Organizing at Christmas

Christmas can busy time, so be sure to stay organized in order to reduce stress and increase Holiday joy!

Here are my recommendations for a family focused and Christ centered Christmas! 

1. Contact local family members around Thanksgiving to arrange family get togethers for Christmas. Try to balace going to other family member's home with events in your own home.

2. If you are dealing with blended and complex families, arrange events in the days before and after Christmas. Don't stress if you can't eat a meal with every family member, you may just need to arrange a time to drop off presents and catch-up.

Be sure to suggest that meal events are pot lucks - the food will be better, and everyone's stress level will be lower!

Also, you may want to hire a cleaning service for a visit just before the holidays to cut down on your own stress level! It would be a worthwhile investment.

3. If both you and your spouses parents are divorced, try getting together with both your Mom and Mother-in-Law (with their spouses) on one night, then your Dad and Father-In-Law (and their spouses) on another night.

Another idea is to invite family to a Church Christmas presentation featuring your children, or simply attend a church service together as an extended family.

4. To reduce the amount of presents you are buying, make arrangements with work friends and cousins to draw names for presents.

Or Spice Up a Family Event with a "White Elephant Gift" party where people each bring one gift and draw numbers for them (Later numbers can take an already unwrapped gift from someone).

5. Consider volunteering with your extended family at a soup kitchen or clothes pantry.

6. Be sure to start your Christmas shopping no later than November and aim to have it all done by mid-December. Buy a few generic presents, in case you need a last-minte gift.

7. If you want to send photo cards or photo gifts, be sure to get your pictures taken in November.

8. To save money, create gift baskets for friends, teachers, and cousins in either baskets from DollarTree or Thirty-One's Little Carry All Caddies. See ideas below for teen gift baskets.

9. Arrange your gifts in totes by parties and family get togethers.  For example, put all your gifts for a 12/22 tree trimming party in one tote under your tree, then put all your gifts for a Christmas Eve party in another tote.

10. Don't forget to schedule down time when you and your kids can just enjoy spending some together at home!