5 Practical Tips to Make the Holidays Easier This Year

Woman wrapping gifts

With the stress, work, and family life, we can all welcome some ways to make the holidays easier since they seem to approach quicker than you think. Here are some tips.

Get Ahead of the Food
A Christmas dinner menu can be stressful. But you can make it easier. First, plan out all the food you’ll need to cook, including snacks and food for parties. Keep in mind that you also have breakfast and lunch to cater for. If you want a little help, you should order as much food as you can online. But remember to order food ahead of this since most online delivery slots are likely to be unavailable a couple of weeks before Christmas. You can freeze most of it anyway.

Budget for Gifts
Figure out how many gifts you will give each of your kids, nieces, and nephews. You can decide on one large one or lots of smaller ones. Or both. Also, decide who else in your life you would like to buy a gift for. This could include colleagues, neighbors, and friends. Make a list of who will get a gift, how many, and what you’d like to buy for them. Keep that list close by and mark off each item as you buy it, using online and high street Christmas sales to your advantage.

Make the Holidays Easier by Knowing What Can Go Wrong
The stress of the holidays is enough on its own. And there are many things you need to do. So don’t let small things you could have nailed trip you up. These include the following:
● Last-minute food: you will definitely forget something, which is why you make a list.
● Meal timing: you need to keep the fun flowing, so get this right to avoid disappointment.
● Wrapping supplies: these are available all year round, so don’t leave them.

You can also get ahead of these problems pretty easily. For example, you can order essential food supplies early, and you can get wrapping stuff in at any time of the year.

Wrapping the Gifts
Some people love wrapping, and others hate it. But it can also take longer than you think. So don’t wait until the last minute to wrap everything up. Do it early while relaxing on Christmas Eve with a glass of wine and some festive songs. Also, think about where you’ll put the gifts, both before and after you wrap them. Before you wrap them, hide them in the loft or under the bed so the kids can’t see them. Then put them under the Christmas tree once they are wrapped.

Staying Traditional
The holidays aren’t really about gifts. They’re about building and carrying on traditions with the people you care about. But you don’t have unlimited time. So choose which Christmas traditions you want to focus on and what you need to do for them. Think about the traditions that are most important to you instead of the ones you feel you should keep up with. And focus on the ones you want to remember as the best times with your partner, family, kids, and close friends.

Summary
You can make the holidays easier this year. Some practical advice includes getting ahead of the food you need, addressing likey hiccups, and keeping up traditions.

This is a collaborative post.