Sometimes our number one priority gets lost in the shuffle. This is awful to say, but it’s true.
The holiday season is in full swing, and Christmas is getting closer. On top of work and school, you have get-togethers with friends, family, and church and school events. Plus there's cooking, cleaning, decorating, buying presents, and all the other things that need to get done to make Christmas great. Are you feeling stressed? It’s understandable. Today, I’m here to help with some tips on how to make your holiday season easier, merrier, and brighter.
1. Buying Wrapping Supplies
We think buying gifts can get expensive, but wrapping is just as bad. I love Walmart, but $4.98 for a single tube of wrapping paper and $6.98 for a single gift bag seems a bit much.
If you’re looking to save money on wrapping supplies, I recommend the Dollar Tree. Even though prices of the items have gone up a few cents recently, their Christmas boxes, bags, tags, tissue paper, etc are still a great deal. I’ve been buying their Christmas wrapping supplies for years and love the money I save.
2. Quick Meals to Make
Trying to figure out meals during the holidays can be a tremendous headache. Sometimes you wind up eating more takeout or drive thru than you want because it’s convenient. It doesn’t have to be this way. This is the time to break out the Crockpot and ramp up the usage of your InstaPot even more.
There is nothing like throwing something in the crockpot and knowing that dinner is ready when you get home from a longer day at work than usual or on a busy shopping day. Think things like soups, chicken and noodles, or even a casserole. InstaPots cook meals extremely fast and are a good choice too.
You can make other quick meals like tacos, grilled cheese and tomato soup, tuna melts, spaghetti, etc. Most ingredients for these are common staples you probably already have in your pantry.
3. Easy-to-Make Cookies and Bars
Baking is one joy of the holiday season. There is nothing like the sweet smell of cookies baking in the oven. But sometimes you don’t have time to mix up a batch of homemade cookies. You may be short on time because one of your kids just told you they need cookies for the bake sale tomorrow or you’re simply too tired to make cookies from scratch yourself.
So, what do you do? There are different cookies and bars you can make when you’re short on time.
-No-bake cookies that use oatmeal and peanut butter are always easy to make. To make an easy s’mores cookie, buy a package of Keebler fudge striped cookies and a bag of marshmallows. Make “sandwiches” with a marshmallow between two cookies and bake them in the oven at 350 for 3-5 minutes. Monitor them so the marshmallow doesn’t burn.
-Another option is to grab a bag of potato chips, a bag of marshmallows, butter, and some chocolate chips. Melt the butter and add the marshmallows and continue melting. Once fully melted, add the potato chips and stir to coat with the marshmallow. Then pour the mixture into a 9-inch pan lined with parchment paper and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Let cool and cut into squares. Not only is this recipe easy, but it’s versatile. You can stir other things in with your potato chips, like candy or nuts, and top them with sprinkles or melted chocolate.
-Or you could go the extra time-saving route and buy pre-made dough from the store and bake it.
4. Make Cleaning Easier
Another giant stressor during the holidays is cleaning the house. Sure, you could hire someone to do this, but not everyone has that in their budget. Here are some easy-to-forget spots in your home that might need a good cleaning (that should be divvied up to different members of the family and spaced out over a week or two):
-Declutter your home. Now is the perfect time to go through things and donate what you don’t need.
-Remove cob webs. As you are dusting your home, make sure you get in all the nooks and crannies where spiders like to hide.
-Wash your tablecloths. This isn’t something we think of every day, but since you will have a lot of company, make sure you give your linens a freshen up.
-Clean your windows. This is another area that gets easily overlooked.
-Clean the refrigerator. This is another area of our homes that can get gross because of spills, so give it a good cleaning. Once you’re done, you could even invest in some shelf mats to catch spills you can wash easily.
-Clean guest rooms and guest bathrooms.
-After cleaning, burn a candle to make your house smell more “homey” when guests arrive.
5. Get Rid of That Stain
It never fails. You have your best clothes on and you spill wine on your blouse or drop something on your pants or get chocolate on something. Stains can be a colossal pain, especially if you have to wait until you get home to treat it. Here are some ways to get common stains out of clothes:
-Wine: Put some salt on it and then soak it in cold water and add enzymatic laundry detergent. Let the garment soak overnight and then launder as usual.
