Time Saving Tips for the Holidays

It's that time of year again! I run myself ragged wanting everything to be perfect and hoping the holidays pass quickly. Where did my time go? Did I remember to get everything done? This was the same old tape playing in my head every year as Christmas approached. I was driving myself crazy. That is until I decided I wasn't going to be a slave to my own expectations . Determining to get more organized was a promise I made to myself..

First I started making list of things that I needed to do. Menu planning, shopping for groceries and gifts then cleaning and decorating of the house.. All these fell on my shoulder because after all I'm MOM. Being MOM during the holidays puts me right up there with Superwoman, Wonder woman and any other female super hero one could name. Mom became Mean-Old-Monster in the days leading up to a season when good cheer should rule.

Menu Planning

Everyone has dishes they like on special occasions. I get out the recipe box and write down the ingredients I need to prepare those dishes. Since many of the dishes use the same ingredients a side list makes preparing the grocery list much easier.

I also contact other family members that help with the meal to make sure we aren't making the same dishes. Once we have all the courses covered it's time to make the grocery list.

Grocery Shopping

I am blessed my computer has a Works generated grocery list. It has everything a person could possibly need to purchase from eggs to aluminum foil. I print a list and mark the items I need. Usually I check this list quite a few times to make sure I haven't forgotten anything. Running out of staples the day you start cooking will throw even the most organized person into the panic zone.

With list in hand I check the kitchen cabinets. Many times I pick up items while they are on sale. This not only saves time it saves money. Before my list making days I'd purchase what I thought I needed to find it was already in the cabinet.. As the items on the list are found I mark them off the shopping list.now on to the market.

Shopping during the holidays is an adventure. It reminds me of a sporting event. To help ward off the shopping anxiety I start in the back of store and work my way forward. I never shop for gifts at the same time I shop for groceries or staples. Watching the cashier ring up the items is enough sticker shock. If I stick to my list there is no impulse spending. This used to be my biggest downfall.

Gift Shopping

No Black Friday for me. I'll leave this day to the professional shoppers. There maybe great bargains to be had but I don't have nerves of steel. I make a list of all the people I need to buy for and list their likes and wants. Once I figured out I couldn't give every gift requested my life got a lot easier.. Many of the requested items such as electronics or toys come down in price as time passes so waiting for them has become the norm in our home.

Gifts should be appreciated for what they are. Competition to give the best gift shouldn't play into the equation when giving gifts at Christmas. A new $300 scooter won't make them love you more, it just gives the child something to brag about when they get with their friends. This doesn't mean to buy a sweater that no child would be caught dead wearing. Each gift should be picked out with thought of the person receiving it.

The older people in our family have decided to pick up gifts for their own gender. Male pick up male gift and female pick female gift. We set a price range for the gift. This is the first year so it will be interesting to see what happens to this new tradition.

I also pick up items over the course of the year. Usually for the little ones as they they are what gift giving is about. Keeping them in the same place lets me see what I have for which child and what I need to purchase.

With list in hand I choose one day to power shop. Power shopping consist of starting at one store and continuing to the mall or specialty shop. Usually there are two or more of us in a group and this leads to an all out girls day out with lunch plus plenty of laughter. Shopping with girlfriends takes off a load of stress as we leave the children and spouses at home. For this one day we don't have to be a MOM or wife. Once home the presents get wrapped so that chore is ready to mark off the list.

Cleaning and Decorating the House

This is where teamwork comes in. I've learned I don't have to do it all. My husband is wonderful when doing things around the house all year so Christmas shouldn't be any different. The children once given a chore are more likely to get it done if they know we're decorating after the work gets done. With the list made each person knows what needs done. We all have chores we don't really care for so each does what they like and we share the least like jobs as a team.

With the house clean its time to decorate. I leave the tree and lights to the rest of the family. They'll ask where I want it and then I go about doing the other decorating. This saves time and my sanity. Lowering my expectations of how everything should be perfect lead to a less stressful holiday. The tree turns out beautiful and everyone gets to feel a sense of pride that they helped.

These a few of my sanity savers. I now enjoy the holidays and look forward to them with anticipation. Getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season no longer stresses me out but has become a fun adventure. If something doesn't go exactly as it should it will make for a funny memory in the future.