We all love the holidays. They are a time for joy, laughter, and a huge steaming pile of stress if you're not ready for it. Between cooking, cleaning, decorating, organizing, travelling, and hosting (not to mention buying and wrapping presents), it's like having another full-time job without the paycheck but with a lot more glitter.
We’ve often travelled to Australia to see my husband’s family for Christmas, which adds a whole other layer of preparation on top of an already busy time of year. Through the years, I’ve honed specific coping techniques, found game-changing products, and developed habits that help me survive the season with my sense of humour primarily intact, no matter what the season throws my way.
- MAKE LISTS. I am the girl of a hundred lists. Lists are like magic spells that expand time and keep the Christmas chaos at bay. And start now. It’s never too early to start making your Holiday lists.
I use the Notes app on my iPhone to list everything from Gifts to Guests and Black Friday sales I plan to hit. I make lists for Menus + groceries for holiday dinners, packing lists for travel, and a list of people I plan to send cards and letters to. That last one usually makes it out the door in Chinese New Year, but I feel better just having a list! Even if you don't check everything off your Holiday Planning list, it will give your season more structure and less chaos.
- USE THE APPS. We might as well use robots before they become our benevolent overlords. I use Google Calendar, Notes (see above), Paperless Post for invitations and Perplexity to help me keep track of everything I need to plan and purchase. And if you don't have an Amazon Prime account yet, you're wasting time driving to the shops.
- BE YOUR OWN BUTLER. We could all use a loyal Mr. Carson to keep the household running efficiently, but since most of us operate without staff, we must organize ourselves. This is where planning ahead (see lists) and using whatever resources are available to us (see apps). By writing out a plan and sticking to it, you'll avoid wasting time, money and precious energy and be generally less grumpy all around.
- SET A HOLIDAY COLOUR PALETTE. I'm not kidding. This may seem trivial, but it makes a huge difference to Holiday Prep. Once you have a sort of colour scheme (or any theme, really), everything else falls into place more easily, and you'll be less distracted by things that don't fit into that theme. I like to pull inspiration for colour palettes from anywhere. This year, I'm on an Old Masters/Gainsborough vibe.
- WRAP STAR. I try to have everything wrapped (and labelled!) by the second week of December to relax and enjoy the festivities without stressing too much about presents. Now's the time to gather your wrapping paper, ribbon, tissue, boxes, good scissors (I have two different types: one for paper and another for cutting fabric) a weighted tape dispenser (essential when wrapping) and plain gift tags that I can use all year round. Now you're a wrapper!
BTW: Wrapping presents is also the perfect excuse for some "Me" time. Take over any space where you can pour yourself a glass of wine, snap on some headphones and shut the door. If anyone dares to breach your sanctuary, just yelp, "I'm wrapping in here!"
- HOUSEKEEPING! Now that you’ve gathered your cleaning supplies ordered the presents, and stocked the pantry, you to have to prepare for guests.
Embrace the art of the Hotel Room Clean. Housekeeping staff at a good hotel know how to clean a room efficiently without being too intrusive.
I’ve learned to resist the urge to deep-clean closets or fall down the rabbit hole of sorting through old cards and letters. That's a January job. Stick to light dust and vacuum, clean the bathroom and mirrors, spritz a delicious room spray, and walk away, or you’ll get overwhelmed.
- CHILL, PLEASE. Don’t burn yourself out trying to be Martha Stewart. Get comfortable with accepting that you can’t do everything. Order takeout, ignore the dishes, and let the ironing basket go unmolested. Nobody will care or even notice. Embrace the chaos and cherish the moments spent with loved ones. You have to give yourself permission to enjoy the holidays, too!
Every year, I start to stress about presents and parties. That’s when I have to remind myself that people will remember how you make them feel much longer than a perfectly cooked meal or stylish tablescape.
Remember, the holidays are about connection, not perfection. That, and day-drinking is perfectly acceptable! Here’s to happy holidays filled with laughter, love and lots of eggnog—cheers!
Xx, mlk
