Managing to enjoy the Holidays

I understand that for many people having a lot of things to do around the holidays feels over whelming. It just shows me how totally different people can be! I love to be busy around the holidays, having lots of places to go to just means there are more family members i can visit, more beautiful meals to enjoy and sometimes pass out some Christmas gifts too and of course I love bringing goodies to all our parties too! But it seems for most people this is not their idea of a Merry Christmas, and I believe it is because going to all these dinners and such feels overwhelming to them as they are not as prepared as they would like to be. Which is why I start slowly preparing for the Holidays in October and in October it is all those same people who call me crazy that are stressed out around Christmas, my advice is start slowly, do your shopping in October, there might not be as great of sales but the shelves aren't picked over and the stores are not as packed too! I start wrapping gifts in November so therefore i even have time to do some wrapping for family too. I start my baking in November too and finish in December, it is all about being ahead of the game, I plan out in October what I want to bring to each house as a hostess gift, everything is very well planned ahead, and I always plan for last minute invites so that (hopefully) nothing catches me off guard! I think that when a over whelmed person gets invited to a dinner or function they are not excited to go cause they are focusing on what they have not yet accomplished, so this is my advice, at this point in the game the 22nd of December, if you have not yet accomplished something for Christmas such as Christmas cards, decorating, baking, let it go, if it was important you would have found a way, it's not important to you so simply let it go, so that when you are attending functions you can enjoy yourself, let it go! If someone hands you a Christmas card and you have none for them, explain that this year you. let that go, and perhaps you will try again next year! People (hopefully) aren't giving you a card to get one back, but because they simply wanted you to have one. If someone stops in at your house and notices it isn't decorated you can simply state, I never got around to it this year, thats okay, sometimes there is not enough time in the day! We decorate in November, we do everything in November so that when Christmas comes we are ready to enjoy it and for next year that is what I suggest to all of you, preparation makes for a wonderful Christmas season, cause now all our goodies are in the freezer to be put on trays for hostess gifts, our gifts are wrapped and under the tree, our cards where mailed weeks ago, everything is done, so when i think of my 10 family Christmas dinners, I think FUN! Everything is ready to go, it is just a matter of getting cleaned up and dressed. SO i have let you all off the hook on many things but here are a few thing I insist you manage to fit in to your Holidays, down time! Super important, with all the running around you will be doing you need to schedule some down time at home to sit around and be lazy and watch Christmas movies! The other thing is NEVER show up to an event empty handed whether that means you had to run to the store last minute and grab a bottle of wine or chocolates or whatever (it is best around this time of year to keep a couple extras around) any leftovers of wine or chocolates can be used during your down time! :) Give yourself a break let go of what you didn't get done, focus on what you did get done and enjoy this time of year, it is so special and it only comes once a year, let's not forget to take the time and enjoy all our family and friends you never know what the future may hold. Enjoy your Christmas, let go of what never got done and focus on spending time with family and friends!