Stress Free Holiday Tips

Are we talking about Christmas in October?  Yes, indeed we are.  We know it’s around the corner.  The holidays, a time for joy, family, food, togetherness and a sprinkle of stress.  Is that ok to admit?  The holidays can be a little hectic.  We really want to savor the moments but it’s hard to enjoy gift wrapping, baking, and parties when everything is last minute.  I want to share with you some stress free holiday tips that will help you be in the moment, when the moment comes.

• My first suggestion, is to order Christmas cards early!  Pictured below are my cards for this year, they are from Tiny Prints.  I normally order my cards in October, which leaves me plenty of time to address and send them out.  Maybe even with a glass of chardonnay and a little music…now were talkin’!

Photo christmas cards are my favorite to send and to receive.  I can never bring myself to throw them out after the season is over, so I just file them away with a post-it marking the year.  I also prefer the message to be printed onto the card, this way the only thing I have to do is write the address on the envelope.  This year, I even had our return address pre-printed on the envelope.  I only wrote the recipient address and it was actually fun to write these out, in peace, no rush.

• Another tip is to order gift tag stickers.  What a time saver!  I have so many gift tag stickers, with different themes to use year round.  It already has our name on the sticker and I only have to write the recipient’s name.  This year I will be using the ones with the antlers (how cute are they?) which are also from Tiny Prints.   Erin Condren also makes beautiful ones that I use for holidays or birthday gifts (the ones with the “Enjoy” message).  You never have to worry about the tag falling off because they are stickers.

• Wrap presents ahead of time and create a stash.  I only place the gift tag sticker on the gift and I skip the bow.  This allows me to stack the boxes without the bow getting in the way. When I am ready to bring the gift out, I place a pretty bow on it.

• Have a Christmas Gift List.  Do this in order to avoid last minute shopping because someone just slipped your mind.  Also, keep track of what you are spending.

Here is a FREE CHRISTMAS GIFT LIST PRINTABLE (the one pictured) that can help you track your gifts and spending.

• Stock up on baking items that you will need.  Holiday baking and cooking can be so much fun, so be sure to have the essentials at hand.  Butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and then more butter. 🙂

• If you have kids, this is a good time to sort through their toys and donate items that they no longer need.  My little one plays with most of his toys so I just have to ask myself if he really needs 5 firetrucks.  I make space for the new toys that he will receive.

• Choose recipes that are tried and true for any holiday party that you will be having.  It’s already a hectic season and you don’t need to add unnecessary stress over whether a soufflé will rise and hold.  Read here about how I plan for Christmas morning.

The biggest and most important tip is to go easy on yourself.  Do what you can, order items ahead of time, cook ahead of time but if the soufflé deflates, don’t deflate along with it.  Enjoy your families and friends, enjoy this beautiful time!

Maria