We know, we know, it’s still summer outside. Why would anyone be thinking about holidays, gifts, and winter?

The early bird gets the worm.

Christmas is 4.5 months away, leaving you plenty of time to research and book an experience for your family this year instead of excess spending on items that will be broken, forgotten, or donated within a few months of being opened. The key is to start planning NOW.

Benefits of Planning Early 

Budget

Choosing a destination and booking now means that you can make payments or work towards having the entire trip paid off before you even leave. It also means you can budget to pick up gift cards as stocking stuffers for the kids to be able to buy something while on this vacation!

Booking this far ahead will allow you the time to learn the most budget-friendly options. You can utilize a vacation planner or do it all on your own, but understanding how to get the most for your money is key.

Your Schedule and Due Date

You get to plan this trip around your schedule and due date. That means that if you’d like to be at home with family for the actual holiday, you can be. Perhaps you leave between Christmas and New Years? Or right after New Year’s Day? The sky is the limit and booking now gives you the ability to choose your dates at your dream location. Consider your destination and your due date. Make sure you will be happy and enjoy every moment of the trip.

Low-Stress Holidays

If you can get ahead of the game and plan a family trip, you will be able to base any small gifts to be opened around the theme of your destination. You can ask extended family to do the same for you and your kids. You can have family shirts made or purchase matching PJ’s. You can even include the trip on your holiday cards. Have fun with the entire event from now until you are relaxing on a beach, snowboarding down a mountain, hiking through a national park, or being pampered at a spa!

Happy Parents. Happy Kids.

One of the biggest things to research is childcare. If you want this to be a pseudo-babymoon, make sure you book a resort with child-friendly activities and programs. Look for extended holiday evets, as well. Maybe ‘Santa’ vacations there? (That happens at a lot of beach or ski resorts!)

 Also, look for resorts with room service, happy hour, and great amenities!

Taking the pressure off of having a large gift-giving holiday makes everyone happier. Opening just 2-3 smaller things and then getting to spend a long weekend or an entire week together is much more valuable! 

Resort vs. Rental

This is up to you. We are always team ‘MAMA does NO work on vaca’ which means resort! We are absolutely Team Resort if local transportation is included! Really plan this part out. If you are headed to the ‘Most Magical Place on Earth,’ know that you want a service shuttling you around! 

Pick an Experience for Each Person

Here’s the best part of making a vacation a gift: You get to pick one specific experience for each person coming! For little ones, it may be a brunch with characters or Santa. There may be arcades and paddleboarding for older kids. There may be a sports game or game of golf for the adults… But there will definitely be a prenatal spa day in it for you!

Happy (early) holidays and happy vacation hunting!