In this post: These tips will help you plan an intentional Christmas full of memories with your family!

Thanksgiving is over, the Black Friday madness is done, and I’m ready to move into the Christmas season whole-heartedly!

For most Americans, Christmas is a time of parties, gifts, family, traveling, and food.

But this year, instead of running around and trying to do all the things, I want an intentional Christmas with my family.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that the little things are what matter most. And that’s especially true for Christmas.

I’ve learned that if you don’t set out with intentions, you’ll rarely end up where you want to be.

That’s why you need to make goals even for things like Christmas. Set priorities (and stick to them!) even during the holidays.

My goal for Christmas is to enjoy myself, enjoy my family and friends, and celebrate the season. So, I know that I’m going to need to make a plan.

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Make a Simple Christmas Plan

The first step to having an intentional Christmas is to ask yourself, “What really matters to me?”

The key is, what matters to you. Of course there are usually things we can’t get out of at Christmas. I know you’d really like to watch your own child perform in the Christmas program, then get up and leave instead of watching the whole thing.

Probably not an option.

But there are some things you can probably skip. If there’s a Christmas activity you attend just to make someone else happy, now is the time to give it up. There are a limited amount of days in December, and you just can’t do it all.

Choose to do the things that matter to you and your family. If you do the things you enjoy, you’ll have a happier and less stressful Christmas season!

Many people are still living in states and towns with restrictions on gatherings and travel. Some families won’t be able to be together this year because of sickness or even financial reasons.

Whether you’re finding yourself faced with too many things on your to-do list this Christmas season, or not enough, you need a plan. In a year that’s been hard, and often sad, now is the time to add some joy!

More Intentional Christmas Tip #1: Start with your traditions.

It’s easy to let our schedules get filled up with extra stuff at Christmas. But the more things we say “yes” to, the more things will get crowded out of our schedules.

Take a minute before the season gets busy and think about the things that really matter to you. Do you like to go Black Friday shopping? Does your family enjoy driving around to look at Christmas lights?

Put those things on your calendar now. Schedule them so you make sure you do the things that matter.

Life changes, and some traditions we did in the past don’t fit our lifestyles or families anymore. And that’s okay.

Any year is a good year for starting new traditions. Maybe some will stick around, and some won’t.

Think about your family now, and try something new. It might become a new tradition that you’ll love for years to come!

Find more Christmas traditions here.

More Intentional Christmas Tip #2: Make time for kindness.

There’s something about Christmas that makes us all want to give and be generous. And this year there are a lot of people who could use some kindness.

Let’s use the Christmas season this year to intentionally teach our children about kindness.

Here are some ways to practice kindness and include your kids:

Donate to Toys for Tots
Deliver food and/or care packages to a homeless shelter
Make Christmas cards for relatives or shut-ins
Put extra change in Salvation army buckets

These are just a few ideas. There are so many ways to show kindness and generosity at Christmas time.

Remind your kids that we give at Christmas, because God gave us the greatest gift of all. It’s because of His blessings that we have things to give.

It’s important to remember that Christmas is about more than receiving gifts. We shouldn’t let the season pass only focusing on ourselves and our own families.

Let’s plan this year to include kindness in our Christmas activities. Show our children what the season is really about.

piggy bank with santa hat and Christmas tree

More Intentional Christmas Tip #3: Stick to the budget.

Nothing adds stress to your life more than money–not enough money, spent too much money, no money left. To have an intentional Christmas you need a budget.

I know, I know. It’s no fun.

I love buying gifts for people. There is nothing like the look of delight on a person’s face when they open the perfect gift you bought for them.

It’s so easy to get carried away, and just keep buying and buying. But an intentional budget reigns in spending, cuts down on stress and can truly help you have a merrier Christmas.

Since I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that the cost of gifts doesn’t matter nearly as much as the thought behind them. When a gift comes from the heart, the price isn’t important. It’s totally possible to have a nice Christmas on a budget.

1. Use a written budget.

There are a few ways to control your spending at Christmas. One way is to use a written budget. List who you want to buy for, and how much you can spend.

Carefully track what you buy and how much you spent. I say “carefully” on purpose. Have you ever started wrapping gifts, then realized you have one person you bought too many gifts for? Is that just me? Ok.

2. Use the four gift rule.

You might’ve seen the four gift Christmas rule floating around on Pinterest. This is another way to take control of your spending at Christmas. You can easily customize this for kids of all ages, and even adults.

Each person gets four gifts; one thing they want, one thing they need, one thing to wear, and one thing to read. I think this works really great for kids, especially if you like opening a lot of gifts.

None of the gifts need to be really expensive, and they can be really personal.

3. Give one gift.

Some people would rather give one nice gift instead of a lot of smaller ones. I fall into this camp. I love to find that one perfect gift for each person. For me, it’s the most stress-free plan of all!

Plan for an Intentional Christmas

The most important way to have an intentional Christmas is to make a plan. Then, stick to it! Know what your budget is, and don’t spend more than you’ve got.

Know what you can and can’t do–and that includes things you want or don’t want to do. Do only those things and no more.

Remember, you control your time this December. It’s okay to choose the things you love, and to say no to the things that don’t matter.

Merry Christmas!