Homebris where the heart should be this season. Being with family and gatheringbraround the dining
room table or fire- place hearth is where everyone belongs.brNot running here or there to get a last minute ingredient or present for yourbrsecond cousin twice removed who happened to show up this year. Adding too muchbrto your plate —the figurative one —during the holidays has really become thebrnew nor- mal. The season by nature is full of hustle and bustle, and it is easybrto find yourself in the midst of holiday commotion!
Combatbrthis commotion through preparation and fore- thought. It’s the simplest way tobrhave a hassle-free home for the holidays. In order to accomplish at least onebror two things on your to-do list and at the same time not feel naughty forbrcutting corners, preparation is key. We’ve spoken to experts who specialize inbrorganization, décor and stress —which can all be related during the holidays!brThey’ve got great advice sure to get you in good spirits for the season.
Hassle Free Menu Planning
Nothingbrfeels worse than getting ready to bake grand- ma’s favorite cookies andbrrealizing there is no butter or flour. Katie Oswald of the NEAT Method advisesbrthat planning in advance is key. “This is the one area and time of year Ibrencourage clients to have extras on hand. Between baking and meal prep, commonbringredients (i.e. butter, flour, oil) tend to get used more quickly during thebrholidays than other times of the year. Having plenty of basic ingredients onbrhand will ensure no one has to run to the grocery store during holiday trafficbrand chaos.”
Andbrif ever there was a time to make a menu and grocery list for the upcomingbrweeks, it is during the holidays! With all that is going on during the holidaysbr– planning for guests to arrive, decorating your home and buying presents – itbris essential to stay on top of things. One way to do this is with as many listsbras possible.
“Partbrof planning is of course creating many detailed lists,” Oswald said. “Ibrrecommend making a list of every- thing you want to make two weeks before thebrbig meal. Then make a list of which platters and serving utensils you will usebrfor each dish and what quantities of ingredients you will need to buy. Andbrlast, but most important, make a detailed timeline for the meal prep andbrcooking.”
Ifbrlists aren’t your cup of hot tea, perhaps organize your pantry and refrigeratorbrin a way that with just a quick glance you know what you have and what you arebrlacking. Either way, organization is key for seamless meal preparation.
Ifbryour cookbooks have a thin layer of dust on them, there are simple ways to makebrstore bought look and taste like you spent all day preparing them. First ofbrall, if you picked up a few side dishes from a restaurant, be sure to transferbrthem to your own serving platters.
Second,brif you stopped by the grocery store to dabble in cooking, add a topping orbrmix-in to your sides. Have frozen green beans? Once cooked, add slivers ofbralmonds to top them off. Already prepared mashed potatoes? Stir in Par- mesanbrcheese and garlic seasoning.
Lastly,brwhatever baked goods you bring home, from pies and pastries to cookies andbrcupcakes, warm in the over just before serving. And don’t forget to serve onbryour own stand or tray. We really like the Antique Silver Tiered Stand frombrPottery Barn.
Preparing for Guests
Accordingbrto Professional Organizer and founder of NEAT Method Katie Oswald, creating abrcomfortable environment for holiday guests is essential. “Fresh flowers, pressedbrlinens, a few current magazines, and extra pillows and blankets in each guestbrroom will ensure visitors feel welcome.”
Everyone’sbrbeen in the situation of traveling and realizing too late that they left abrthing or two at home. Rather than sending guests to the nearest store that sellsbrthe forgotten items, wouldn’t it be nice to have them handy?
Oswaldbrsuggests having extra phone chargers on hand in the guest room, and staging thebrguest bathroom as well. “Like the bedroom, the guest bathroom should containbressential items that will either help guests feel at home or substitute for anybrthey may have forgotten. I like to keep travel-sized toothpastes, shampoos, andbrsoaps in a large glass jar or other visible container for guests to easilybraccess during their stay.”
Abovebrall, guests should feel at home. They could have chosen to stay at a hotel, butbrsince you have opened your doors to them, make sure it is a pleasantbrexperience. Living out of a suitcase for a week is not a fun way to spend thebrholiday vacation. “Designating a space for guests to store their belongings,breven if it is small, will help them feel settled and at home during theirbrstay,” Oswald said. “Place a few extra hangers in the guest closet as well as abrmini clothing steamer, or iron and ironing board, especially for those who arebrstaying a few days.”
Coping with Holiday Stress
Everyone can attest to thebrfact that the holidays are a stressful time of year. There seems to be much tobrdo, and we often times don’t allow ourselves much time to prioritize orbraccomplish our to-do list. In fact, according to Maryellen Dabal, MA, LMFT, inbrSouthlake, this falls under the category of top three stressors. “In mybropinion, the top three holiday stressors are financial worries about havingbrenough money to cover holiday expenses, being able to prioritize people andbrevents during this time, and anxiety associated with being with family orbrfriends,” Maryellen said.
However, on a positivebrnote, these stressors don’t have to bring you down. For example, looking atbrprioritization —it all boils down to making it simpler for you. “In order tobrprioritize what is important during the holidays, take time when you are calmbrand not overstressed to think about what you want to do during the holiday,”brMaryellen said. “Decide who is important that you be with.”
Simplify the holidays sobryou can enjoy them,” Maryellen said. “Delegate responsibilities to others wherebrpossible and eliminate those tasks that are not necessary. Allow the kids tobrhelp wrap gifts for others. You decide if you have to send out 150 holidaybrcards that are hand signed with special notes written in each. If this is whatbris important to you, then absolutely make time for it. Be sure to plan time forbrthe things that are most important to you now.”
Holiday anxiety
“Anxiety is a huge problembrduring the holidays,” Maryellen said. “Whether we are anxious about seeingbrfamily members we haven’t seen in a while or trying to impress people we arebrmeeting for the first time or nervous about the neighborhood holiday party, itbris normal to feel anxiety. A small amount of this anxiety can actually motivatebrus.”
We all have faced somebrsort of this feeling in life, even if briefly. As Maryellen said, some types ofbranxiety can push us to do what is necessary this holiday season. However, therebrare certain levels of anxiety that do more harm than good. “When that anxietybrinterferes with everyday life, however, we need to be sure to address it,”brMaryellen said. “When uncontrolled anxiety hits, take a step back and have abrconversation with yourself. Remind yourself who is in control of you….you are.brRemind yourself to breathe and fully think through a situation before you makebra decision on it. Take a moment to close your eyes if you can and justbrbreathe. Listen to your breathing andbrslow down so you can focus on your priorities and responsibilities. With regardbrto family, remind yourself of your strengths. No one knows you better than you.”brMaryellen suggests that if you cannot control this anxiety, contact abrhealthcare professional.
Stress and your family
Emotions during thebrholiday season can run the gamete, from happy and joyful to worried andbrfrustrated. Stress can affect family life —not only can stress affect adults,brbut kids also. Children can sense the level of stress their parents arebrshouldering. “Our children model what we do more often than what we say,”brMaryellen said. “Communicating with our family about what is important and whatbrthe priorities are can help make for better guidelines and boundaries duringbrthe holiday season. Discussing expectations of family members ahead of time canbrreduce stress and allow each person to prepare for what they need to do during thebrupcoming holidays.”