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Here's How I Keep My Holiday Brain (and Budget) Intact

The tiny systems that keep me from unraveling every year...

Alisha Ramos

Dec 3

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Today’s edition of the newsletter is brought to you in paid partnership with Kohl’s.

Every December, my brain turns into a mush of event dates, gift ideas, shipping deadlines, and a vague but persistent fear that I’ve accidentally blown past my gifting budget. It’s a lot. And despite my best efforts, I am not one of those “I finished holiday shopping in October” people. I am very much a “let’s take a deep breath and just try to stay organized” person.

A few years ago, I realized I needed a system. Something simple enough to actually use, but structured enough to keep my gift ideas organized and my budget in check. And so today I present to you three tools I keep in my let’s-not-spiral holiday toolbox (and they’re all free!).

1. Use a spreadsheet that keeps you honest about your gifting budget

I wouldn’t say we have a huge family, but when you factor in all the kids, our friends, daycare teachers, coworkers, neighbors, and so on, it's a lot to keep track of.

So, I did the thing I typically do, and made a spreadsheet a few years ago to help me keep tabs on everything, which you can steal via the link below. It’s pretty straightforward and lists the recipient, the gifts I’m giving them, the price, the status of each item (e.g., has it been ordered? has it been wrapped?), and tracking info for the package.

this one’s empty and ready for you to fill out!

Get my gifting spreadsheet

Here are a few guardrails my husband and I like to use before we begin inputting gift ideas:

Set an overall budget for your holiday gift shopping. Are you planning to spend $500? $1,000? More? Write it down. I have a formula in my spreadsheet that subtracts what I’ve spent from the overall budget, so I know how much budget I’ve got left to work with.
Set an average max budget for each giftee before you browse (non-negotiable). We like to set ground rules by category, like “We’ll budget $40-ish for each little kid in the family” or “We’ll budget $150+ for parents,” just to give you an idea.
Check your spreadsheet before you so much as open a sale email! The goal is to gift intentionally. Having your budget in mind will help you do that.

Here’s a list of gift ideas for some of my friends and family this year. I appreciate the selection at Kohl’s if you’re trying to stay organized and on budget—they’ve got every category under the sun, and they’re running great deals on many of the most giftable items right now.

Budget-friendly gifts toddlers will love:

Xylophone dog toy, $19. This is currently a hit in our own household; Lily loves to pull him along around the house, yelling, “Let’s go, doggy!”
Melissa & Doug Reusable Sticker Pads, $9. Another must-have for stashing in the car to keep toddlers entertained and busy during long trips or restaurant visits.
Mr. Potato Head Super Spud, $39. I know my daughter would be obsessed with this.
Take-along sorting barn from Melissa & Doug, $35. To keep them occupied during the times you want them occupied.

Budget-friendly gifts for the homebody:

Lego Botanicals sets, $12. Usually a big hit with grandparents!
Slipper socks, $20. These look so toasty and warm.
Warm sherpa blanket, $39. Looks like peak cozy.
Super soft sherpa throw blanket from UGG, $39. A favorite of mine to snuggle under on a cold winter’s night.
A long, plush wrap robe, $39. Basically, a wearable blanket.
The little popcorn maker that could, $34. One of my most prized possessions that brings infinite joy on a movie night. I like that it doesn’t take up too much storage space and there’s a little compartment on top that melts butter.

See all these picks in one spot in my Kohl’s storefront.

Here are some of my big-ticket gift picks for the lucky giftees on your list for whom you’ve budgeted a splurge-y amount. These are all on mega sale right now.

Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System, $219.¹. My husband and I are looking to upgrade both our immersion blender (because smoothies are a daily must in our toddler’s diet right now) and our petite food processor, so this looks perfect.
KitchenAid Artisan 5-qt. Stand Mixer, $499. A classic, can’t-go-wrong special gift for the avid baker in your life.
Ninja CREAMi® Scoop & Swirl Ice Cream & Soft Serve Maker, $349. Do I need an ice cream maker? No. Do I want an ice cream maker? Um, YES.
Dyson Limited Edition Airwrap ID Multi-styler, $649. The real dealmaker with a Dyson hair product is the amount of time it saves you. I can usually cut my blow-dry time in half with one of these bad boys.

