We all know time is getting away from us when we begin to hear the X many days until Christmas countdown. This announcement can either bring a calm, confident smile to your face or cause your heart to accelerate and your stomach to flip. Be kind to yourself this holiday season and allow yourself to be one of the lucky people in the smiling crowd.


Planning ahead is the single most important ingredient to a less stressful holiday season. I have been known to begin scribbling down gift ideas for next year while opening this year’s gifts. If I hear someone exclaim over another’s package or speak up about something they saw while shopping for others, I have to get it down on paper. I am not good enough to remember months down the road that Cousin Heather REALLY wanted those books on CD. If I make a note and do some follow up detective work to verify that the CD’s have not been purchased, I am ready to go. These little ideas help me get through the year. Everyone seems excited when I get their name for Christmas so it must be working.


Second, make the gifts personal. This does not necessarily mean that you have to have the recipient’s name engraved somewhere or anything like that. A gift personalized can come in any shape or size. Last year I received a personalized ornament for my tree. My family members know that I try to buy one ornament that is special for that year, usually including the date. I loved it! Personalization really shows that you have put some time, effort, and thought into the gift.


Third, think about family traditions. I do have more than one ornament tradition in my house. Each year I purchase a personalized christmas ornament for my children. I try to make it represent something they have been excited about over the past year or where they are in their lives. My son recently acquired a new addition to his household, a cute little dog. I found an ornament with a similar looking dog on it, had his name engraved, and now I am ready!


Another tip is to decide ahead of time how much you can spend for the holidays. If you are disciplined enough to set money aside every month, that is the way to go. Most of us are probably not that good. Many people pick up the actual gifts throughout the year (guilty!). When you spread the spending out it is much less damaging on a budget. Holiday spending remorse can be a tough thing to get through if it takes you months to pay off credit cards.

Finally, get those gifts wrapped up and ready to go. The holiday season is a busy one! Even if you have everything purchased, your work is not done. When you take time to make the presents look good, you look good. Even if gift bags surround your tree, get the job done so that the holidays are yours to enjoy!

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