So…. did you guys know that Christmas is only 40 days away?! Did anyone else’s heart just stop or was just that mine?!
I remember when I was a kid, Christmas was SO exciting and the wait for December 25th was excruciating, it seriously felt as though Christmas would never get here. However, I’m finding that as an adult things can be quite the opposite and sometimes results in the holiday season losing its sparkle for me. With all of the shopping, buying presents, baking, cooking, parties, events, wrapping, decorating, donating, volunteering, appointments, outfits, lists, it just feels like it never ends! Did I mention that I still have a career, marriage, home, pets, and a social life to maintain? Sometimes I find that I end up feeling as though I have no time to get everything done, not enough money, and not enough of me to go around, which just makes me feel tired and stressed. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way (especially those of you who are parents – you are all my heroes!) I can’t be the only one who just wants to hibernate and say that Christmas is cancelled this year, can I?!
In the event that I’m not alone, I have made a list below of my personal tried and true methods to survive the crazy time leading up to the holiday season.
Slow cooker/crock pot – Slow cooking can be a lifesaver during a busy period like the holiday season! Not only does it save you time by doing all of the hard work for you, it relieves stress from not having to rush to get dinner at the last minute, and it keeps you from binging on all of those delicious holiday treats that are sure to come your way! For slow cooker recipes, you can’t do any better than Pinterest

Notebook or planner – an absolute essential in every sense of the word. As soon as November rolls around, start to make a note of everything you need to accomplish during the holiday season and when it needs to be done by.

Lists – You will never find me without a few lists and the holiday season is absolutely no exception. I make lists of what I need to do, who I need to buy for, what I’m buying (or what I have bought), everything I need, menus, etc. It helps to keep me both organized and sane, both of which are so appreciated this time of year! To make things even easier, I use the Notes section in my iPhone so I can reference my lists no matter where I am.

Be ahead of the game – Don’t let yourself get caught up in the “I have lots of time” attitude, because you will quickly find out that you don’t! By being ahead of the game by starting to purchase gifts early means less stress later on. I mean, how good does it feel to not have to rush around the mall on December 24th?! Wrap everything early so by the time you put your tree up, you already have gifts to go underneath and you can just enjoy the view!
Also, make all of your holiday related appointments as early as you can to avoid disappointment later. By November 5th this year I already had all of my hair, eyebrow, eyelash and nail appointments scheduled and in my calendar, saving me the stress of having to do it later and possibly not getting in.

Time for yourself – I cannot stress how incredibly important this is! It’s so easy to get caught up in events and rushing around and trying to be superwoman (or man!) during the holidays that making time for yourself can sometimes be pushed to the bottom of the to-do list. Make sure that when you schedule in all of those parties that you schedule something for yourself. Whatever it is that keeps you sane and feeling relaxed, make sure you do it. It could be as simple as a coffee in front of the fireplace where you refuse to use your phone (doing this by Christmas tree light is even better!), a night where you binge on Netflix and pamper yourself, or a date night with your spouse.

Enjoy it all! Like everything in life, it all goes by way too fast so don’t let the stress of the holidays get in your way of enjoying it!
How do you guys keep yourselves sane and organized during this busy period?
-SS
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