Avoid the Christmas Crazies
Make the Holidays Stress-Free by thinking ahead
I feel like as soon as Halloween is over, it’s like a race through Thanksgiving all the way to Christmas. I love the holidays and traditions, but I don’t love making myself crazy trying to fit one hundred things into the season. I’ve finally learned how to avoid the Christmas crazies by slowly prepping my home and calendar to make December smooth and stress-free.
If a more easy-going holiday season appeals to you, here are some ways you can get ahead of the game.
Home
There is no question that the holidays bring a lot of extra stuff into your living space. There are the decorations, kids’ crafts they bring home, the gifts and gift wrap, and of course guests. And once all the gifts are unwrapped, you need to find places to put even more things. It stresses me out just thinking about it, which is why I spend time in the weeks and months before Christmas to do some decluttering and seasonal preparation.
Holiday Decor. As you pull out the holiday decorations this year, pay attention to what you haven’t used in the past two years. If items are broken, throw them out. If they’re unloved, donate them. I like to put up what we have before buying new decorations, too. This way we don’t end up with duplicates and I can be thoughtful about what I want to bring into our displays.
Kid’s Stuff. I try to keep a donation box going to toss the kids’ outgrown clothes or toys into, but I always do another sweep before the holidays. It’s a great opportunity to make room for the gifts they get, but I also find out what clothes they might need for the holidays - either to wear to events, or to give them as gifts.
Gift Wrap. Every year I’m tempted by the big Costco rolls of double-sided prints and the shimmery bows at Target… But before I buy more, I do an inventory of what we have. Now is the time to toss out the crunched up wrap at the bottom of the bin and see what needs replacing.
Kitchen. If you are big on holiday baking or entertaining, get a jump on the season by doing a sweep of your kitchen. Are there special baking ingredients that you’ll need? Are your cupboards full of popsicle molds when you’ll need your serving sets instead? I love to host friends and family, and when the things I need are easily accessible, everything goes more smoothly.
Linens. For all my other hosts out there, take an inventory of your linens before guests come to stay. They may need a good wash after being in storage or even need replacing. If you love tablecloths for the holidays, inspect yours for stains before laying it out for dinner.
Winter Clothing. Before the weather turns, haul out the winter gear to see what fits and what doesn’t. Often seasonal clothes are sold out well before you actually need them, which adds more stress. Use this time as an opportunity to donate anything that doesn’t fit or you just don’t love anymore. If you haven’t worn that sweater in two years, you probably aren’t going to magically love it this year.
Makeup. Lots of fun gift sets and makeup palettes come out this time of year, and the change of seas is a great time to purge your makeup drawer. Toss anything old, past the expiry dates, or that you haven’t used in a year. Then you’ll feel great buying a holiday red lipstick or holiday eyeshadow.
Books. Is it time to purge your bookshelves of baby books or series the kids have grown out of? We like to give books to the kids each year, and donating or passing on the old ones to friends is part of that.
Gifts
The only way I’ve found to make gift-giving less stressful is to plan months ahead. It just works for me. We chat with the family ahead of time to set expectations (ie, are the adults giving gifts to adults?). I decide on my budget, who I’m buying for, what to get for them, and I knock it out as soon as I can. This means I don’t have to rush around at the last minute for a sold-out must-have item, and I get to avoid the crowded mall. Oh, who am I kidding? I do 90% of my shopping online anyway.
Calendar
Each year I print out a black calendar for November and December, and I pencil in all of our regular events. I write in all the things we know ahead of time, like family dinners and kids’ holiday concerts or parties. Then I spend time thinking about what other events we want to take part in (like holiday trains, breakfast with Santa, etc.), and fill them in. Doing this ahead of time means I can be intentional with our time and not over-schedule us. Spending time cozy at home with the family is more important to us than filling every last minute with activities. As an added bonus, when you know what events you’re attending, you can often buy tickets in advance for a discount.
Questions to Ask Yourself to Prepare for the Holidays
Another way you can avoid the Christmas crazies is by asking yourself a few questions ahead of time to help you prepare and not be caught empty-handed or rushing. Ask yourself things like:
Do you have the space and desire to do a devotional or advent?
Are you a matching-pajamas type of family?
Do you want to send holiday cards?
What are your can’t miss commitments or family events?
What are the gifting plans for extended family and friends?
All of these things are simple to prepare for so when the time comes, the happening is smooth and fun, rather than a stress-mess because you forgot to order the jammies or buy stamps.
It may seem early, but if you can get things in order before the craziness of the holidays, you’ll enjoy the season more because you’re relaxed and prepared.
Love the Holiday tips? Find more in the posts Make Christmas Intentional and Get Ahead of The Holidays.