One of the ways the holidays become stressful is lack of time. Being pulled in too many directions creates stress and overwhelm. Streamlining activities makes it easier to batch your activities so you’re more efficient with your time. If you do double duty with holiday activities, you can actually prep for Christmas during Thanksgiving time.

A lot of the prep you do for Thanksgiving is the same for Christmas. Thinking ahead and doing double duty can help you cut your activities in half and free up important time in December. If youíre focused and take some extra time to prepare, you can get twice the benefit from one action. Hereís how-

Shop for all non-perishable foods at once- Making a menu and a list of the food items you need for Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays can help you go shopping one time for both holidays. Taking the time to itemize your holiday baking, cooking, and other essentials can help you organize and prep for both holidays. Do one shopping trip for all non-perishable items and youíre set.

Pro-tip- You can make a master list of the items you typically buy for your holiday meals. Go through your favorite recipes and start a list of staple items. Make the list editable and you can add to or subtract items each year. Simply print the list and save tons of time and energy!

Cook foods in batches and freeze for later- Many foods can be prepped ahead of time and frozen until needed. No one will know that you didn’t spend all your time and energy the day of the holiday. Make double batches of foods you will have on Thanksgiving and Christmas and you’ll be ahead of the game when Christmas rolls around.

Draw names for gift giving- If you will be hosting the same people for Thanksgiving and Christmas, consider drawing names on Thanksgiving for gift giving in December. Having each person pick their name makes the activity fun and limiting gifts to the person they chose is budget-friendly. Set a dollar amount that makes everyoneís wallet happy and youíre set.

Create a decor day during the Thanksgiving break- A lot of people enjoy a four-day weekend during Thanksgiving. Itís a great time to set aside a day for gathering holiday dÈcor and getting ready for decorating. In the same way you spring clean, you can designate a special day during the Thanksgiving break to prep for Christmas decorating.

Many of the activities required for a fabulous Thanksgiving are the same for Christmas. Planning ahead and doing double duty can help relieve some of the stress in December when activities ramp up and time feels tight. Consider batching some of your activities and making things easier on yourself down the road.