Holidays are a time of joy, party, family and friends. So why do we find ourselves angry, frustrated, and wishing we were orphans? The holiday season is packed with things we have to do, things we need to do, and things we want to do. It’s enough to put even the most sensible person in a bad mood a little. So how do we enjoy Christmas without going crazy? Follow these tips for a stress-free Christmas vacation.
1. Don’t procrastinate
Why do we wait until the last minute? Is it just human nature or do we enjoy torturing ourselves? The truth is, we bring most of our vacation stress on ourselves by procrastinating. One way to get rid of Christmas stress is to get down to business!
Decoration: Do it as soon as possible! This task is not only out of the way, but also helps to get you in the holiday spirit. Put up the Christmas tree and decorate it outside before it gets to the point where you just store it somewhere.
Shopping: There’s a reason the holiday shopping season kicks off in November. Organized people (we all know some of them), do their shopping early in the season. Write your list, set a budget, and be done with it. Sales may be better later in the month, but the crowds will be thicker and the supply thinner.
Grocery Shopping: If you’re preparing Christmas dinner this year, don’t wait until the week before to go grocery shopping. Make a list of what you need and go ahead and buy it. I speak from experience, as I spent the day before Thanksgiving going from supermarket to supermarket looking for poultry seasoning. Anything to be held until Christmas Day must be purchased and reserved.
Cooking: While we’re on the subject of Christmas dinner, it’s a good idea to go ahead and make as much as you can and freeze it until the big day. Why would you want to spend Christmas morning in the kitchen? Set aside a day and prepare what you can.
2. Simplify
Do we make things difficult on purpose? Who says we have to have the big Christmas dinner? Who says every gift has to be wrapped like it’s going to appear on the cover of a magazine? We need to save time for important tasks and think of a new way to do those things that take up a lot of our time.
Catering: No one is going to call the Christmas police if you don’t prepare a fancy Christmas dinner. If you don’t want to cook, hire someone else to do it. The idea is to sit down to eat with the family, not work all day in the kitchen. If someone complains about not getting a home cooked meal, politely remind them that they are more than welcome to cook next year.
Decoration: It is easy to have a beautiful Christmas house these days. With the invention of pre-lit trees, pre-lit and decorated collapsible trees, and so on; There’s no excuse why you can’t decorate your house for the holidays without going crazy.
Gifts: This is the focus of the holidays, but it can quickly become too much to handle. Make it easier on yourself by skipping the wrapping paper and using gift bags instead. This not only saves you time, but also gives people a way to bring their gifts home. Also, you don’t need personalized gifts for everyone. Bath and body gift sets are always popular with the women on your list and men often appreciate gourmet food sets.
3. Stay away from malls
Nothing spoils the holiday spirit like sitting in traffic for hours, looking for parking spots, and rubbing shoulders with hundreds of strangers. Skip the stores and do your shopping from home.
Mail Order: Mail order companies love the holiday season and typically carry a wider variety of unusual gifts. Order early (see tip #1) to ensure your gift arrives before Christmas.
Online: With the invention of the Internet, there is no need to leave your home. You can shop at popular stores from the comfort of your home. Most sites feature free shipping if you spend a certain dollar amount, so bundle your purchases for additional savings.
4. Recruit family members
Why do we try to do it all alone? It’s impossible, but we keep trying Christmas after Christmas. The solution? Ask for help. Now is the time to assign responsibilities. Ask family members to help cook, clean, decorate, and shop.
Cooking: Have each adult in the household take turns cooking one night a week. This allows the other adults time for other seasonal tasks.
Cleaning: Make each family member (even the little ones) responsible for a part of the house. Now is not the time to be picky, if it will pass for clean, consider it clean.
Decorating: Make trimming the tree and decorating the house a family affair. Not only does it take the load off your lonely shoulders, but you can also have fun.
Shopping: Divide your gift list among the adults in the family. Each person is responsible for finding and buying gifts for the people on their list.
5. Remember to have fun
This is the idea that sometimes gets lost in the Christmas madness. The purpose of this holiday is loved ones. Enjoy it the best you can and remember that soon everything will be over for another year.