Tips for a Stress Free Christmas

Do you dread the thoughts of the upcoming holiday season because of the stress it causes? Well this year that can be different if you follow a few easy tips. Why wait until the last minute to do things, when you can be getting prepared all year long. Here are some tips for having a stress free holiday season.

Make a Holiday Binder, in this include your list of people you need to buy gifts for, and any ideas you have for the gifts. Make a Christmas card list, of those you choose to send cards to and include the addresses. Prepare your menu for any dinners or parties you will be hosting. Gather your recipes for your holiday baking, and make a shopping list of ingredients you will need to get. Add a calendar so you can make sure you don't forget any important events you have such as the kids Christmas plays or the neighbors Christmas party.

Buy your Christmas cards early, this way you can have them filled out and addressed, all they will need to do is be mailed when its time. You can work on these any when you have some spare time that way it isn't such a chore to do later on. You can find Christmas cards on sale right after Christmas and stock up for the following year. If you have a photo card made every year you can still get a head start on this most photo studios have their Christmas backgrounds in by late summer, this way you can avoid the rush at the last minute.

Start your Christmas shopping right after Christmas is over that way it isn't such a huge expense all at once and you wont be fighting the crowds of people who wait until the last minute. You can catch things on sale through out the year and then just put them up till Christmas, I wouldn't recommend wrapping them unless you have a good memory or write down what is what or you will be unwrapping on Christmas eve trying to see what you got them.

Shop for your baking supplies early. Start in October buying the ingredients you will need for all your holiday baking .The stores will raise the prices, as the holidays get closer. Also a good day to grocery shop is the day after Thanksgiving, they will have all the fresh turkeys that didn't sell and all the brown and serve rolls along with anything else that was for Thanksgiving dinner marked down .Buy them now and freeze.

If you are on a tight budget consider making gifts. There are lots of books and web sites with instructions for homemade gifts. Lots of people would appreciate something homemade then something store bought .There are all types of things you can make even if you aren't crafty. There are gifts in a jar, no sew fleece blankets, cross stitching, you could make a scrapbook for someone put some pictures in it and then leave pages for them to fill in. The possibilities are endless.
Keep your gift-wrapping area organized with everything you will need to do your wrapping. This could include wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, name tags, scissors, and lots of tape. Also be sure to keep a pen or marker handy to fill in the name tags, you don't want to be unwrapping to find out whose package is whose. A great way to stock up on wrapping supplies is to buy the day after Christmas for the following year.

Special orders need to be done early, Such as your Christmas dinner if you are ordering it from somewhere, flowers or plants, and gifts that you are ordering from a catalog or on line. If you are having a party at someplace other then your home, it needs to be booked .If you go out for Christmas dinner you need to make reservations early, they will be booked up fast. Also make sure to follow up to confirm you reservations, orders, etc. This is a busy time and things can get misplaced so its always better to double check.

Decorations Put up your decorations before it gets to cold and the snow is falling. Plan your indoor theme and make any additional purchases, stores have Christmas decorations out in October; also check after Christmas for great deals for the following year. Go through all your lights and make sure they work; this will save a lot of headaches later when you plug your display in only to find half doesn't come on. Have a house decorating party, put on the holiday music and have hot cocoa and cookies after your done.

Getting the house cleaned and organized, start once the kids return to school and do one room a week. Go through it and get rid of anything you aren't using or you don't need anymore. Wipe down all the walls and wash all the windows, scrub any carpets that need to be cleaned. This will help so you don't have to rush getting the house clean for company during the holidays while you have so many other things to do. You will just have to do a little each day to keep it clean.

Start your holiday baking early, lots of cookies and pies can be made and frozen. Unbaked cookie dough can be frozen for 4-6 weeks and baked cookies will be good for 3-4 weeks. You cannot freeze cream or custard pies, such as pumpkin or coconut.To

prevent fruit pies from getting soggy on bottom brush the inside of the crust with egg whites before adding your filling. Fruit pies and cheesecakes will freeze just fine. Wrap them in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil to keep them protected while in the freezer.

Allow items that have already been baked to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving. To bake a frozen fruit pie, leave it at room temperature for about 20 minutes then brush the crust with egg white and sprinkle with sugar, then bake as usual, adding about 20 minutes to the baking time. Brownies and bar cookies can be frozen safely for up to three months. Make sure to allow plenty of time for thawing before you plan on using them.

Remember what Christmas is about, this is a time to spend with your family and to enjoy all the Christmas lights and activities. Don't let the hustle and bustle take away your holiday spirit. Gather the family and go for a ride looking at all the Christmas lights in your neighborhood, then come back and have some hot chocolate and cookies. Following a few simple tips and your holiday season will be stress free and enjoyable.