there because they knew well in advance when our family gatherings were.
13. Decide on the lighting plan for the exterior of the house.  This year, even though we are going to Cabo for Christmas, we plan to decorate the exterior even more than ever.  If the inside is going to be lightly decorated, then we are making up for it outside!
14. Look for the perfect sugar free hot chocolate!  I'll be experimenting with my own recipes!
15. Purchase my holiday wear.  I always look for a festive sweater, a festive long sleeved tee shirt, and freshen up my Christmas jewelry.
16. Order my share of Christmas fiction. I love books that have the Christmas holiday as a background.
17. My hairdresser thinks I am nuts, but I book my November and December cuts and color now. These are time consuming events, so I want to be sure I have them booked and planned into the calendar.
18. I order our Christmas pjs as soon as I see them. I was able to get our tee shirts at the Christmas in July sale and now I am looking for leggings or pj bottoms.  
19. Instead of air fresheners we diffuse essential oils, so I make sure I order my pine, cinnamon, sweet orange and peppermint!
20. I get our gas fireplace serviced in October.  This year I might even switch up the logs!
21. Last but not least by any means, I find out when The Charlie Brown Christmas cartoon is live on TV.  I know I can call it up anytime on Netflix, but I want the thrill of gathering around the TV and watching it as a family.  Call me old fashioned.

What are your MUST DOs before December first?  Share your secrets and help us all be better prepared for the best holiday ever!