Today, I closed the book on fall semester, which means it's time to get serious about my Christmas to-do lists. I have ten days...plenty of time, right?
Keeping Christmas prep stress at bay can be challenging. Since I no longer enjoy shopping until I drop, I've been chipping away at my shopping online and that part of Christmas preparation is nearly done. This is a huge help because anything that allows me to stay in the house and away from the traffic and panic going on "out there" makes it easier to keep the season (and myself) jolly.
Warring styles can definitely rear their heads at this time of year, making it challenging to deck the halls in a harmonious fashion. Here are three tips for simply having a wonderful Christmas time.
Don't be afraid to do it your way. My husband is ready to start Christmas preparations while still have Thanksgiving leftovers in the fridge, which is just when my end-of-semester tasks are ramping up. Consequently, I've declared November off-limits for any Christmas preparations that involve me, unless we're trying to get something done while my daughter is home. He likes to dedicate whole days to big projects; I like to add decorations a little at a time so the house looks more festive the closer we get to Christmas. Together, we get it done.
Don't take on other people's stress. I'm perfectly capable of stressing myself out without any outside assistance, so I prefer not to outsource. My husband's lists often look different from my own, making it all too easy to get sucked into tasks that are low priority for me, or to make a simple task into a big production. If I'm following my first key, it's easy to remind myself what my priorities are. If they don't line up with someone else's, not only is that okay, but I also don't have to accept that person's stress as my own.
Don't forget to have fun. Aside from family and friends, a sense of humor is probably the most important thing to keep close by in the days leading up to Christmas. As time ticks away, so do patience and energy, and it's easy to take the merry out of Christmas. Nurture that sense of humor by remembering to sit down and take a break occasionally, even if you can only squeeze in a few minutes of downtime. There's no thing so important that it's worth all of your time and energy.
Christmas doesn't have to be a production worthy of a spread in a glossy magazine in order to be merry. In my opinion, the best celebrations are those that are, as my mom would say, understated. Less fuss and more festivity can yield not only a happy holiday today, but one that everyone looks back on fondly after the last gift has been unwrapped and the last morsel has been eaten. And, to make that happen, perhaps our peace on earth should start with a little peace at home.
Warring styles can definitely rear their heads at this time of year, making it challenging to deck the halls in a harmonious fashion. Here are three tips for simply having a wonderful Christmas time.
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Don't take on other people's stress. I'm perfectly capable of stressing myself out without any outside assistance, so I prefer not to outsource. My husband's lists often look different from my own, making it all too easy to get sucked into tasks that are low priority for me, or to make a simple task into a big production. If I'm following my first key, it's easy to remind myself what my priorities are. If they don't line up with someone else's, not only is that okay, but I also don't have to accept that person's stress as my own.
Christmas doesn't have to be a production worthy of a spread in a glossy magazine in order to be merry. In my opinion, the best celebrations are those that are, as my mom would say, understated. Less fuss and more festivity can yield not only a happy holiday today, but one that everyone looks back on fondly after the last gift has been unwrapped and the last morsel has been eaten. And, to make that happen, perhaps our peace on earth should start with a little peace at home.
Even if that means we don't bake enough cookies to feed the entire free world.
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