It’s November, which means it’s go-time for the holiday season! Even as we remember “the reason for the season,” we can get caught up in oh, so many tasks and lose site of what's really important. With holiday gatherings and gift exchanges to participate in there is a lot of prep work to be done. There’s the shopping and the wrapping, the cooking and the baking, and don’t forget about the parties and the family time. You may be tired just thinking about everything that needs to be done in the days ahead.
Before we set you off into panic mode, let’s take a step back. It doesn’t have to be chaos. Here are 10 tips to help you simplify the holidays.
Start early – You know how all of the stores start putting out Christmas décor before Halloween? Yeah, that makes us nuts too, but if you space out your shopping, planning and prep in smaller doses throughout the holiday season, you'll be significantly calmer come Christmas Eve. Don’t do it all at once, do a little every day...starting after Thanksgiving. It's much easier to enjoy giving when we give thanks for what we've been given first.
Write it down – Be realistic, there are so very many things going on this time of year, you cannot keep it all straight in your head at once. Trying to do so is only going to result in forgetting things, which equals major stress. Jot items down. Keep a calendar, keep a list and strive to keep yourself organized. You’ll stay saner, we promise.
Learn the magic word – In this case, the magic word is not “Please.” It is “No!” You cannot, let us repeat, you cannot do everything. You must learn to set limits for yourself. Limits on parties, limits on gifts, and limits on all the ways you spread yourself thin. Just say, "No." That will allow you to focus on the things you really want to say, "Yes" to. (Good luck!)
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Jennifer Burg is a flip-flop wearing, Gator-loving, picture-taking, deal-hunting Florida gal. As an overachieving mom of two awesome daughters, making to-do lists helps her remain calm and (somewhat) organized. When she's not planning events and party sign-ups, you can find her blogging at www.TheSuburbanMom.com.