Hello, friends! Here we are for the first week of school for my kid, so it’s time for my annual reminder that the holidays are coming. I know, I know — that sounds insane. But if you’ll stick with me, you will find that there is a method to this madness which actually is all about avoiding the consumerism madness of the holiday season and saving money, your sanity, and the planet. So read on!
We all hope you will stick around!
Join our jolly community of Resistance Gardeners, and let’s get stuck into the dirt together!
I’ll tell you why I am already shopping for the Christmas season.
I will give you a few tips for starting your holiday planning that will make the whole thing so much easier.
I’ll introduce you to The Nice List, the Christmas season planner I wrote more than a decade ago. It helps keep me sane and makes me a more thoughtful and careful gift giver all year!
In case you need a new Christmas tree this year, I have the goods on my favorite trees which are ON SALE right now! Seriously, now is the BEST time to buy a Christmas tree!
For paid subscribers, I have a free download to help you with your holiday planning!
And just FYI: this post is not sponsored, but it does contain affiliate links from which I could earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting Wild Revival Gardening!
Just in case you have missed them, here are a few posts from the last few weeks:
Ok. Let’s get started!
The holiday season has a way of sneaking up on me. Between shopping, decorating, travel, hosting, and family events, December is a whirlwind. And sometimes I find that whirlwind to be less about joy and more about obligation.
The holiday season is also emotionally complicated enough for many of us — me included.
But I have found a powerful tool that can help reduce that feeling of just “getting through the holidays” and help infuse a little more cheer: planning Christmas early.
Like planning Christmas starting in August. It sounds insane, but it has brought joy back into the holidays for me.
Instead of trying to accomplish everything in a few hectic weeks, I tackle one small task at a time. It’s so much better for my anxiety, and it means a holiday season filled with more joy than stress. And we all want that!
And I’m here to say it: I already have two gifts tucked away for Christmas. Maybe three. And I have them written down in The Nice List so I don’t forget that they are there, too! More on that in a minute!
Planning early also allows me to spread out expenses, put more intentionality into gift giving, and make plans for fun. That’s probably the biggest benefit in my book. I can plan for expenses and spread them out which makes it all the more economical.
You know that I am big on planning all year. That’s definitely a thing for me! But I also have a very intentional Christmas season planning ritual which helps me make a meaningful and happy holiday season. And I start it by the time we go back to school!
This week school starts, so that means I’m beginning to make plans for the holidays, too. Let’s take a peek!
Let’s Be Clear About Something
I am NOT talking about decorating or anything like that! Not at all!
I am a purist. I don’t put up ANY Christmas decorations until the weekend after Thanksgiving.
In fact, I hate seeing Christmas items up in shops before Halloween. I hate the speed at which marketing throws Christmas at us. I hate it.
But I do start planning the season long before then. And to me it feels like an act of resistance. I am less susceptible to all of that marketing, because I already have a plan.
That’s what I mean about this being an anti-materialistic approach.
I am always trying to make my choices ethically – from shopping for clothing to choosing books and toys to making travel arrangements – I work hard to make good choices for my family, for others, and for the environment. And, frankly, it can be exhausting.
One of the most compelling reasons to begin your planning in August is the ability to make choices with a conscience. Sustainable and ethical shopping and planning requires time — a luxury that the December rush doesn’t afford.
Many independent makers and smaller, more-ethical brands do not operate on the same fast-shipping timelines as big-box retailers. By making your shopping list early, you can accommodate these slower production times and shipping windows.
Furthermore, early planning is a powerful tool for your emotional and financial well-being. When we wait until the last minute, we are prone to impulse buys that are both expensive and often unnecessary. I’ve been there. I know. It’s so easy to just buy something that is more expensive because it is right there.
Retailers know this, too. And their pricing around the holidays reflects our desperation. We end up paying more.
Not to mention shopping secondhand is very difficult last-minute. But when you have time to plan, sometimes you can find that secondhand score when you aren’t expecting it.
I mean that’s how I found the best Christmas gift I’ve ever given. Here’s that story:
Personal Essay: Searching for Nanette
·
November 2, 2025
Ah, it’s November! And our thoughts start to turn inward and inside. This is a piece that I have shopped to several magazines this year, but the magazine business is pretty abysmal. So I’m sharing it with you. It’s not gardening. This is personal. But perhaps you’ll know ME a little better at the end. 🧡
The Nice List: Planning with Purpose
I wrote The Nice List because I wanted to change the way I approached the holiday season. I had been struggling with holiday stress—often feeling like the season was something to “get through” rather than enjoy. I started developing the concept in 2002 as a response to my own gift-giving struggles, eventually evolving it into a comprehensive system to help others find more order and sanity in the chaos.
The Nice List is more than just a place to track gift ideas; it’s a tool for intentionality. It helps you get organized, manage your budget, and track your gift-giving history so you never accidentally repeat a gift. Ultimately, it’s designed to help you reclaim the “thought” in “it’s the thought that counts”. By keeping everything from baking plans to holiday traditions in one place, it shifts the focus from the stress of obligation to the joy of meaningful, purposeful giving.
The Nice List is available to purchase on my website:
One of the greatest benefits of early holiday planning is peace of mind. Imagine reaching December 1 knowing that:
Your shopping is nearly complete.
Your holiday budget is under control.
Your calendar is full of the traditions and things you love.
Travel is booked.
Menus are planned.
Decorations are organized and ready to go – or even already up!
It’s possible!
I started planning early because I was a single person living on a teacher’s salary with massive student loans. I needed to plan ahead to be able to buy gifts for my big family on a very limited budget.
