my top | harpers outfit + headband || gray chair + coffee table + cards
If you are anything like me , life feels a little crazy and hectic pretty much every day! Haha! So throw in all the things that come along with the Holiday Season, and I sometimes wonder how I don’t lose my mind completely! I’ve really been trying to simplify and organize in hopes of staying a little more stress free, and I wanted to share some of my tips with you today!
…. GET YOUR CARDS DONE EARLY …
I know it seems a little crazy to start planning Christmas related things in the summer, but this one has been a game changer for me! The last couple of years, I have scheduled our family pictures for EARLY SEPTEMBER. The first perk is we aren’t in the middle of all the crazy schedules the holidays bring. I have time to plan out outfits and fit the shoot in our schedule. The next major perk is you can get your pictures back and have your Holiday Cards ordered in OCTOBER! It is the best thing.
I have used Minted for our Christmas cards for I think the last 6 or 7 years now, and don’t think I’ll ever change. I am so in love with them every year. You cannot beat the quality they provide. They have so many unique styles to choose from and ship fast too. If that isn’t enough, they’ve added so many user friendly perks to ordering, it’s amazing.
For example, if you are indecisive on what is going to look best, you can TEXT (yes you read that right) your family picture, and a designer will pick out 5 options they think will work best and send them back to you with your image in them! They also offer FREE envelopes and ADDRESSING. With the amount of time it saves me to not have to address every single card, it is a game changer. I highly recommend Minted!!
… MAKE A GIFT LIST + STICK TO IT …
If you’re anything like me, it is easy to want to buy allllll the things for allll the people. Not only does it do damage on your budget, but it takes up so much time you could be spending with your people or tackling other tasks on your holiday to-do’s.
Last year I wrote down each person and what I needed for their gift and really tried to stick to the list, kind of like a grocery list. Haha, promise I love the people more than groceries, but you get the idea. It saved so many unneeded trips to the store to grab one more present or return one more thing. And the money saved was the frosting on top. I have friends that get their shopping done months in advance, and this is a big reason as to why.
… PRIORITIZE YOUR FAVORITE TRADITIONS + SCRATCH THE REST …
The holidays bring so many fun activities and traditions, and as the years go on, the list seems to grow. As mom’s we want to make it the best, and not have our kids miss out on anything, so we tend to over cram our schedules. This is one of the hardest tips to force myself to do, but ends up being one of the best.
At the beginning of the season, think through all your peoples favorite traditions. Get those on your schedule and make them your top priority. And then be okay with saying no to some of the fillers. If your people are anything like mine, they end up cherishing the time we just spend together at home just as much if not more, so don’t over do it.
… IT’S OK TO SAY NO …
I think as women this is an everyday problem, not just a holiday one. We try to be super mom and volunteer for all the things, and it just isn’t possible, especially during the holidays. Our number one focus should be spending time with the ones we love. So keep that in mind when you are making your decisions. If the Kindergarten Christmas Party means you get extra time with your little one, go for it. But maybe that means saying no to baking extra treats for a different activity. You can’t do it all, and trying to is probably what makes the holidays most stressful.
… HIRE HELP …
This one is kind of the wild card of the bunch, but I promise it will be a game changer. It goes right along with trying to do all the things like I mentioned above. I want to challenge you all to pick one thing that really doesn’t need to be done by you specifically this holiday season, and HIRE IT OUT. It will be the best present you ever gave yourself. It could be something as simple as having your presents wrapped….or desserts catered for your party instead of baking them yourself. Having someone decorate your tree for you or hang your lights. My personal favorite, have someone come and clean your house before hosting guests. Take one thing and let someone else do it, so you can have more time with your people.
I hope you find these tips helpful and that you can be a little less stressed this year! I’d love to hear your best tips for a stress free holiday!
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