How to Have Fun & Reduce Stress This Holiday Season

Are you feeling stressed due to your holiday to-do list? Too many things to accomplish with too little time? Here's a great (and fun!) idea to help you relax and enjoy this holiday season!

Baking holiday goodies and wrapping gifts are two of the most time consuming tasks during the holiday season. Wrapping gifts can become monotonous very quickly. And while baking can be fun, it just seems to lose its charm after so many batches, and let's not even mention the cleanup involved afterwards!

To eliminate the chaos of the holiday season, throw a gift wrapping party and include a baked goods swap! Have friends and family gather up their gift wrapping essentials (ribbons, bows, gift wrap, tape, scissors) and their unwrapped gifts. Be sure to inform them that all paper, ribbons, etc. will be for the use of everyone. This way, everyone has a wide variety of wrapping paper and garnishes to choose from! Also, everyone will always have a helping hand when it comes time to tape, tie bows, etc. You'll be having so much fun, all the gift wrapping will be done before you know it!

Ask guests to bring a few batches of one of their favorite holiday baked goods. (Also ask if they will bring their recipe with them.) If everyone brings multiple batches, everyone can trade goodies and end up with a delicious variety at home! (Keep a recipe cards and pens handy in case someone forgets to bring their recipe with them.)Minimal work, minimal time, and minimal cleanup, ensures a wonderful, stress-free holiday season!

Be sure to set the mood in your home for the party. Play music traditional to the holiday season. Light candles that smell like evergreen or gingerbread. This gathering might inspire motivation to decorate for the holidays. It may also help to encourage you to clean early for guests staying for the holidays! Offer festive drinks to the party-goers, like eggnog or something fun, like gingerbread martinis! Since there will be so many scrumptious baked goods circulating, you probably won't have to worry too much about snacks, but you might want to provide an hors d'oeuvre that isn't sweet. Cheeseball and crackers is always a hit!

You can really tap into the holiday cheer, spend time with friends and family, and take a ton of stress out of the holiday season this year by throwing a party! Who knew?