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by Rebecca Mack
With Thanksgiving out of the way and Christmas just around the corner, I imagine that everyone is already deeply immersed in the craziness that the season brings. The holidays are the busiest time of year and it seems like no matter how hard we try, we’re just not ready for the downpour of to-do lists that seem to clog our minds like the stuffing in a Thanksgiving turkey. For some insane reason, thousands of shoppers trek out on the day after Thanksgiving, better known as Black Friday, to elbow- and sometimes violently shove- their way through crowds to get to the best sales. I have never gone out on this day and after hearing the horror stories of shopping seasons gone-by, I intend to avoid it at all costs. Call me a wimp if you’d like but I enjoy having all 4 limbs in working condition when I’m shoveling Christmas ham in my mouth!
In all seriousness, this time of year can be very stressful (and sometimes downright miserable) for many people for different reasons and we often forget what others are going through as we lose ourselves in the chaos that has become the season. This year, with the economy the way it is, a lot of people are cutting back in many areas of their lives. This extends into holiday shopping especially. Many people are trying to figure out ways to provide their family with a nice holiday while still being able to help others in need, all without breaking the bank.
My husband and I have been planning on homemade gifts for our extended families this year and only getting each of our three children one or two special items. Lately, I’ve been doing some research on ways people can have their pumpkin pie and eat it too without missing out, while still having some to spare, to feed their less fortunate neighbors. The following are just a few ideas to help you and yours have a stress-free holiday season, with all the trimmings.
Getting Organized:
*Make lists!! Write down who you want to give gifts to, who’s coming to dinner, what supplies you’ll need, and your budget, etc. Be prepared BEFORE you go shopping or you might impulse-buy because you don’t know what you need. I’ve been a victim of this many times in the past and not only does it hurt the wallet, it takes away precious shopping time too.
*Create a plan of action. If there are sales you want to hit or specific stores you know you have to go to, plan your route ahead of time. Not only will this save time and gas but you will feel a lot less frazzled when you’re not zigzagging all over town. If you can, make lists of what you need at each store so that you don’t leave one store and, only upon arriving at the next one, remember you forgot to purchase the socks you wanted to get Granny.
A really good website to help you get organized for your holiday is www.organizedchristmas.com. This website gives you tons of tips and information for organizing everything from your gift list to your guest list. It also gives you plenty of ideas for homemade gifts, what to serve at dinner, etc.
Giving to the Less Fortunate:
*Many local churches have information on needy families around the holidays. You can also check charities, the newspaper and shelters. In the past, we’ve taken part in the Angel Tree in the mall. The tree has ornaments with information of a child or whole families in need. Usually a charity like the Salvation Army organizes this type of thing.
*If you want to reach out to the needs around the world, there are many websites where you can go to find out how to give gifts to families in third world countries. Presentaid.org, Practicalpresents.org and Greatgifts.org are just a few. Always check the security and reliability of such websites before giving them any personal information.
Homemade Gifts:
*If the ideas on www.organizedchristmas.com are ones you simply don’t like or feel you can’t do, a really good full-proof gift is an updated family picture in a nice frame. A good frame isn’t too expensive and you can probably take a decent picture with a digital camera and print it out at home or send it to a photo place online and have it printed at their local store.
*Homemade baked goods never fail! Even if people are on diets, around the holidays they seem to loosen up their habits (and their belts) a little so don’t be afraid to give your health-conscious Aunt Dotty a tin of your famous sugar cookies!
*Go to iTunes.com or another music site and make a cool CD for a loved one. A collection of songs that remind you of them is a personal sentiment that can be enjoyed even after the stockings have been ransacked for the last traces of anything that even remotely resembles Christmas candy!
Shuffling Children Through the Season:
Kids are often the victims of long days trudging around the mall or being dragged from here to there in the pursuit of the perfect gift for Uncle Harry, who already has everything he ever wanted. They also might find it difficult to adjust to a new routine if most of the day is taken up by holiday chaos. Help them get through the craziness that has inevitably enveloped the outside world (and probably your home as well) by getting them involved.
*Put them in charge of picking out at least one gift for a family member on your list. Let them organize and keep track of your lists. This will keep them busy and will get their minds thinking about others as they learn about the spirit of giving.
*A homemade countdown to Christmas is always a fun thing for small children to participate in. When I was young, we used construction paper to make a bell shape. Strips of the paper in alternating red and green colors were stapled into links creating a chain that hung down from the bell. Every night, we’d tear a link from the chain. Any variation on this can be used to help your child with the anticipation of the big day.
*Allowing little helpers to invade your kitchen might sound like a disaster waiting to happen but letting them be “Santa’s elves” for a day will make them happy while helping you with some of your holiday baking! Let them get involved with rolling and cutting cookies or adding ingredients to the mixing bowl. If you have a recipe that’s been in the family for years, explain to them the history of it and what it means to your family.
Through all this, remember the spirit of the season and don’t forget to have a little down time just for you! Relax and enjoy time with your family. Concentrate on what’s important to you and by Christmas Eve, everything will be complete and you can retire to bed (hopefully) before sunrise. Just don’t forget to leave a plate of cookies out for Santa!
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