During this holiday season, how do you get it all done? There are so many activities and preparation, from baking cookies to chauffeuring kids to play and concert rehearsals, buying gifts to decorating the house.
Today on the Families.com Facebook page, the question to answer was how do you get it all done? How can you fit in all of the things that you need to do during the holidays?
There were a lot of great responses, such as to be more like our husbands and ignore it all to play video games without guilt (Gardens of Time, anyone?). But if that doesn’t work for you, try these practical solutions to getting it all done.
First, realize that you can’t get it all done. You knew that right? Each of use is only given 24 hours in a day, and when you take away time for sleeping, eating, etc., that leaves you about 16 hours. If you work or care for children, you can cross more hours off. So what can you reasonably accomplish with your remaining hours?
Well, make a list of priorities. What is most important to you and your family. You can do this by season or by day. For example, let us say that you have a Saturday afternoon free–three hours. Would you rather put up the tree, bake those cookies or take your family out to a Christmas concert, tree lighting or other family event? You are probably not going to be able to do all of it, else you’ll wind up with a half-finished tree, covered with cookie dough and miss half of the concert.
Downsizing is so important. Do you need 10 varieties of cookies? Can you use cookie mixes or ready made cookie dough? Do you usually shop till you drop? How about gift cards or vouchers this years for some of the people on your list? Can you simplify your decorating? Again, it all comes down to what is most important to you and your family.
Delegate! Kick that husband off of the computer and give him a specific task to do. The same goes for the kids. Yes, things might not turn out just the way you want them to, but will you really care when you are soaking in the bathtub, good paperback book in hand?
Trade Services. I keep picking on the cookie people, but maybe baking cookies and lots of them is what you love to do. Offer a variety of those cookies to a neighbor for his or her holiday, in exchange for getting your outside lights done. You both win!
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