School’s now back in session and your family’s lifestyle has gone from carefree to structured. Now that your kids have settled back in to their new routines, you can embrace the year ahead while breathing a wee sigh of relief that you just may have a few extra moments to yourself. See Also: 6 Key Ingredients to a Successful Morning Routine.
Listen, the end of the summer season is certainly bittersweet, but it is also something to rejoice in. The cozy months of fall are equally as enticing as the balmy months, just in a different way. As you prepare to snuggle up with chunky sweaters and fun romps in the local pumpkin patch, you can also use this time of year to relieve yourself of some very heavy stress of the upcoming the holiday season.
Mighty Mommy shares five ways that you can get a head start on the holiday madness during the brisk months of fall.
Tip #1: Create Your Holiday Cards
When my 8 kids were young, I labored for hours upon hours to create the perfect holiday card each year. I desperately wanted to show off my 8 sweetie pies, but because I waited until just a couple of weeks before Christmas, the chances of getting my kids to relax and enjoy a photo shoot were zero to none. Finally, I smartened up and decided that a holiday photo didn’t have to showcase my kids wearing snowmen and Santas, but instead getting a photo of them just having fun at the beach, playing in the back yard, or picking apples during the fall was preferable.
Early fall is a wonderful opportunity to go through your favorite summer or back-to-school photos and turn them into this year’s family holiday greeting card. Even if you don’t have something that you love, take the crisp, breezy days of fall to gather your family for an impromptu photo session and create a card that you love now, rather than later. Once Thanksgiving hits, you’ll be glad you did.
Tip #2: Plan A Special Holiday Outing
Grab your calendar and schedule something special right now for your family to do together during the holiday season. We schedule doctor appointments, meetings, sports activities, and check-ups for our pets, so why not a fun outing that the entire family can look forward to during the holidays? Personally speaking I can recall many years that I had great intentions of doing something wintry and holiday-based with my kids but once the season started, so did the craziness that goes right along with it. To combat the lack of time that seems to come along with the hustle and bustle of the holidays, once apple picking season started, I made sure to pencil at least one special outing on our calendar that we could all look forward to as a family. This included ice skating at an outdoor rink, going on a Polar Express ride in our neck of the woods or attending a play at the theater such as The Nutcracker or A Christmas Carol. Right now you can find some great deals on sites such as Groupon that will offer up fun ideas at a reasonable price.
Tip #3: Concoct Your Cookie/Sweet Treat List
Fall is the perfect time to organize a list of all the delectable concoctions you want to prepare this holiday season. Tap into your favorite cookbooks, recipe cards, and online baking sites now and create a list of all the delicious recipes you want to make with and for your family this year. If you plan ahead, you can even get in on a Holiday cookie swap or make mouth-watering gifts to give to family, friends, teachers, the mailman, and other people who make your life a little easier and more fun throughout the year.
Once you get your fave recipes in place, schedule time in the late fall to get started baking. Most sweet treats can be baked and frozen. Enlist the help of your kids, too! They will take great pride in helping prepare a sweet feast for loved ones. See Also: Clever Cookstr's 5 Rules for Holiday Baking
Tip #4: Stuff Those Stockings
One of my favorite parts of Christmas is filling stockings for my kids and other family members. (I even fill stockings for our two dogs and our bunny rabbit!) As much as I love this holiday tradition, shopping for fun and unique stocking stuffers does take a bit of time and energy. Several years ago, I began taking advantage of the back-to-school sales and also shopped for great stocking items at the same time. The sales this time of year are great and by buying things as early as mid-September you can really get the edge on filling your family’s stockings all while getting some great buys. This is also a great time to buy ahead for teacher gifts, babysitter gifts, and other individuals that make a difference in your life. When you plan ahead, you not only save money, you can pick out eclectic gifts that you wouldn’t necessarily find when you are in the throes of the crazy holiday season. And you will have one less item to take care of on your already too-long holiday “to do” list.
Tip #5: Start a Decorating Plan Now
Now that your kids are happily off to school, savor a few quiet moments on a brisk autumn morning to craft your perfect holiday decorating plan. Pull out some decorating magazines that you’ve tucked away in hopes of actually having the time to read them and get a list going. Maybe decorating with family photos for the holidays is important to you, or gathering broken branches from your yard or the park that you can spray paint in an enchanting gold or silver and then display in pretty vases adorned with white lights will captures your fancy. Fall is truly the perfect time to handcraft your own ornaments or even create a theme tree such as “seaside” tree or a whimsical tree bejeweled with fairies and other magical elements. Get your kids involved early on as well so they can take part in the entire creative process. When December rolls into town, you’ll have extra free time on your hands to actually enjoy the holiday season!
How do you save time and energy during the holiday season? Share your thoughts in the comment section at http://ift.tt/1zMEe2L or post your ideas on the Mighty Mommy Facebook page. You can also connect with me on Twitter @MightyMommy or email me at mommy@quickanddirtytips.com. Visit my family-friendly boards at http://ift.tt/1wyJKr5.
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