Holiday Survival Guide (aka Simplifying!)

We’re only four days into December, and I already feel like I’m ten days behind in holiday preparation! Ahh! Ok, ok, I know that seems crazy (um, maybe I’m crazy?!?), but there’s so much to do and so little time! I finally sat myself down and gave myself a pep talk. No really, I did. (Yes, the craziness has been confirmed.) With all the hustle and bustle of the season, I’m attempting to make it stress free by simplifying! Key word: attempting. 😉 I always overschedule us this time of year, but this year I’m determined to take it own a notch. Just a notch. 😉 Here are five ways I’m simplifying this season:

Simplify the To Do List:
Let’s face it, I loooooove lists. Sometimes I even add “wake up” and “brush teeth” just so I can cross off more things. 😉 However, I’m trying to simplify all the “musts” this season. This includes everything from overscheduling and toning down my plans for big holiday parties. Ha! We’ll still stick to our favorite holiday traditions (like temple square lights, small holiday gatherings!) but maybe not baking cookies for every house in the neighborhood like a mad woman. 😉

Simplify the Décor:
We have boxes filled with Christmas decorations in the garage and this year, I’ve decided to simplify just a little bit. Instead of my entire house decked out in Christmas stuff, I’m trying to keep it to a minimal. The banister is lined with stockings,our tree sits in the corner, and one banner hangs in our dining room. I switched out a few of our photos for Christmas photos of the girls and a few prints from the shop, but other than that, I left the rest in the garage. There’s still that comfy, cozy feeling in our home, but it’s not overboard! We have plans for dinner parties and dessert nights, and as much as I want it o look pinterest worthy, I’m sticking to the basics this year.

Simplify the Mess:
Oh man, is it just me or does the mess seem to increase over the holidays? Extra goodies, mail, pine needles galore! I’ve been working hard on uncluttering each room in our home. Throwing away or donating anything we don’t need, don’t use, or don’t want (including toys! I always feel the need to deep clean the playroom before Christmas morning!) As for those pesky pine needles, I’ve been using my Hoover Cordless Vacuum every day (sometimes multiple times a day. A little three year old I know loves playing by the tree 😉 I love that it’s easy to pull out of my laundry room, turn on (no cords!) and it switches from my laminate floors to rug with one push of a button. I keep the interchangeable battery charged at all times, so when mixing, powered sugar goes off like a bomb and covers the floor (true story!) or when we have friends and neighbors over, the clean up is easy and fast.

Simplify the Sweets:
This is the HARDEST one, hash tag all my teeth are sweet. ; ) But, I’m trying to make an effort to eat less sweets. Doesn’t mean I’m cutting them all out completely, no siree! But I am trying to avoid eating treats around the clock…like I typically do this time of year! I have ten times more energy if I eat less sugary, more filling foods, and with the amount of sleep we’ve been getting as of late, I need all the energy I can get. Ha! 😉

Simplify the Gifts:
We implemented the something to want, wear, need, read system this year when buying for the girls, and Brian and I are only filling each other’s stockings with a few small, inexpensive gifts, no big presents. We are hoping by simplifying the gifts and “stuff,” we will be able to focus on the real reason of the season. And save some $$ too! Addie’s list has a big box of diapers on it (need! 😉 and I can’t wait to get Ellie her very own Book of Mormon for primary next year! I’d sill love to do a small gift for some of our neighbors (any good ideas?) Here’s to surviving the crazy holiday season…and enjoying every minute if it! 😉

 I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.