Holiday Organizing 101

Christmas music is playing in the background, apple cider is simmering on the stove, your heart is full of holiday cheer!

Sounds great, right?! Until the mess of decorations starts closing in, the wrapping paper seems to have multiplied on every surface around you, and you can't for the life of you FIND. THE. SCISSORS!

Friend, I have been there! Recently if I'm being honest.

We are the family that anticipates the day after Thanksgiving to fully surrender into the Christmas spirit. We bring up all the decorations from the basement, start a Christmas movie on the Hallmark Channel, and pretend we're Santa's elves!

And then my chest starts to tighten, my breaths get shortened, and I'm ready to pack it all back up before we even get started.

Just for giggles, tell me I'm not the only one...please.

After a min-nap (because that always helps reset my mind) and a snack (because food is important!), I'm ready to face the challenge ahead.

Here's how I conquer the flood of anticipation and excitement that will inevitably try to take me down...

1. Reset expectations - and then reset them again! LOL Sometimes there's too much chaos or you're low on energy or you're truly not in the mood. And that's ok! Make the tasks smaller. Bringing up the boxes IS completing a step in the process, DONE! Setting up the {faux} Christmas tree IS completing a step in the process, CHECK! and Making a grocery list for the recipes you're planning to make IS completing a step in the process, BINGO! In this season of grace, take it at your own pace.

2. Set up a wrapping station - preferably somewhere that's convenient to access but not in your every day spaces. Mine is in the basement where I can wrap in peace without little eyes peeking around the corner! I make sure I have a dedicated pair of scissors, packages of tape, and gift labels in my "kit" so that I don't have to run around hunting for the things I need when I'm ready to wrap. Pro tip...consider using only gift BAGS and tissue paper for a change and watch how your life instantly gets easier!

3. Ask for help - this is a big one and not an easy one if I'm being honest. Sometimes I feel like I should be the one doing all the "magic making" for my family in my home. But, truth be told, the magic really happens when we work together in harmony. So I'll ask my husband to put the trees together, my mom will fluff the branches, my oldest daughter sets out all the table top decor, my son will change the batteries in the faux candles, my dad takes pictures, and my youngest daughter finds a fun Christmas playlist! Ta-da!! Now we all have a part to play and we all feel included and connected to the tasks and each other!

4. Make a list - and check it twice! LOL So often my husband and I are both buying gifts for the kids and we're unintentionally duplicating efforts. Now we use a shared spreadsheet to literally keep us on the same page. We jot down gift ideas, where we plan to buy them from, and check them off as they arrive (because let's be honest, online shopping is the hack of all hacks!). This way we remember what we've already bought and can keep track of what else we plan to purchase before the big day.

5. Consider gifts for the kids only - Ok, this one may ruffle some feathers but hear me out. In the last 15 years of our marriage we have primarily focused on the kids' gift giving for Christmas morning. And here's why - if my husband wants a new "thingamabob" he will buy it for himself. If I have my eye on a new pair of shoes, I'll just buy them for myself. My parents (at 70+ years old) have pretty much anything and everything that they want/need at this point in their lives. So what if, as adults, we give ourselves the gift of freedom from the expense, and the effort, and the expectation to find "the perfect gift" for someone who is truly craving quality time with YOU!

What would you add to this list? Does this list (or parts of it) make sense for you and your family holiday traditions? What could you adjust this year that could make a difference for years to come?

Above all, my prayer is that we could let the spirit of this season seep deep into our souls, to remember and stand in awe of the King of kings who humbled Himself as a helpless baby to live a perfect life, die an undeserved death, and conquer the grave so that we can live with Him in Eternity! And that this would be our hearts' focus every day of the year.

Merry Christmas friends!

Love,

Ashley