We love all the decorations, packages, food and fellowship. After all, we’re Decking the Halls while Dreaming of a White Christmas. 🎶

But sometimes when we get a little too busy each of the things we love is just one. more. thing.

When that happens, one more gift to buy, one more package to wrap and one more cookie recipe to bake can turn your Jingle Bells into bah-humbug.

Here are a few tips to keep your stress level down and your joy overflowing.

1- Schedule some fun time.

We can get so busy trying to get all the things done that we forget WHY we are doing all of these things. A little fun can revitalize your energy and adjust your perspective.

If scheduling fun sounds a little counterintuitive, let’s look at it another way. What fun thing could you plan to do each day during the holiday season?

• Look at old Christmas photos of the family.
• Take an evening drive with your family to enjoy holiday decorations. To make it a little more fun, create some voting categories ahead of time and keep score.
• Have a Christmas carol contest to see who can name the most songs or correctly sing the verse and chorus.
• Build and decorate a gingerbread house together.
• Meet a friend for your favorite peppermint mocha treat.

You get the idea.

It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, but if we don’t put a little fun on the calendar we might become consumed with busyness and tasks and miss it.

2- Set a timer for your tasks.

Whether it’s looking through a cookbook for a new holiday recipe, decorating your home, creating the perfect photo greeting card or giving that just-right touch to your gift wrapping, for a creative person it can be hard to know when to stop.

I can spend WAY too much time properly spacing ornaments on the tree, decorating with fresh greenery throughout our home and adding pictures to our 12-month photo calendar.

I have learned over the years that having a predetermined amount of time for my task still allows for me to be creative but keeps me from spending too much time on one particular area.

The same can be true if you don’t particularly enjoy wrapping presents (or any other holiday task) but know it has to be done. Set a timer for 30 minutes or an hour and only work on your task until the timer goes off. You will make progress without dreading the job before you.

3- Concentrate your time and energy on a few things - not everything.

If you’re hosting a holiday party or event,  you need enough food to feed your guests but every single item doesn’t have to be homemade.

Several years ago there was a show on tv where the host demonstrated how to use store-bought goods to simplify homemade recipes. She would buy decorations and add personal touches to them or buy some of the ingredients for her recipes already chopped or prepared. This may not be the most budget friendly option but it will save you considerable time and energy.

A few other party suggestions:

• Make 2 or 3 recipes to wow your guests and then fill in with simple things like chips and salsa, a tray of cheese and crackers or a bowl of nuts.
• If baking desserts just isn’t your thing, concentrate on the main course and purchase some festive cookies. There are so many yummy options in the stores right now. 
• Make the party a potluck and ask everyone to bring their favorite appetizer or dessert.

You can apply this to wrapping packages or decorating your home too. Your  packages can be special without looking like they were custom wrapped.

Try one of these tips:

• Concentrate on a few packages that will be at the front of the tree.
• Make sure each family member has one specially wrapped package.
• Gift bags are a huge time saver & can easily be reused year after year which makes them economical.

For decorating, try creating one special item in each room or concentrate your efforts on the rooms where your family will spend most of their time.

I love wrapping pretty packages, filling our home with Christmas cheer, making our favorite holiday sweets and hosting friends and neighbors for Christmas socials but there is only one of me.

I have to choose. Then I have to plan.

If you feel bogged down by everything you are trying to do, download your free Loving the Holidays guide today. It’s not too late to gain clarity on your priorities and focus on the right things for you and your family.

Y'all have a great week!

     Renee'