31 Days to a Stress Free Holiday Season - Day 10

We've really been focusing on getting ready for Thanksgiving over that last 9 days, but to really have a stress free holiday season, we need to start thinking ahead to Christmas too!

Now is a great time to get family pictures taken. By getting a jump on it, you can beat the rush and crowds at the portrait studio, get your photos back quicker, and start planning what you would like to do for your Christmas card! Most portrait studios already have their Christmas borders ready to go in October, so if you want printed cards you can get those taken care of now and have them signed, stuffed, and addressed before Thanksgiving rolls around.

October is also a great month to get pictures taken because your children won't change much before Christmas and if you are doing wardrobe changes you can still work in some summer outfits mixed with fall and winter clothes you have already picked out.

When do you normally get pictures taken? Christmas? Birthdays?

31 Days to a Stress Free Holiday Season - Day 9

Now that we've started stockpiling more recipes than we could ever make on one Thanksgiving day.....its time to make our menu!!! Start making a list of what courses you hope to serve. I usually have the following:

• Appetizers
• Snack food
• Entree
• Sides
• Gravy/sauces
• Bread
• Dessert
• Cookies
• Garnishes

Match those recipes up with the above categories and then fill in as needed. Some other things to keep in mind while planning your menu are:

• Who are you feeding? (ie. children, adults, mixed ages?)
• How much food will you need?
• What time of day is the meal?
• Are the any allergies you need to take into account?
• Do you need appetizers and snacks or just a main meal?
• What kind of dessert would you like to make?
• Do dishes need to be able to be made ahead of time?
• How much time do you want to spend on your menu?

What are some helpful hints you keep in mind when planning your menu?

31 Days to a Stress Free Holiday Season - Day 8

Now that our homes are beautifully decorated we can start checking other things off our list! Today we are going to start researching recipes for our Thanksgiving Feast!

It's a great time to drag out the recipe box and grab some family favorites to put on your menu. Sick of serving the same thing each year? Check out some popular sites like Recipe.com and Allrecipes.com for some fresh ideas. I just received some magazines in the mail this week with detailed Thanksgiving menus already paired up with sides and desserts which gave me some great ideas to start with.

What are some of your family's favorite recipes?

31 Days to a Stress Free Holiday Season - Day 7

 

Today we get to have some fun! Decorating for fall is so much fun, especially when you have three kiddos helping. They had the tub emptied in no time and things strewn here and there.

Once they got bored, I arranged things the way I like them and in no time I had a beautiful fall look!


Leave your link in the comments to your post on decorating for fall, I would love to see it! 

31 Days to a Stress Free Holiday Season - Day 6

Now that your decorations are at your finger tips, it is time to go through them and get rid of all the things you've been holding onto for years. You know those toilet paper turkeys you made as a kid and those cheap looking fake pumpkins........get rid of everything you don't absolutely love.

Now is a great time to really think about how you really want your house to look like this season. Are there tacky things in that storage tub that it is time to part with? Are you going for a more grown up and sophisticated look and need to possibly purchase a few more nice things to complete your decor? A few really nice things are always much better than a lot of junk scattered all over your home.

Tomorrow it's time to decorate so get things cleared out today and start visualizing your home beautifully adorned with the colors of fall!!

31 Days to a Stress Free Holiday Season - Day 5

 

Finally, a little bit of a break! Today our goal is to grab our fall decorations. Mine are out in storage so that means a trip into the city! Grab those decorations and have them at the ready, the next two days will be spent purging our stash and decorating our home!!

A cold front has moved into our area and I've got the urge to play with all things fall! I've made a few cups of hot chocolate already, closed the windows, gotten out the cool weather clothes for everyone, and made some grilled cheese sandwhiches......such a yummy time to be a homebody and enjoy my family!

Have you gotten your fall and Thanksgiving decoration out yet??

31 Days to a Stress Free Holiday Season - Day 4

 

Planning special fall events for our family is our goal for today.

 Is there someplace you say you are going to take the kids every year and never remember until the place is closed? Is there a special craft or treat you want to make together and Thanksgiving just slips by?

Well, by golly, this is the year it will get done!!

We are most likely moving this upcoming summer, so this is our last fall that we will be spending in this area and there are tons of fun things we have never taken  advantage of, so now is our chance!

I think we will head out to one of the local pumpkin patches and pick out some beautiful fall decor for our home. There are many farmer's markets and farms in our area that advertise fall activities like corn mazes, pumpkin bowling, and hayrides and with the weather turning soon it's a great time to take advantage of the beautiful colors!

I also so some gorgeous leaf cards that the kids could make and show how they are thankful for family and friends in our lives and there is no time like the present to get these take care of.

I'll be adding these events to my calendar today, researching the best time to go, and when the hubs is available!

How's your holiday season planning going?

What's on your event list?

31 Days to a Stress Free Holiday Season - Day 3

 

Now that we know what we want to do and what we are going to do first, it's a great time get out our calendars and put our ideas onto paper and plan our attack!

By taking things steady and slowly there is a better chance that we will really accomplish all that we want to do. There is also a better chance that we won't get overwhelmed or burned out and start to fizzle.

 

Look at your list and see how many things need to get done and spread these things out over the next 31 days. The best part about this challenge, is that since we have started so early getting our plans together, we also have most of November to wrap up any projects that take longer than expected.

 

Can you take an afternoon and research recipes? Is there a free weekend you can get all of your decorations out, purge them, get your home decorated for fall and have your Christmas decorations ready to go? Will sewing some gifts take a little work each day up until Christmas? Write down your plans on your calendar and use it as a guide to get your started!

 

What plans do you have that need to get put on paper?

31 Days to a Stress Free Holiday Season - Day 2

Prioritize!!!

 

 

It's the word for the day! Now that we've made our list of the things we need to accomplish, it's time to decide which things need to be completed first, which are absolute musts, and which are things you would like to do, but can get dropped if things get tight.

 

I'm using this challenge to get me ready for guest on Thanksgiving and on Christmas, so obviously I'm going to list my fall goals first while checking off some December goals as I go. There are some great crafts, recipes, and decorations that I would like to try, but I also know that I HAVE to have a basic plan in play too. (You know just in case someone is sick for the weeks leading up to the holiday or hubby isn't home to help as much as I had planned.)

 

By ranking your list in order of what is most important, even if your plans don't totally pan out, you will have a fabulous celebration that you can be proud of!

31 Days to a Stress Free Holiday Season - Day 1

October 1st!!

It's time to jump right in feet first and get started!!

Today we are going to start out by making a list of all we want to accomplish for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

 

This is also a great time to visualize what you want your special day, and also what the days leading up to them, to look like.

 

My personal goal in this challenge, is to have a relaxing season with my family reflecting on how blessed I am and sharing those blessing with others. I hope to enjoy a laid back season celebrating Jesus and His amazing gift and emulating His heart to all I come in contact with.

 

With these goals in mind, I've made a list of the things I will need to have out of the way in order to relax and enjoy time with my family. Here are some things I would like to have finished:

 

Have my menus completed

Purge decorations and decorate

Clean my home

Have gifts prepared and wrapped

Have cards and thank you notes ready

What are some things you need to get a jump on in order to enjoy this time of year???