All right, Tip Diva understands that Christmas was just yesterday, but know some of you are about ready to take down the tree, rip down the decorations and put the hectic holiday season behind you. However, you can enjoy next year’s holiday season by preparing for it now and delegating tasks throughout the new year. Here’s how:

• Buy Holiday Items On Clearance - At this point, all holiday-related items, including decorations, trees and other knicknacks, are probably on clearance. Snatch up the sales now in order to save money, and do so before you pack everything away.
• Buy Holiday Cards On Clearance - Non-personalized greeting cards are probably also on sale, so now is a great time to pick them up. Buying them early also means you can start them early next year - fill them out during downtime in the late summer or early fall instead of during the holiday season. You’ll save yourself last-minute stress and will have time to realize if you forgot someone. All you have to do is drop them in the mailbox in early December, and you’re good to go. Next year, also consider making address labels in your word processor, which can be easily updated and used for years.
• Organize Your Decorations - Instead of throwing all of your decorations into one box, get stackable plastic boxes and organize them by room. That way, you can decorate room by room next year and know where everything is.
• Fix Broken Items - Fix any broken decorations and replace dead Christmas light bulbs now, so you know everything will be ready to go next year.
• Stock Up On Essentials - Make sure you have extra lights, fuses, power cords and other essential items now, so you don’t forget and scramble around trying to find them in the stores next holiday season.
• Organize Your Lights - Roll up your Christmas lights and put each in its own separate bag. Ziplock bags work well. Include extra fuses and light bulbs in these bags so you will be tangle-free and ready next year. Store in a plastic box separate from the decorations.
• Deal With Unwanted, Unreturnable Gifts - If you received gifts you don’t particularly like, decide what you’re going to do with them.
  - If it’s a personal gift, and the giver expects you see you with it, keep it and only wear or bring it out when you see that person. Homemade or personalized gifts, such as a knitted sweater, fall into this category.
  - If you’d like to regift (some statistics say two out of three people regift!), follow MP Dunleavy’s 12 rules for regifting.
  - If it’s not personal or you’re not going to regift it, donate it to someone in need.
• Buy Holiday Gifts Throughout The Year - Instead of scrambling around crowded malls in December, buy gifts throughout the year, especially when something’s on sale or you see something that a recipient may want. Just be careful of buying: seasonal items, such as clothes; items with a narrow return window, such as electronics; and gift cards, which may lose value.
• Make A List Of Holiday Recipes And Menus - If you traditionally have certain dishes for the holidays, gather the recipes and menus now so that you don’t forget something next year.
• Make A Schedule - Instead of playing the holidays by ear next year, make yourself a schedule and stick to deadlines. Include holiday party planning, shopping, baking, decorating and writing and mailing cards. This will help you prioritize, delagate and make your holiday tasks much easier?

How do you prepare for the holiday season?

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