See all these picks in one spot in my Kohl’s storefront.

2. Approach gift brainstorming as a year-round endeavor

For me, gift brainstorming season happens year-round in the Reminders app on my phone. I’m sure you can use any other list-making app, but I find this one easy to use and keep organized, plus it’s free.

How it works:

I start up a new Reminders list and title it “Gift Ideas.”
I organize my list by name. For each of my key giftees, I create a new “section” in this Gift Ideas list titled with their name. This way, I can nest specific gift ideas under their name, which is automatically bolded.
(Shout out if you, too, have a Golf Husband.)
Always be brainstorming! When a friend or family member mentions that they love something specific, like a musical artist, TV show, or coffee roaster, I jot it down in their section. If they mention a hobby or a skill they’d like to pick up, I jot that down, too. The more specific, the better, and it usually sparks my brainstorming gears when the time comes.
Spy on your friends. Okay, not really, but here’s what I do. One of my favorite things to do with friends, if I can, is go shopping with them at some point during the year, and I’ll note down what sorts of things they’re drawn to in the stores. I’m realizing now this sounds borderline creepy, but it usually grants me some great (and highly specific) gift ideas.
A few things I jotted down about one of my friends recently, who probably knows who they are 😂

That’s the gist of it. Simple but effective! I’ve found that building this type of list-making habit is very much that—a habit, a muscle that you have to develop, but once you get going, you’ll find yourself whipping out your phone, hastily jotting down all your fun notes about your friends and family after a hang.

Your future self will thank you when November hits, and you’ve got a treasure trove of gift ideas—and a tidy budgeting spreadsheet where you can input your final gifting picks.

3. Give your future self the gift of an annual Notes app brain dump ritual

I use my Notes app as a space for my giant post-holiday brain dump (among all my other brain dumps, of course). It’s one of the single most genius (if I do say so myself) I’ve ever done for my future, holiday-harebrained-self. Every December 26th or so, I open a new note and title it “Notes for next Christmas.”

It’s where I track things like:

What decor we already own in storage and absolutely don’t need to buy the next year—because I tend to go overboard with things like ornaments and garland…
What decor I might want to buy or what I need to restock. Last year, I noted that it would be nice to have some twinkly lights outside our front porch, so this year I’ve bookmarked these mini string lights.
Which recipes were a hit with our guests (and which were not!) For what it’s worth, this easy breakfast casserole recipe hits every time if you’re planning a holiday brunch.
A peek at my note from last year.
Any inspiring holiday traditions that I might want to incorporate the following year. In my note, I have this question written down: “What Christmas and/or Hanukkah memories do we want to make as a family?” and have jotted down a few ideas, like “baking cinnamon rolls, making decorating the tree into an event, Christmas morning PJs, and Christmas cookie decorating contests.”
Screenshots of any holiday decor I found inspiring. These are usually taken from people’s Instagram Stories, and I make a note of what specific elements I loved. For example, last year I loved seeing vibrant red ribbons tied to many trees, so this year I bought a roll of velvet ribbon to create my own charming bows.
Notes on gift hits or misses. If I sense one of my giftees was underwhelmed by their gift, I’ll make a note of that for next year (i.e., “So and so likes gifts she can open and play with immediately vs. clothes”). Another example: Last year, I wrote down that we should buy stocking stuffers for Lily, a minor oversight. (She was just 1, though, so we’re all good.)

All of this to say, don’t disregard the humble Notes app in your staying-sane system during the holiday. It can help you save money, curb impulse shopping, and Future Me is always relieved when I boot up my note-to-self brain dump.

💬 Do you have any tips and tricks that help you stay organized and on budget when it comes to gifts? Let’s trade tips in the comments section:

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