Banishing the Chaos from your Holidays
7 effective tips on Creating Comfort and Joy to your Life
By Liz Canavan
For many of us the thought of the approaching holiday season causing a bit of anxiety. The combination of seeing family, traveling, gift-giving, cooking and doing it all while keeping our holiday spirit can be a challenge. I'm here to make this holiday season as blissful as possible for you and your loved ones. It all begins with identifying your biggest (potential) stressors and making a plan to be prepared. Above all, my greatest piece of advice is to do your best to relax, enjoy being with people you love, and make time for yourself.
- The Art of Gift Giving
- Make lists. Create a spreadsheet or hand-made reference for those you will be giving gifts. Seeing the names in print will get the stress off your mind and onto an action list. The list should have a four columns: Name/ Gifts Given/ Gift Received/ and Thank You Sent.
- Be prepared to give movie tickets, candles, jars of nuts, organic luxurious soaps. Wrap them with raffia and be prepared for any last minute surprise! *Have tags on them but not filled out. When a surprise happens, quickly fill out the card to personalize the gift.
- Wine and Chocolate- can't go wrong! Chocolates from locally owned Belvedere Belgian Chocolates would make a great gift too! Owners Chris and Mary Frances Toomey have chocolates from $1 and up! If you need a bottle of red, white, or dessert wine on Sunday you can find one here, too. With Christmas on a Sunday this year, this might come in handy. Belvedere Chocolates is located at 1634 Walnut St., kiddy corner from the 7-Eleven store and The Buffalo Exchange. Bonus- they have weekly wine tasting from 1-5pm on Friday-Sunday.
- Reclaiming your ZEN during December
- Make time for yourself during this busy time.
- Daily walks, meditations, naps, spa treatments, journaling or reading time... however you can escape - if only for 10 minutes, it will really help to recharge your batteries.
- The holidays are a time to share your light with those you love. If you're burning the candle at both ends, you won't have much light to share- you'll simply be burned.
- Learn to say "No Thanks". If you don't want to go to a party, don't go! Your time and energy are precious. Be protective of them.
- Be a lightweight- when it comes to packing
- A good rule is to pack outfits for half the days of your trip. Your trip is seven days, pack 3-4 outfits. You'll wear them all and won't lug a lot of clothes!
- Pick a basic color: black, navy, or brown and match your outfits to it. You'll pack fewer shoes and your outfits (and purse) will mix and match.
- You can quickly change the look of an outfit with a sparkling brooch or a scarf.
- Looking fabulous for your holiday parties
- Prepare your holiday outfits before you need them. The last-minute "I need to find something for the holiday party" anxiety is not all it's cracked up to be. Try things on now and know what fits, flatters and makes you feel great!
- All you really need for holiday parties: black pants, tailored top/blouse, black dress, sexy (and comfortable) black heels. You can cover all your basis with these 4 items. Think now about dressing them up and down- a suit jacket or a colorful Pashmina wrap? Funky glass jewelry or diamonds?
- Easy food preparation
- Have frozen meatballs ready for instant meals. You can add them to soup or pasta in an instant.
- Make your favorite cookie recipe then drop the dough onto cookie sheets...and freeze ‘em'! Once they are frozen, collect them into a storage container. You can have fresh cookies when guests stop by in 12 minutes. *Note: save on time by buying cookie dough and storing it in your freezer.
- Hot cocoa, chai, tea and apple cider are all wonderful to have on hand in when guests show up. Pair drinks with dried fruit and nuts and your guests will feel warm and welcomed.
- And when it's all over... Storing your holiday decorations
- Preserve your holiday decorations in large, plastic (waterproof) bins with clear labels. If you don't want to use labels, take a digital photo of the items you are storing and tape the photo to the outside of the bin. If you are a visual person, this is particularly helpful.
- Keep your holiday decorations together in one spot- garage, basement, and attic. You'll thank me next year when you can find all that you need in one location.
- Pack holiday decorations as if you were moving them. Take care to wrap glass in bubble wrap to truly preserve what is precious to you.
- If you don't think it is beautiful or if you don't love it, get it out of your house!
The holidays don't have to be stressful. With a little planning and forethought you can enjoy your celebrations to the fullest and keep your sanity. Remember why we are celebrating – it is a good way to ground yourself and enjoy the ride. I'm raising my eggnog to a sensational, sparkling and simplified holiday season!
Liz Canavan is a Professional Organizer in Boulder. She is the Marketing Director for the Colorado Chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). Holiday parties have caused tantrums if she doesn't get her afternoon nap. She invites you to visit her company's website: www.AlchemyOfOrder.com to see before and after photos of spaces she has organized.
