While the snow has not fallen yet, the weather is certainly cooling. The holidays will be on us in no time. In fact it is fewer than 3 months until Christmas is here. In order to avoid some of the holiday stresses here are a few things you can do now to make things easier come December.

Book Flights
Holiday travel is expensive. The sooner you book the cheaper it will be and the easier it will be to get the flights on the days and times that you want.

Bake + Freeze
If you are planning to do a lot of baking, prepare some now and freeze it to cut down on the work you will need to do when the season gets busy.

Start Your Own Wishlist
Nothing is worse than the dreaded answer to the question of "What is on your list?" being "Oh nothing". Start a list now and write down things you think of for yourself as they pop into your head over the coming months.

Organize Gift Buying
Draw up a list of whom you have to buy for and start making notes of what they mention or what you think they would like over the coming months.

House Maintenance
Ensure that your house is ready for winter. Fix any cracks or holes in the exterior to prevent rodents and other pests who may be seeking a warmer environment. Empty the rain barrels and move them (or flip them over) to stop them from taking on water and turning into a giant ice block (which can rupture the tank). Get the gutters cleaned out for the spring thaw. Clean the window exteriors while you can.

Setup some goals or reminders
The holidays can be overwhelming at times. Add some goals or reminders to your calendar to remind you what needs to be done and if you are staying on track.

The Christmas Lights
One of the dreaded holiday tasks is getting the lights ready and put up in the dead of winter. Pull them out of the garage now and give them a test to see if any bulbs need changing or if the strands need to be placed entirely. If you are going to be changing out your lighting this may be a good time to measure the length of spans you wish to hang them on before you are scaling snow drifts with a tape measure in hand. Put them up! Dealing with ladders, roofs, electricity in combination of snow and ice can be an accident waiting to happen. Put them up now and avoid the headaches. Maybe wait a bit before having them turned on though….