Oh my gawwwd….... the holidays are literally right around the corner and I feel as though I am the least prepared I have ever been at this point. And no worries... I added hosting Christmas Eve to our list this year because the thought of our family not being together just didn't feel right after celebrating with them EVERY Christmas Eve since Ben & I have been together. {Yep, I was the one just bragging in the Thanksgiving post about how I never have to host holidays. I am suddenly feeling so grown up!} So yeah, I am over here making all the lists and checking them twice {or perhaps a million times to ensure I am not forgetting something.}
The Kids' Christmas Lists
The Christmas List for Our Family
The Menu/Guest List for Christmas Eve
The Grocery/Products List for Christmas Eve
The General Things-to-Do List
Orderly by Danica To-Do-List
Smith Landscaping To-Do-List
.... you know, just pages & pages of lists and what feels like zero time to get anything done. Am I the only one feeling this way?!
Saturday morning it was checking off ordering the annual grandkid photos for my Mother-in-law but not before my Sister-in-Law and I scrolled back & forth through the photos trying to decide which we thought she'd like best. Then scrolling through her phone to find photos of her kids for the annual family calendar {that still needs to be done}.
All I wanted on Sunday morning was to get up and drink some coffee while sitting in my pajamas for five minutes when our daughter springs on me that she has a science project due that she still needed materials for so she could complete it?! Um, what? I may have lost my mind on her. Yep... let's wait until the day before the project is due to get on that. {Clearly her organization/planning skills have waned when it comes to school work.} So rather than drinking my coffee in my pajamas - it was off to Walmart to get supplies for a science project. Sighhhhh. Yep, none of that was on one of the lists above - nor are any of the normal day-to-day things that come up. It's exhausting.
Then it was off for another quick Christmas Shopping excursion with Ben; followed by dinner with my parents; weekly menu planning; grocery shopping; laundry; preparing lunches for the week; etc...
So how in the world do we make it to/through the holidays with a million things to do & still enjoy them?!
Keep those lists going {to keep your sanity!}
Holiday Shopping, Keep it Simple! {We use the Four Gift Rule for our kids}
Don't Overbook Yourself
Take time off of work if you're able {to check off some of your to-do's}
Delegate where you can {Our family all brings along something on Christmas Eve}
Enjoy Time With Family & Friends
With any luck this will keep us all on the NICE list... after all, who wants to be on the NAUGHTY list?!
Still struggling to get things done? Check out my previous post on how to manage all the things & check off those to-do's {the trick is scheduling!}