Overwhelmed Already?
It’s Day 2 and already your brain is frazzled with To-Do lists. Here is how to handle it…
Stop and Think….
“If I don’t do this? What will happen?
Nothing probably….
If you are aiming to simplify Christmas, take time to reflect on ways you can cut stress, save money and enjoy the holidays for what they really are…..spending time with Family and Friends.
Here are 5 Simple Strategies to help you get through the Holidays feeling better about yourself and your family:
Money/Gifts: To save money, slash the gift list. In this age of retail gift cards…how ridiculous does it look for everyone to open their gift and it is the same thing? You give someone a gift card, they give you one back…downright silly if you ask me. Save the gifts for children, being able to spend time with family should be what is important.
Scale Back Décor: A simple wreath on the front door, a tabletop tree for the over-the-top tannenbaum. Focusing holiday décor on the Big Three–front door, tree and focal point–can bring a festive feel to the house without week-long decorating sessions or energy sucking outdoor displays (aka Griswold’s).
Lighten The Feast: Do you really need all the calories (and work to prepare) that a lavish, sit-down meal produces? Have a pot-luck instead, everyone brings something and then the cook isn’t saddled with the whole food bill as well as being stuck in the kitchen for days prior. Use recycleable/compostable paper plates to cut down on the cleanup afterwards. Package up leftovers so that everyone goes home with something (saving your waistline too!).
Call / E-cards: If you are tight on funds, why not skip the traditional sending of cards at Christmas and send E-cards? Or, pick up that Alexander Graham Bell invention and CALL those that you can not spend time with over the holidays? You will avoid long lineups at the post office and you can say exactly what you want to say in a phone call.
There is no Perfect Christmas: Yes, no matter how much time you spend preparing, planning and doing…things will still go wrong. Always. Burned cookies, sick children or pets, family fights, broken ornaments, drunken relatives, stains on the rug….all these things can and DO happen. Reflect on past Christmas’s…were they perfect? No, but they are unique and memorable nonetheless. Striving to achieve perfection will only stress you further. Let family squabbles slide, so what if you burned the turkey or the cookies, that’s reality. Toast to good health and the fact you are where you want to be.
Yup, I call and send e cards these days. Much simpler. Calling makes a difference because you say how you feel not what the card says and you just sign your name to it. Making a turkey dinner is easy for me…just cook a bird and some sides, pour the wine, and enjoy the company. I love getting together with all my friends, even if just over a cup of coffee or tea, to catch up on what’s been going on.
Great advice, Deborah (as always)
Enjoy the holiday season because it’s another 12 months before the next one !
Great list. Deb. I doooooo need those unwanted calories-love the potluck idea but that would require some of my aunts to cook. HA! can always hope for a Christmas miracle-I think I am STILL bah humbugging