-Coffee: Blot the stain and then rinse the back of the garment under cold water. Next, apply laundry soap or dish soap and let it sit. Then rub the stain between the fingers to help loosen it and rinse with cold water. Then launder it as usual.
-Chocolate: Put ice on the chocolate stain so it hardens and then use a spoon to scrape away excess chocolate. Do not rub it. Flush the unstained side with cold water and then pretreat the stain. Then wash as usual.
6. Dealing with Relatives
With the holidays come relatives and with relatives sometimes comes stress. It’s hard being around people who don’t share our same views or those who want to argue all the time. Every family comes with its own stressful dynamics. Instead of stressing out ahead of time, read some books and articles on how to handle family during the holidays. Books to check out include:
-Dealing with the Stress of the Holidays by Dr. David B. Hawkins
-Finding Love at Christmas by various authors. (This book is more of a fictional escape and you need that too.)
-Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend.
-But It’s Your Family… by Sherrie Campbell
You can also find articles about this topic on Crosswalk.com.
7. Making Time to Spend with God
Sometimes our number one priority gets lost in the shuffle. This is awful to say, but it’s true. Have you ever gotten so caught up in your to-do list or the goings on of your day that you skip talking to God altogether? Guilty. This can be especially true during the holiday season. How do we fix it?
Spend time with God in the pockets of your day. Talk to him during your morning shower. Pray while you’re waiting for the kids in the carpool line or waiting for an appointment. Listen to contemporary Christian music, worship music, or a Christian podcast while doing errands. Set your alarm fifteen minutes early, find a quiet space, and spend time with him in prayer and reading your Bible. I always read the Book of Luke during the month of December. One chapter a day. I love how it goes through Jesus’s life and that by reading it one chapter a day, it wraps up on Christmas Eve.
8. Buying Presents
Buying presents is lots of fun but can also be stressful. It’s so easy to overspend. Before you go on that shopping spree, look at your budget and see how much you can afford realistically. If you have kids or grandkids, limit X amount of presents for each child. Keep an eye out for coupons and special deals online and in stores. If you’re traveling, send your presents ahead of time and be aware of cutoff shipping dates.
If money is tight, consider making your own presents. There are lots of options you can make, from body products to cookie mixes in a jar to treats and snacks packaged in decorative boxes and tins. Do a search online and see all the possibilities.
9. Holidays with Pets
We love spending time with our furry friends, but the holidays can be stressful for them too. Especially if your normally quiet house is full of lots of family, friends, and loud noises. Here are some ways to make the holidays easier for your fur baby:
-Practice a confinement routine. If you plan to confine your pet while your guests are here, practice this routine with them beforehand to avoid stressing them. Make sure you make it pleasant for them with all of their favorite things. For example, I planned for our cat Cupcake in case my relatives came to visit. She has an extra set of dishes, a litter box, and toys in our room to make her feel comfortable. She can also hide in our closet or under the bed if she wants.
-Watch out for hazards. Foods like chocolate, onions, garlic, alcohol, raisins, grapes, etc. are toxic to our furry friends. Also monitor pill bottles and other foreign objects your guests may leave around that your dog or cat can get into, and don't forget if you have a fireplace, keep a screen up to protect your fur baby.
-Watch all interactions between kids and pets.
-Be prepared. Make sure you have a plan if your pet has an emergency. Know where your nearest emergency vet is and have their address and phone number stored in your phone. Also, make sure you have the number for your pet insurance company.
10. Holidays with Kids
‘Tis the season for stressed kids. I used to see it all the time in daycare. Worn out kids because they are being dragged all over the place to events and shopping and getting together with friends. This only adds to a parent's stress and, yes, even a teacher's stress. Here are some ways to help your kids this holiday season:
-Keep them on a schedule.
-When at home, make sure they take a nap.
-Make sure they are drinking enough.
-Limit their sugar intake.
-Make bedtime a priority, no later than thirty minutes past.
-Set boundaries and don’t let them push your buttons.
-Limit their screen time.
The holidays don’t have to be stressful. Use the tips above to have a less stressed and more blessed holiday season.
Photo Credit: ©Pixabay
