Basic Ways to Get Ready for the Holiday Season
By Apryl Duncan
The Christmas season is almost here and now is the time to start planning. It can be quite stressful to glance at your calendar and see that the holidays have crept up on you. Take the chaos out of the equation and get organized early enough for the holidays.
1. Organize Your Home
The mad holiday dash pulls us in so many different directions, we often feel stressed out instead of joyful. And you never know when you’ll get a visit from a well-meaning friend who just wanted to drop off presents for your kids.
Get your home organized before your holiday schedule gets crazy and you won’t have to worry about having a house to clean up all month. You won’t have to apologize for a messy house or pretend you’re not home when someone drops by out of the blue either!
2. Take Control of Your Time
You love the holidays but they fly by so fast with all you have to do. Take control of your time so you can actually enjoy every minute of the holiday season.
The good news about this time-tracking exercise is that you can actually use it all year long. You’ll be surprised at how much time you regain. You will even reclaim your valuable minutes for some well-deserved “me” time either at home or out on the town with your mummy friends.
3. Get a Jump on Christmas Cards
You know you’re going to send a cute card with at least one picture of your kids on it. Send them early, no later than the first week of December, and cross this task off your To-Do list.
You’ll be able to enjoy the rest of the month without having a large stack of Christmas cards on your table. Just be sure to save some extras in case you receive cards from people you weren’t expecting.
4. Make Your Meal Plan
A family meal plan can help you save time and money every day of the year. The holidays are no exception and an easy meal plan can take one of the biggest headaches off of your plate, no pun intended.
Whether you’re hosting the family’s big holiday bash or planning a special meal for just you, your spouse and the kids, make meal planning easier on yourself. As an added bonus, you can spot sales on your must-have items if you know exactly what you need well in advance too.
5. Choose a Holiday Plan
Nothing can help you master the holidays like a holiday plan. A holiday plan lets you enjoy the holidays by keeping you on track without having to worry that you forgot something on that never-ending list. Then, you can also streamline all expenses to fit your budget.
Keep each year’s holiday plan too so you can use it as a template. That way you will already have a big jump on next year’s holiday plan.
Source: stayathomemoms.about.com
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