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I  included some ideas on holiday cards and gifts in my previous post. Here are some additional tips I hope you find helpful:

Holiday Gifts

Wrap your gifts and place name tags on them immediately after you bring them home, and then store the gifts in a secure spot. This will cut down on those late night wrapping sessions that I am sure we ALL have experienced a few times, if not every year.

Also, be sure to save the gift bags each year so they can be reused. For a real frugal alternative, you can use newspaper.

Holiday Baking & Cooking

If you will be cooking during the holidays, it is important to plan your meals ahead of time. Be sure to stock up on all the necessary non-perishable baking ingredients ahead of time.

Keep your holiday recipes in this cute recipe box. Also, try to think of dishes that can be prepared ahead of time and frozen as an extra time-saving measure.

Holiday Delegation

Be sure to enlist the help of your family or friends. Sit down and discuss what needs to be done and ask for volunteers. You can also assign small tasks to each of them.

Whether it is arranging for a babysitter so that you can escape for a child-free day of shopping, passing the shopping list onto another so they can pick up items for you, or letting children decorate your home.

Be sure to get the whole family involved in the holiday preparations so that you won’t be overwhelmed. If you do begin to feel stressed, try some of my stress-busting ideas on my Stress Awareness blog.

Holiday Parties

Dinner and cocktail parties are timeless ways to bring friends and family together. Attending a party may sometimes involve more than simply showing up at the designated time.

Here are some potential party solutions…

> Introduce yourself to a few people you don’t know.

> Think of small topics and questions that you could ask anyone, and have them in the back of your mind.

> If someone puts an uncomfortable spin on the conversation, give yourself an out and change the subject.  “Wow, Tom I haven’t thought about it like that. (Pause) Did I tell you that I am planning to go to Europe for my vacation? Have you ever been there?” Crisis averted.

Enjoy The Holiday Season!

Whatever you decide to do in your holiday planning, remember to relax and enjoy yourself. You and your family will have much fonder memories of this holiday season if you are not spending it pulling your hair out.

Being aware of where you are and what is happening right now — some call it mindfulness — can help you relax instead of fretting over what’s on your to-do list.

Let go of thoughts about the past or future, and focus on the present moment. If your mind wanders, just bring it back again to focus on the present.

Conclusion

Although the holiday season is a great time of year, for a lot of us it means we have to go into overdrive trying to get everything done. You have done this before and you know just how overwhelming it can be.

If you need a little help, try to practice learning to say ‘no’ WITHOUT guilt, keeping it simple, getting organized and planning ahead, and getting just a little healthier for increased energy and reduced stress.