14 Weekends till Christmas are enough, right?!

Did you catch that? We have 14 weekends till Christmas! But if your weekends are anything like mine, there’s not a minute to catch your breath! My teenage son has basketball practice. Grandma “Abuela Mamin” is visiting from Puerto Rico, so we’re trying to meet up for lunch or dinner. My husband has work on Saturday and I have work on Sunday. At some point, we’ll try to squeeze in a church service and maybe some chores (unfortunately, the laundry won’t sort itself.) Oh, and we also need to buy groceries and meal plan. What about quality family time? Yeah, let me pencil that in, too. Would 10 minutes be enough?

That all sounds crazy, right?

Crazy Busy Family Weekends

This last weekend of summer for our family is a good kind of crazy busy family weekend and I love it! But I also know that the fall season that officially begins on Monday (Sept. 23rd) kicks into high gear and the next 14 weeks are a BLUR all the way to Christmas Day!

That’s why I’m doing this 101 Days till Christmas countdown. So we can start early, plan ahead, think, dream and truly ENJOY the most wonderful time of the year.

We have 14 weekends till Christmas. But if they’re anything like this weekend for our family (and I’ll bet many of those 14 weekends will be), Ima need a little help. Maybe you need it, too?

14 Simple & Time-saving tips for the 14 weekends before Christmas

Here are 14 (simple & time-saving) things to do the next 14 weekends till Christmas:

14. Catch your breath (Sept. 21-22, 2019)

That’s a good thing to do on any busy family weekend, but especially as we get closer to the holidays. This weekend, I’ll try to catch my breath (literally) by using breathing exercise apps (I love Google Fit Breathe on my Fossil Q smartwatch.) And there are some books on my Libby app waiting for me, so I’ll try to catch up on reading as well. This helps us save time by slowing down long enough to think and plan instead of “running around like chickens with their heads cut off!” Not a good look.

13. Decorate for Fall (Sept. 28-29, 2019)

It’s officially fall, y’all! Decorate if you haven’t yet! And while you’re at it, go ahead and sip or snack on some pumpkin-flavored something! (Let me know your favorites in the comments below!) Keep this one simple! We’re reusing last year’s wreath, adding a few simple extra fall touches — nothing fancy!

12. October Planning Weekend! (Oct. 5-6, 2019)

Time to check your progress! You know it’s true that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” like Benjamin Franklin once said. Look at planning as “holiday craziness prevention.” It’ll save us time in the long run! If you already have your Christmas planner, this is a great time to go through it, update and adjust what needs to be done this month. If you haven’t yet, there are FREE Christmas Printables & more holiday planning tips here.

11. Say NO! (Oct. 12-13, 2019)

Every family needs a BREAK! Look at this month’s calendar and see if you can plan a free day or two where your family can say NO to a lot of stuff so you can just have fun! This one is simple AND time-saving. We’ll be less frazzled and have more time to do what truly matters.

10. Find a Fall Festival! (Oct. 19-20, 2019)

There are SO MANY Fall Festivals this time of year! Some of them are fancy and expensive, but a lot of them are free! Do a quick Google search and put one on your calendar. It’s another simple way to enjoy these 14 weekends till Christmas!

9. Go to a Trunk or Treat Time! (Oct. 26-27, 2019)

This is the weekend a lot of families celebrate fall festivals, trunk or treats & Halloween! Keep it simple by splitting the work with others or going to a party that doesn’t require you to do a lot of work. Which reminds me, I need to call my sister to see what the plan is for our kids! 😀

8. November Planning Weekend: Thanksgiving Month is here! (Nov. 2-3, 2019)

This is another great weekend to pull out your Christmas planner and confirm a lot of details: Where are you spending Thanksgiving? How’s the budget? Do you need special holiday outfits for upcoming events? Are you doing holiday photos? (Thank God for the planner that helps us keep track of all these million details!) Remember: planning ahead saves time!

7. Write a Gratitude List (Nov. 9-10, 2019)

This is a very simple thing you can do by yourself or with your family. It can be easy to fall into the “GIMMES” this time of the year. Instead, let’s focus on what we already have and write it down. It really makes a difference!

6. Be generous! (Nov. 16-17, 2019)

This week is one of my favorites of the whole year: Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week! Our family has done this ever since my kids were a toddler and a baby! We pack shoeboxes with gifts for children around the world who have never received a gift before. It’s a way to learn generosity, share the love of Christ and start celebrating Christmas by giving! And it’s super simple’! A lot of local churches have drop-offs and packing parties to help you keep it simple and fun!

5. Happy Weekend Before Thanksgiving! (Nov. 23-24, 2019)

This is a pre-holiday weekend so don’t do anything you don’t have to. Make sure the “turkey checklist” is good, get any last minute things for Thanksgiving this Thursday, and enjoy time off if you’re taking it! And simply have a Happy Thanksgiving!

4. Christmas Gift Checklist! (Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2019)

Did you finish all your Christmas shopping? Or maybe you haven’t started yet (that’s usually me!) Thank God for online shopping and 1-2 day delivery! Lol! Seriously, this weekend is a good one to really stop and decide what the rest of the month will look like. Save time by planning ahead … and keep it simple by shortening the list to a few special things over a lot of “trinkets” that won’t matter in the long run!

3. Pick a fun Christmas activity to do! (Dec. 7-8, 2019)

Did you fill out a Holiday Values Worksheet this year? It’s part of my favorite FREE printable Christmas planner. And it helps you find out what your family REALLY wants to do for Christmas. Maybe it’s ice skating or driving around to see Christmas lights. It could be watching your favorite Christmas movie together (Charlie Brown Christmas, anyone?) This is the weekend to do it or plan it. Keep it simple and have all the Christmas fun!

2. Hug your family (Dec. 14-15, 2019)

You know why I put this on the list? Because this is the home stretch before Christmas. End of school. Christmas shopping is INSANE at this point. Nerves are frazzled. Budgets might be tight. And all this can lead to a very GRINCHY, cranky mom (or dad.) But it’s Christmas! This weekend is a good one to use one of those breathing exercise apps (see tip #14 on this list) and stop long enough to HUG YOUR FAMILY. A good, long, loving hug. You probably needed one, too.

And tip #1 for the weekend before Christmas (Dec. 21-22, 2019)

You made it! Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

Fourteen weekends ago you may have dreamed about this time of the year being AWESOME and hopefully it is! If you can, find a church service this weekend. Celebrate what Christmas is all about. Even if you haven’t gone to church in a while, the music is beautiful. The decorations are sparkly and perfect for holiday photo opps! And you may find yourself overwhelmed by the love of Jesus … who loves you more than you could ever imagine! Celebrating Him could help you wrap up this year with true Christmas peace … a Christmas miracle … and excitement about an exciting New Year around the corner!

Laughing (and counting down to Christmas) thru life,

Coppelia