The holiday season can be full of joy or full of obnoxious pressure of feeling like you are never doing enough… and the line between the two can be a thin one. Personally I LOVE the holiday season. The lights, decorations and opportunities to turn ordinary things into fun memories,
but if I am not careful, my love for the holidays turns into a stressful season of feeling like I’m not doing or giving enough. Over the years I have found ways to stress less and enjoy more. These tips have truly made the holiday season much more than a commercial holiday but one that my family looks forward to year after year
1. Start with What You Have and Decorate Early
Nothing kicks off the holiday spirit like decorating. But here’s the trick: before you hit the stores, start by “shopping” your own decor stash. This not only saves money but also helps avoid buying things you already have. Create a wishlist of specific items you’re hoping to add this year, like maybe a few fun festive touches for a room you haven’t decorated before—For example, I have never decorated the bathrooms. So this year, my goal is to add a few items of decor to my collection that can be specifically used to spruce up the bathroom.
If you’re a collector, keep a note on your phone of what you already have. I love love love the Marc Jabos collector elves, and I am fortunate enough to have a bunch in my collection. But if we are being real, if i was to find one in my travels, I would forget what ones I have and don’t. And these collector items are way too expensive to want to duplicate. I now can cross reference my list to make sure it’s not one I already have.
2. Create a Consistent Christmas Aesthetic
I love a beautiful dare I say Pinterest-worthy aesthetic. And I have found the best way to attempt to achieve it, is to have color themes for main parts of the home. A traditional country Christmas is my absolute favorite. As a result the color in the main part of my home is red, green and brown. Now of course my kids LOVE the colored lights and a bit more sparkle so having a kids Christmas tree that can have the colored lights and the mix match ornaments that they love has been the best solution. This way, everyone gets to enjoy their favorite holiday style without not having the overall “pinterest” aesthetic.
We are lucky enough to have a toy room, and putting up this tree in their space has been KEY. I don’t feel like a grinch for not wanting the color mix-match craze, but I also don’t have to look at it in the main part of my home.
Having a set color scheme makes it easier when browsing holiday aisles—if it doesn’t match my chosen theme, it’s an easy “no.” Plus, each room gets a bit of holiday cheer with its own vibe.
3. Ask for a Family Wish List
I love walking into the holiday season knowing what it takes to make it special for the family. Instead of guessing what would make them happiest, I just ask! This way I know what makes the season magical and special to everyone. We concentrate our efforts on what makes people happy vs what I think we should do.
Truthfully, the kids’ answers often surprise me:
Matthew, my son wants to have a home-alone marathon and LOVES putting out the village.
Lindsey, my 9-year-old, is obsessed with making cookies but specifically Grinch cookies, and LOVES the holiday theme crafts from Michaels.
Knowing exactly what they each love helps me plan special moments that make them light up. Plus, it lets me skip the “to-do” items that don’t add to the magic and feel more like chores. Just asking instead of assuming—who knew it could be this powerful?
4. Organize Your Gift List
Y’all it doesn’t have to be complicated but having a running list of what you have purchased/spent for gifts has been a game changer. With online shopping in full swing, it’s easy to lose track of what you’ve bought. To avoid double-buying or forgetting hidden presents, I keep a running gift list in Google Sheets. This way, I can check my list on the go and stay within budget while also keeping track of what I’ve purchased, wrapped, and still need.
5. Make Use of Handy Christmas Gadgets
This one simple, dare I say “cheap”, product will COMPLETELY change your holiday game. Putting all of the lights on a remote control is a COMPLETE game changer. It may seem small, but being able to switch off all the lights with a click, especially after everyone’s tucked in, adds a bit of holiday magic and saves the hassle of crawling behind the trees, and trust me there are a LOT of trees I would have to crawl around. Hands down the most needed product if you have a lot of Christmas lights like us.
6. Additional Christmas Hacks for a Joyful Season
A few other self explanatory honorable mentions of my favorite Christmas hacks to make the season more enjoyable:
- Book Baskets: Each year, I pack up our Christmas-themed books so that when December rolls around, they feel new again. The kids love rediscovering these stories each season.
- Gift Wrapping Station: Set up a dedicated wrapping station with all the essentials—scissors, tape, tags, and a roll of paper or two. Having a designated space off the floor is a game changer, and keeping everything in totes makes it easy to store and reuse year after year.
With these Christmas stress tips, your holiday season can go from overwhelming to genuinely enjoyable. Remember, it’s not about doing everything perfectly—it’s about creating a season filled with moments your family will cherish. Happy, stress-free holidays!
