The Holiday Season is upon us. This is meant to be a time of spreading joy and gratitude, but for many of us it turns into a hectic rush that causes way more stress than joy! Let’s make a plan (with wiggle room of course) to get you ready for this crazy time so that you too can enjoy the season with a light hearted spirit and see the miracles of this special time of the year. Download my FREE Planner for the Holiday Season and make sure that you plan some self care along the way! Self Care is the gift that keeps on giving. Way better than the jelly of the month club! LOL! Yes, watching funny and corny Christmas movies is one of my favorite forms of self care during the holidays. :)

Weekly Planner:

The Holiday season can be the most exciting and most busy 5-7 weeks of the year. This requires some planning! 

• I suggest using your planner to write down any appointments or parties or reminders that you need during this hectic time. 

• Also don’t forget to plan in time for “wiggle room”. Don’t book your schedule so tight that everything has to go as planned. Everything NEVER goes as planned. There will be extra traffic. The lines will be longer than normal. Appointment times might shift 15 minutes or so. Allow yourself extra time for everything during this season so that you don’t have to be in a rush. Rushing only adds to your stress. 

• And most importantly, schedule some “me” time. Self care is the key to being your best self.

Holiday Week Meal Plan:

During the Holidays, your household may run a little differently than the rest of the year. The kids will have half days or days off from school. You or other members of your family may take days off from work. You may have guests staying with you. Because of this, you may need to plan more meals besides your normal routine of planning “What’s for Dinner?” (you can read more about that HERE). In order to save yourself some time and money, it is a good idea to plan out breakfast, lunch, and some snacks to make sure nobody goes hungry and you don’t have to make extra trips to the grocery store. All of those extra trips can really cut into your self care time which eventually takes away your ability to enjoy the holidays the way you would like to. 

Monthly Budget:

Budgeting can be more stressful during the holidays than during the rest of the year. I would like to encourage you to stay within your means and do your best to have a holiday that does not add to your debt. Credit free Christmas may mean that everyone does not get the latest tech gadget under the tree, but as hard as it can be, try to think outside of the box and come up with something that does not break the bank. Come January, you will be so thankful that you made this decision!

One year, at the beginning of my journey to become debt free, I made cookies for everyone on my list. Guess what. They LOVED them! The following year I was doing better financially and actually purchased gifts for my family and friends. They said “Thanks Ang, but where are the cookies?!” Proof that you don’t have to go in debt to make the Holidays Bright for your loved ones!

Holiday Shopping list:

I usually make my Holiday shopping list (gifts, decoration, party/food supplies) around Thanksgiving. You may think this is a little late, but hey, I really don’t have the storage space for that and 100% disclosure, if I did Christmas shopping throughout the year, I will totally forget who I bought what for! 

• Every year I make a list of all of my family and friends that I would like to get a gift for and cross that name off my list as I go. 

• Put a star or make a separate list for any gift that you will need to ship. Try to get those out as early as possible. You can find holiday shipping schedules online. Here is the link for USPS. You can also use these dates to get your greeting cards out in time if you choose to do so. 

• I also make lists for any new decorations that I would like. This list includes wrapping paper and accessories.

• As you bring your Holiday Meal plans to mind, list any special ingredients that you will need. Don’t forget disposable baking dishes for easy cleanup! 

Conclusion:

The Holiday Season can be a very stressful time but with a little planning, it can be a whole lot easier.

Download this gift from me to you: FREE Planner for the Holiday Season. You can print these pages and use them however it works best for you.

No matter if you are the type of person that started shopping for the Holidays months ago, or you are the last minute type, make sure that you schedule some time for yourself this year. Your family and friends will love spending time with the refreshed you, rather than the frazzled you! So make sure to do something every day that makes you happy.