Meal planning and having some dinners prepared and put in the freezer always helps.
Wrapping as I bought gifts and then labeling the gifts right away saved me so much hassle this year. This was a year in which I noticed a huge difference because of a December death in the family.
Have a detailed list of things to do by each week in November and December helped with delegation of work for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was also beneficial because I could read a list of things to do when I was walking around in a state of shock. I didn't need to think much more than that.
What didn't work?
Unexpected requests were made that took more time and energy than I thought it would. These were things that I didn't feel like I could say no to doing because family needed me. In hindsight, if this were to happen again at my busy time which is September through December, I would set boundaries without guilt. This would have helped me tremendously.
I only sent the cards that were written and addressed at the beginning of October. Nothing else got done from that point on.
Not finding time to do a weekly journal in the final weeks made it hard for me to process all that was happening around me. I need to find a different day and time when interruptions are minimal.