December comes and disappears so quickly — and it seem to fly by even more rapidly as the years go by.
No matter how early I begin my preparations, December comes swiftly and flies by. … Does this sound familiar?
My children are out of the Santa stage and while I miss the extra layer of magic that accompanies those magical, albeit hectic years of Santa, I do appreciate having more opportunities to truly savor the actual magic of the season.
While I love the cookies, the decorating, the parties, the presents — all of it — the things that I love the most about the season are not things at all but the people who I spent the season with.
If you are finding yourself trying to survive the holidays — and getting caught in the holiday frenzy to somehow put together a perfect holiday each and every year, I give you permission to let go of the expectations.
Here are a few ways to have the best season ever — without sacrificing your sanity in the meantime.
Simplify, simplify, simplify: I have let a lot of traditions go over the years — simply because I found that I was only doing them because I thought that was what I was supposed to do to have a perfect holiday for my family.
If decorating your home only stresses you out and prevents you from doing things that you truly love, then stop doing it!
There is no rule that says you have to have a giant Christmas tree or a huge slew of Clark Griswold lights adorning your house to show your spirit.
If having a tabletop tree or a simple classic fresh wreath on your door is all you are up for, that is just fine.
If you need more festive spirit, try adding a string a white lights in the rooms you frequent along with some peppermint or balsam essential oils..
They will add a nice warmth and scent to your home that will put you in the spirit without creating a lot of extra work and eventual clean-up.
That being said, if all of the holiday parties you feel you need to attend are getting in the way of your love of decorating your house from top to bottom, RSVP your regrets, turn up the holiday tunes and deck the halls of your home as much as you like.
It is your holiday and you have the right to spend it the way you would like to!
Follow Your Holiday Vibe Where it Leads You: I put up my Christmas tree on November 11 this year, a full two weeks earlier than usual. I got some flack for it from a few — namely my son, who is a Thanksgiving purist — but putting the tree up a little early literally helped me exhale.
Instead of focusing on decorating all Thanksgiving weekend, I can focus on other things that I enjoy doing — and that includes making memories with my busy teenagers.
If you want to put your tree up in October and leave it up through February, go for it! If you are someone who wants to wait until Dec. 1 — don’t cave into the pressure from the stores — again, you do you!
Give less, gift more: Before you wrinkle your nose and ask what on earth I mean, let me just say we are thinking about quality versus quantity here.
We do this to ourselves each year when we put ourselves in debt, just to be able to shower our loved ones with a plethora of gifts, I promise you, no one on your gift list wants to see you put yourself in debt just to give them a mountain of gifts.
One thoughtful gift or gesture is all you need to let those on your list know how much you care!
One strategy that works for me is to write three things for each person on my gift list. In most cases, it was something I knew they liked and in others, it could be as simple as a favorite color.
I keep it in the Notes app of my phone and anytime I was tempted to buy something, I would see if it matches my criteria. For example, for one relative I have the following three words: blue, cats, gardening. For another, I have chickens, vanilla and baking.
When I am shopping, I already have an idea what I am looking for and won’t grab those impulse gifts that might not be the best match.
Schedule Your Holiday Meals: I am a pretty religious meal planner — my family knows to see what our dinner plans are based on a small white board on the refrigerator.
It keeps me organized, helps me grocery shop and prevents those impulse runs to pick-up carry out.
The busy holiday season tends to put that meal planning board into an early hibernation for the winter — and usually results in us spending a lot more time and money eating out!
During a time when my wallet and waistline are already feeling the pressure, this is a surefire recipe for disaster!
My advice to you is this: As soon as you read this article, grab a sheet of paper or a blank calendar sheet for the rest of this month.
Plan your meals for the rest of the month. If you are dining out or attending holiday parties, write those down. If you have a Christmas school program to attend one night or plan a late night of shopping, plan for something easy for you and your family to eat on the way.
If you plan for a dinner, even if it is as simple as sandwiches and a veggie tray, you can save time, money and a lot of worry now.
If you want to go ahead and budget those trips to your favorite restaurants now, that is OK, too.
Just make sure they are in the plan so you can budget for them, both mentally and financially!
By the time the season is over, you will be grateful that you continued to stay on somewhat of a schedule.
(Editor’s Note: Kristine George is a freelance journalist who resides in Easton.)
