Stocking Up on Baking Staples & Simplifying Gift Giving
It’s Week 3 of September, and now it’s time to start stocking up on your baking staples—and begin planning for Christmas presents!
Let’s be honest, gift giving can go from joyful to stressful real quick, especially when we try to do too much. But I’ve found a simpler way—and I want to share it with you.
Let’s Talk About Presents
For years, I would completely overwhelm myself trying to find (or make) the “perfect” present for everyone. I’d spend way too much, stress way too much, and end up completely burnt out.
Last year, I remember it so clearly.
I was in my sewing room late at night, determined that this would be the year I finished everything early. I had my podcast playing, and the host started talking about this exact problem—how we try to do too much and end up turning something joyful into a stress fest.
She gave one simple piece of advice that really stuck with me:
“Pick one thing you're good at, and make that your go-to gift for everyone.”
Whether it's biscuits, brownies, a favourite slice, a candle, bath salts, a sewn project—just choose one thing. Make it in batches. Package it beautifully. Done.
And I thought… that’s brilliant! Why haven’t I done this before?
My Go-To Gift: Gingerbread (Of Course!)
That same week, I was chatting with my mum, and she told me that my nieces and nephews were already asking:
“Will Aunty Kathryn be bringing her gingerbread this year?”
And just like that, I knew what my one gift would be.
Last year, I made ten times my gingerbread recipe—and that covered presents for everyone: family, friends, teachers, neighbours. I packaged them up nicely, and Christmas was sorted.
Why Batch Gifting Works So Well
Batch gifting is a game changer for a few reasons:
- You only need to plan and prep one gift type
- It saves time and energy
- You can do everything in stages (which feels way more manageable)
Here’s how I do my gingerbread batches:
- Mix and bake all the dough on one day
- Make royal icing and colour it the next day
- Decorate one shape at a time (sorting into piles makes this faster)
Decorating is quicker and more satisfying when you're repeating the same shape. And if you're sewing gifts instead, the same idea applies—batch cutting, then batch sewing, then batch wrapping.
🧁 Stocking the Baking Cupboard
If you’re planning to do any holiday baking (whether for gifts or fun), now is the time to start building your stash of baking staples. Here's what I stock up on early:
🧂 Everyday Baking Essentials:
- Plain & self-raising flour
- White and brown sugar
- Chocolate chips
- Butter (lots of it—it freezes well!)
- Vanilla essence
- Baking powder & bicarb soda
- Nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans etc.)
These are all long-lasting, and if you don’t use them all at Christmas, you’ll absolutely use them later.
Christmas-Specific Ingredients:
I also grab a few seasonal ingredients that I know we’ll need:
- Dried fruit for our traditional Christmas pudding
- Breadcrumbs for our Christmas croquettes
- Special sprinkles (I love stocking up on gold balls and festive mixes for decorating)
Some of these items tend to sell out or go up in price the closer we get to December—so buying early saves both stress and money.
This Week’s To-Do List:
- Choose your “one gift” for everyone this year
- Create a plan for batching (ingredients, packaging, timeline)
- Start stocking up on baking staples
- Grab your Christmas-specific ingredients before they sell out
Simplifying Christmas doesn't mean making it less special. It means focusing on the things you love, doing them well, and leaving the rest behind.
For me, that’s baking (and avoiding last-minute sewing marathons!).
Next week, we’ll start talking about How to Make Edible Gifts that WOW!
Happy Baking!