How many of you are bracing yourself for the holidays? I know I am! With the holidays closing in on us, I know I have to find ways to stay organized and to keep calm and enjoy the time I have with my family. Every year is filled with lots of drama and lots of excitement and festivities. There is always a lot going on in the holiday season and you need to find ways to do it all and keep yourself feeling fresh so you stay festive through out the season.
The following are just a few tips I do to stay a fresh and festive holiday season. Hopefully if you do them as well they will keep you feeling the same way. So here they are:
1. PRINT OUT A CALENDAR OF EVENTS: There are so many great activities to do with the Family for the holidays. If you want to make sure you don't want to miss any of the festivities make sure you keep track of all that dates and times they are taking place.
2. SHOP AHEAD OF TIME: Don't wait until the last minute to shop so you don't feel overwhelmed when the stores are out of the gifts your seeking to buy. Better yet, buy online. Amazon.com is my favorite. So many online businesses also offer free shipping and no tax. So take advantage of it and save money and time!
3. Plan your holiday parties and menus ahead of time. I decide everything I'm going to make for Thanksgiving and Christmas ahead of time and make shopping lists in advance so I can be ready.
4. Decorate early! I don't care how early it is. I already have my Christmas decorations up! Yes it's only November!
5. If your planning to go away for the holidays book your plane tickets early and make your travel arrangements ahead of time and make sure you don't forget any of your products to keep you fresh!
6. Make decorating a family activity. Plan the day with your family so you can all do it together and bond. You can even make some decorations with your family and make it a craft activity.
7. Make fresh baked goods for the holidays to keep your home smelling holiday sweet. Make some through out the Holidays so you can keep smelling yummy good all the time.
8. Make some Holiday themed music cd's ahead of time so you can play them as you decorate or when you have your holiday parties. I love my Alvin and the chipmunks christmas!
9. Get your Christmas trees early! If you get a real tree shop around at all the lots or at Target and get your tree. If your target has a gardening section they will sell trees!
10. If you have a fake tree get some Pine smelling scented oils to give your home that fresh smell. It's what I do!
11. Make sure your homes are well insulated so your homes stay toasty warm in the winter. I hate having the heat on for hours then as soon as you turn it off the heat is gone since it seeped out the windows. Make sure your windows are insulated!
12. Get some all natural marsh mellows for those hot chocolates to stay warm this season. They taste so yummy and are healthier!
13. MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR REST. Get the proper amount of sleep to avoid any crankiness from your or your family.
14. My final tip is Make some of your gifts to save money. I'm making my own soaps and chocolates and wrapping the up in fun baggies and wrapping and handing those out as gifts.
Hope these fourteen tips help you for the Holidays! I know they help me!
Happy Holidays everyone!
***Disclaimer: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Snuggle blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.***
