With string lights, wreaths and carolers found at every corner, the holidays are quickly approaching. Now is the time to get everything in order so you can spend your time with family and friends stress-free, and focused on being together.
There’s a lot that goes into preparing the perfect holiday celebration, so we have crafted the ultimate guide to ensure you have everything ready for the holiday season.
The last thing you want to do is spend those precious holidays, and days off from work, stressing over last-minute tasks. With this guide, we can guarantee that you’ll feel a little less of the holiday madness this season.
Money, Money, Money
One of the biggest stressors, especially around the holiday season, is finances. All of that holiday shopping and the next thing you know your accounts are left entirely empty coming into the new year… a nightmare to say the least. Here’s how to save yourself from financial stress:
Budget
First thing’s first: create a budget! Few people actually do this, but creating a budget is extremely important to stop yourself from overspending. Having a fixed budget will save you the stress of wondering if you’re going overboard, and will serve as a constant reminder of what you can and can’t afford.
Get Creative
Aside from gifts, a lot of our holiday spending goes into wrapping the gifts themselves. Instead of blowing the bank, try to reuse gift wrapping or bags from previous years, or get creative and use different natural materials like pinecones or christmas tree leaves in place of ribbons to decorate your gifts! Doing so will mean less money spent, less waste produced, and let’s face it: we all rip through the wrapping within seconds anyway.
Skip the Mall Trip and Buy Online
Shopping online instead of in a mall can save you from a lot of unnecessary distractions. With online shopping you can search only for the products you’re looking for, while not getting distracted and consequently buying things you don’t need. Ordering online also gives a lot of opportunities to find store promotions! In fact, Lull is currently having our Holiday Flash Sale with $150 off any
mattress and free shipping on all orders, saving you even more money!
Prepare for Family
Family coming to stay for the Holidays? Bringing everyone together, and most importantly keeping everyone happy, can definitely come at the expense of high stress levels. Below are some ways to help you take on hosting the family.
Food Preparation
Having family together means feeding a lot of mouths, so early preparation is everything! There is nothing scarier than a grocery store on Christmas Eve, so get ahead of the rush and stock up the weekend before. Start prepping and baking the same weekend, and freeze any baked goods you can so it’s all ready to go the day of. You don’t want to spend your time with family stuck in the kitchen.
Utilize the Extra Hands
Family coming over can mean more work, but it also gives you more working hands. Don’t leave all of the work or cleaning up to yourself, family is always happy to help, so don’t be afraid to delegate! Doing the work together can be treated like a family activity, and means more time spent together.
Bedding Situation
We all love our relatives no matter what, but we also know that it’s hard to please everyone, especially when it comes to their sleeping situations. Save the stress of having your family complain about their sore backs or being too cold at night and ensure each guest room has quality mattresses and bedding. With Lull’s bedding, we promise you won’t hear a peep out of anyone!
Some Things to Remember
Finally, amidst all of the madness, here are some key things to remember.
Create a Schedule
Like most hectic times in your life, it’s truly crucial to have a planned schedule for each day. Doing so will help you visualize what needs to be done, and will help you stay on top of things. Without a schedule, it can be easy to forget tasks along the way. Make sure to schedule out each day so you’re not stressed over last-minute errands!
Treat Yourself
With everything you’re doing for your loved ones this season, it’s important to take some time for yourself. Whatever it may look like to you whether it’s buying yourself something nice, reading your favorite novel, taking a nap or even just a second for a quick breather, you should always set aside some time to take care of yourself and your wellbeing.
If you’re ever feeling overwhelmed, just know you’re doing great, and you’re loved ones appreciate everything you do for them. Try not to let the stress get the best of you this holiday season. With this guide, you’ll be spending your holidays worry-free and focused on family.
