Helpful Pre-Holiday Prep Hacks

Thank you to adidas for sponsoring today's post. As always, all opinions are my own!
Christmas is in LITERALLY about a week. What even?! I'm still shopping and trying to get everything ready, all while trying to take it slow and enjoy the season. Let's just say doing both - and doing both well - is NOT easy. This is the busiest time of year for all of us; being able to enjoy it while also prepping to have everything ready for yourself, for entertaining your friends and family, and for getting all of your shopping and work done in time before the holiday is quite the multi-task to take on, but these holiday prep hacks have helped me (especially lately!) and I think they'll help you, too.

Beauty & Self Care:

- Make the time to take your makeup off and do your skincare routine EVERY night; even when you're exhausted, have a million things to do and want to get to bed. Your skin will thank you, especially if you're stressing!

RELATED: Best Gifts for the Beauty Buff

- Use a yellow based concealer to make your eye shadow last all night long at your holiday parties and keep looking glam until after the party is over! This MAC Concealer Palette is my go-to and works better than any eye shadow primer I've ever tried.

- Take a probiotic daily, if you don't already. No better time to start! It'll help you in more ways than you know SO quickly.

- Get yourself an insulated travel tumbler and fill it with water - take it where ever you go, and re-fill it the second it's empty. If it's filled and cold, you'll likely drink more water, and this time of year it's especially important to stay hydrated when the go-go-go never stops!

- Give yourself a cut-off time each day. I know it's hard to do between having deadlines to meet and a mile long to-do list, but give yourself the time to disconnect and really enjoy the holiday season. It's way easier said than done and sounds pretty obvious, but it's amazing what it can do for your mindset during this time of year.

- Pay it forward! I love to do this but there's something extra special and meaningful about it this time of year that makes you feel SO good. Pay for the person behind you's coffee, groceries, or even go to a store like Target or Walmart and check out what you can do when it comes to helping others with their layaways.

Cleaning:

- Use Magic Erasers for EVERYTHING. They'll work on way more than you'd expect, and get a shining clean finish in no time. In the bathrooms, kitchen, scuff marks - you name it, they'll clean it.

- Have comfortable, go-to outfits ready to go for cleaning days and busy days with other holiday prep.

Gray Baseball Cap / Pink Long Sleeved Tee / Stadium Hoodie / No-Show Socks / Superstar Sneakers

I always go for my adidas athleisurewear when I have a day of cleaning ahead of me, or when I'm running errands or need to get things done. I'm the kinda girl whose all about comfort, but with adidas' picks (especially right now - they have some seriously adorable finds!) you can look your cutest at the same time. Athleisure is a lifestyle, right?! ;) These Superstar sneakers are the best, they're so sporty but cute and match everything! I wear them with athleisure, jeans with a cute sweater and all year round. And this time of year when it's cold and layers are required, I LIVE in the adidas Stadium Hoodies. They're the warmest zip-ups and come in so many colors!

RELATED: The Perfect Gifts for the Fitness Lover on Your List

- Always have a candle burning - make it really smell like the holidays! These Frasier Fir votive candles smell just like a Christmas tree and are perfect to place around your table/home.

- Wash your guest bathroom towels (and yours, too while you're at it!) with about 1/4 cup of vinegar to REALLY freshen them up.

Entertaining:

- When everyone asks what to bring, say their favorite wine/beer/liquor - it'll stock your bar up and everyone will have the drink(s) they want the most, and you won't have to worry about buying everyone's favorite.

- Put together your dinner table in advance. Need some inspo? Here's my Christmas Tablescape this year - I went with a Traditional-Glam look and I LOVE everything about it! All of the pieces you need to re-create it are on major sale right now too, check it out!

- Use the Crock Pot/Instant Pot to your advantage! If you have one, now's the time to use it. The amount of time saved = being able to multitask effectively without losing your mind!

- Stock up on cooking and baking essentials (so you aren't running out to the store at the last minute) - butter, oil, chocolate chips; you know, the essentials that almost ALL holiday recipes have in them! ;)

- Buy plastic utensils! This set of gold utensils is incredible - the price is perfect, and you'd NEVER guess that they're plastic/disposable by looking at them or even by touching them. Cheaper, less work for you, and just makes so much sense.

- Make a holiday music playlist and get your Bluetooth speaker (need one in a hurry? This is my favorite Bluetooth speaker!) out and ready to go. Add lots of songs that everyone will love and play it as background noise. Everyone will love it!

Holiday Shopping:

- Buy and keep a couple of gift cards on hand - Dunkin', Starbucks, Visa cards, iTunes; just in case you have a party you forget about, an unexpected gift exchange, or anything else that may come up during the season.

- Stock up on wrapping paper! I just was at Home Goods buying tons of wrapping paper, tissue paper, assorted sized gift bags, ribbon, etc. You won't run out, and extras will still be good to use next season.

RELATED: 7 Last Minute Holiday Things to Get at Home Goods

- Wrap a couple of gifts each day. Coming from someone who, most years, leaves ALL of her wrapping to Christmas Eve around midnight (rolling my eyes big time, but it's true lol!), wrap gifts as they come in or as you buy them. Don't get backed up!

- Utilize Amazon for last minute gifts - obvious but a must!

- Use EBATES. Seriously, it's the easiest way to save money while doing your holiday shopping. Sign up and get an automatic $10!

RELATED: The Easiest Way to Save Money Year Round

Travel:

- Print your boarding pass(es) ahead of time and have them accessible and ready to go - no time for rummaging through your bag looking for it when the airport is busy and moving nonstop!

- Keep a portable charger with you - delays and long lines can be inevitable, so stay charged with a portable charger.

- PACKING CUBES. If you're traveling for the holidays, this is even more important than it always is (and trust me, they're HUGE when it comes to packing!) because you likely have lots of holiday outfits for different events/parties/days, and staying organized and under the weight limit ain't easy.

RELATED: 7 Pre-Travel Hacks to Make Your Next Trip Easier

- Always carry an insulated water bottle with you. Of course, you'll have to have it empty until after security, but then you can buy a bottle of water and fill your tumbler up, and have cold water for your entire travel day!

XOXO -A