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The holiday season is a time for family, friends, music, and smiles, lots of smiles. But the reality is that it can be exhausting and downright stressful.  Traveling, shopping, cooking, cleaning, events, and just the immense pressure to get things picture ready.   So today I want to help simplify that process with three simple steps to make this holiday season your best.

1. Breathe

It’s easy to forget to breathe and let go during this season, but that’s exactly what you need to do to have a pleasant and memorable holiday.  Remember you don’t have to do everything, it’s okay to say no and stay in.  If you’re not fond of cooking, don’t cook. There are a plethora of stores that prepare hot foods and I highly suggest you make use of them and save yourself the burden. That goes for all other things associated with the holidays: decorating, keep it simple and don’t waste money for a few weeks of décor. Above all else, just breathe and remember the reason for the holidays: a time to give thanks, celebrate the birth of Jesus, and be grateful for a seeing new year.  Simple.

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2. Have a written plan of action

What do you want your holiday season to look like? Once you’ve got your vision, it’s now time to write it down.  Be realistic with what’s possible and understand next year will bring another holiday season so we don’t have to try to do it all this year. Once you’ve got it down, break it down to steps that are doable each day. My vision for this season is to enjoy meals and take part in the making of them. Making sure most of my family is present for each meal and not overbooking myself. To make it possible, I’ve already got my schedule of events in my planner and my menu of what I’m bringing (if anything) to each dinner party. As I’m still in school I need to study for final exams so I don’t want to over-extend myself and sacrifice school. That simple.

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3. Budget

Without a budget the holidays can easily eat away your savings.  It’s crucial that you be honest with yourself and your family in what you can and cannot do. Again, next year brings a new season with new opportunities, so do only what you can this year and save yourself from mourning your bank account in January. A cool idea is to bring the tradition of gift exchanges, commonly associated with the workplace, to home. Setting up a family and friends gift exchange is an excellent way for everyone to get something while not going over your budget. Simple.

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If you’ve got other methods of keeping your holidays simple, please share in the comment box below. I’d love to know. 

Happy Holidays, 

Marie