Between the long shopping lists, piles of gifts to wrap and family gatherings to attend, the holidays can be the busiest and most stressful time of the year—but they should still be fun! Take advantage of these tips for staying jolly throughout the holiday season.
Volunteer
Giving back is the best way to spread holiday cheer. Volunteering allows you to spend quality time with your family and make a difference at the same time. During the holidays you’ll find several opportunities to volunteer in your community. Take the family to work at the food kitchen on a Saturday, volunteer to ring the Salvation Army bells, or adopt a family. Volunteering teaches your children that giving is more important than receiving. Your family will also gain a sense of gratitude and happiness by helping others.
Spread Cheer
Nothing will make you feel jollier this holiday season than spreading Christmas cheer like the big man in red himself. “Jingling” your neighbors is a fun way to spread the holiday spirit throughout your neighborhood. Simply leave a small gift such as homemade candy or baked goods at your neighbor’s door with a note saying, “You’ve been jingled” They’ll be encouraged to spread the joy themselves to other neighbors. Before you know it, the entire neighborhood will be just as jolly as you are. This also works great in the office with your coworkers.
Go Christmas Caroling
Gather a group of friends together Christmas carol through neighborhoods and nursing homes. This is an old tradition that will make you feel warm and fuzzy inside and a bit nostalgic while brightening someone else’s day.
Recruit Help
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, there’s nothing wrong with asking for help. Do you have company coming over and you just can’t find the time to clean the house? Do yourself a favor and hire someone to help with your cleaning or make a chore list for the kids to complete while they’re on holiday break. Do you have a ton of baking to do? Ask your friends to come over for a baking party to help out! Does the idea of cooking the entire holiday meal on your own stress you out? Ask your family members to bring a dish!
Shop Online
Online shopping helps relieve one of the biggest triggers of stress during the holidays: shopping. Why travel from store to store waiting in long lines checking items off your nice list when you can shop online from the comfort of your own home? Add items to your online carts at your favorite retailers the day before major shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. When deals go live, you’ll be able to see the sale price, then purchase without having to search for items again. Online shopping also simplifies comparing prices at different stores before making a large purchase. And my favorite part is the gifts you purchase come straight to your door.
Grocery Pickup
Grocery pickup is another great way to save hours of time and de-stress during the holidays. Most grocery stores offer pickup and even delivery. Store websites make the experience simple and user-friendly by saving your favorite items, so they’re just a click away when it’s time to go shopping again. My favorite part is steering clear of those long grocery store checkout lines!
Begin Prepping Early
Spend the month before the holidays getting organized. First, create calendars for the upcoming month complete with school functions, family gatherings, holiday parties and other deadlines. Then do your best to create a holiday list of everything you will need to accomplish in the next month. This includes cleaning, cooking, baking and gift wrapping. Next, make your gift list and budget. Write down any possible gift ideas you have for your family members, so you don’t forget them later when you’re out shopping. Keeping all of your lists on your phone so you have access to them no matter where you are is especially helpful. This would also be a great time to organize all of your gift wrapping supplies for easy accessibility when it’s time to wrap gifts.
Don’t Overcommit.
When it comes to accepting invitations, don’t overcommit and spread yourself thin this holiday. Before the season begins, make a list of traditions and events that are most important to your family. Maybe Christmas Eve dinner is a must, but finding and cutting down your own Christmas tree really isn’t as important to your family. Make sure your time-honored traditions take priority over other invitations, and never feel obligated to attend events you don’t want to.
Donate
Donating is a great way to help others in need while making room for the new toys Santa is sure to deliver. Keep your kids involved and explain that their toys will be going to children who might not have as many. Have your kids accompany you when you drop off the toys—they will feel a sense of accomplishment and thankfulness for what they have.
Take a Day Off
Take a day off to prep for the holidays without the kids. Create a huge to-do list and do your best to knock it all out before lunch. Then, enjoy the afternoon wrapping presents while drinking hot cocoa and listening to your favorite holiday tunes or watching a Christmas movie. You will feel much jollier when you have time to complete your tasks without distractions and with a little holiday fun mixed in.
Have Realistic Expectations
Parents tend to want everything perfect for their kids, and the holidays are no exception. Sometimes the pressure to make every moment memorable does nothing but cause tension. Have realistic expectations. It’s almost guaranteed something won’t go as planned, and that’s okay. Your holiday cookies will burn, someone won’t like a gift, and you will definitely forget to move that darn Elf on the Shelf, but more than likely, those little things will end up making your holiday season even more memorable. Remember, the holidays are about spending time with friends and family, and those are the two things that will make you the jolliest of all.
Regan Lyons is a freelance writer who lives in St. Joseph, MO, with her husband and 5-year-old daughter.