I started by shopping for one sibling each month which spread out the expenses considerably. From there, I got better and better at budgeting. But I still spread out the expenses over many months.
And I found over the years that creating a holiday budget months in advance allows you to make smarter financial decisions.
For more about how to set a Christmas budget, check out this post.
One often-overlooked advantage of holiday planning in August is the opportunity to shop with intention.
When you’re racing against holiday deadlines, convenience usually wins. Fast shipping and impulse purchases can lead to buying stuff without considering how or where they were made. And look, I do it, too. And I have Amazon links in many of my website posts. I know that convenience often wins. I’m not a hypocrite. It’s the reality of life!
Instead of buying the first thing we see on that big-box store endcap, we have time to choose gifts that reflect our values as well as our appreciation for the people receiving them.
Early planning also allows you to think beyond the typical last-minute purchases.
Personalized gifts
Handmade items
Experience gifts
Family photo books
Homemade treats
Donations to favorite charities
These gifts often require extra time to create or order but become treasured memories that last far longer than trendy impulse buys.
Need some inspiration? Here are some of my favorite homemade gift ideas.
Need a tree? Shop now!
When I had to replace our Christmas tree a few years ago (a flood — it was a whole horrible thing), I was stuck. It was November, and the tree I wanted was already out of stock. And all of the Christmas trees available were REALLY expensive.
I faced a choice: buy something I didn’t love or skip a tree until the next season.
I chose to get a real tree that year and wait for a sale on the tree I wanted. I’m glad I did. I saved a TON of money by waiting!
It used to be that the best bargains on Christmas trees came AFTER Christmas. That’s not true anymore. By that time, the trees are gone. The logistics have changed, and now sales are happening before trees ever ship from overseas.
Retailers like King of Christmas often have great sales on their trees in August with good discounts. So while we aren’t always thinking about Christmas trees at that time of year, it’s actually a fabulous time to buy a Christmas tree!
In fact, my tree which I LOVE is on sale right now at almost 30% off!
For more about how to choose an artificial Christmas tree, check out this guide: Choosing an Artificial Christmas Tree
Some of these steps won’t apply to you. Great! But for those of you who are paid subscribers, I have a Holiday Season Planner available. Sit down with this list and plan the steps that fit YOUR holiday needs.
Order The Nice List
Create your holiday budget.
Start your savings plan.
Make your gift list and set your per-gift budget.
Brainstorm meaningful gift ideas.
Organize your decorations, and order your Christmas tree if you need a new one.
Start searching FBMP, thrift stores, and secondhand-shops for unique gifts.
Book holiday travel.
Order personalized gifts from local artisans and creators.
Shop for locally-sourced gifts when you travel.
Order tickets for local holiday-themed concerts, plays, and other events.
Begin purchasing gifts when sales appear.
Schedule your holiday photo shoot with a local photographer. Look for mini sessions – they can be a great and economical way to get beautiful photos!
Consider making or buying reusable wrapping solutions from fabric.
Finalize travel plans.
Plan your holiday party if you intend to host one.
Fill out your calendars for November and December. Include plans for baking, parties, concerts, even movie nights!
Order your holiday cards.
Begin wrapping gifts.
Complete remaining shopping.
Plan holiday meals.
Decorate at your own pace.
Send out invitations to your holiday party and accept or decline invitations as they come in.
Get everyone in the family involved in addressing your holiday cards, and get them into the mail after Thanksgiving.
Instead of spending every weekend shopping, you’ll have more time for holiday traditions, baking, celebrations, and simply enjoying the season.
Make notes in The Nice List about what went well, what could be improved, and what you enjoyed the most. Use those notes next year to make your holiday season even better!
No matter what you celebrate – or how - the holidays aren’t meant to be a race to the finish line. They’re an opportunity to connect with loved ones, celebrate traditions, and enjoy eachother’s company. But the pressure to make the holidays “Pinterest perfect” can make that, honestly, impossible.
So before you start anything: take some time to remember, you are not in a Hallmark movie. You do not have a set decorator or a stylist. You are planning a normal, meaningful celebration for you and your friends and family. This is reality – not something made for Instagram.
Whether your goal is to reduce stress, to save money, to support ethical businesses, or to feel more organized and in control, holiday planning in August is a simple habit that can transform the months ahead.
Give yourself the gift of time this summer, so that when December arrives, you can simply enjoy the company of the people you love most.
If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask!
School starts this week which always feels quite bittersweet for me. It’s a passage of time. It’s a change of routine. But it’s also a reminder that time does not stop, and this sweet kid of mine is growing up before my eyes. Bittersweet. Hugs to you if you are having all the feels, too!
What I’m Planting: nothing yet. Still too hot. But I’m making plans… the soil is warm, and fall is the BEST time for planting!
What’s Blooming: we are still in the July/August lull here. But let me tell you — the Caryopteris | Blue Mist Spirea is GLORIOUS! And it is growing in the worst part of my whole garden — heat, sun, reflected heat, almost no soil. But here it is blooming like mad, and it is almost always covered in bees.
I am pretty sure this is Caryopteris clandonensis ‘Longwood Blue’ but it might be Caryopteris clandonensis ‘Dark Knight.’ I honestly don’t remember, but the flowers look too pale to be Dark Knight, so I think it is Longwood Blue. Regardless, it’s gorgeous!
Caryopteris | Blue Mist Spirea
Preview of Next Week: assuming all goes well with back to school, I’ll be back to my regular publishing schedule with all kinds of goodness coming your way! But for now, I’m taking advantage of a cooler evening for a little gardening and much-needed weeding.
Here’s to a fabulous week for you all!
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Happy Gardening!
Angela
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