If you are anything like me, the excitement of the holidays makes you fall off your regularly scheduled program. I’ll walk into a store to get two things for dinner, and suddenl, I morph into a sugar plum fairy who believes I must fill my kids with eggnog, candy wrapped in red and green foil, and pretty platters of cookies.
Then I decide I should buy all the ingredients to make cookies instead of getting the huge platter. Before I know it, my cart is full, and while I’m checking out, I see the bag of assorted mixed raw nuts I have to have. You know, the kind you have to open with a nutcracker? The truth is, no one in my house even likes those, but I think I have to get them because they are only available during this time of year and we had them when I was a kid.
I guess you could say nostalgia gets the best of me and my checking account.
Then as soon as all the holiday decorations hit the stores, I find myself tangled in lights and mini trees with fake snow. Simply stepping into the holiday department has brainwashed me into thinking my home needs a theme during the holidays.
And before I’ve started any Christmas shopping, family and friends come over to drop off yule logs, pretty little packages, and lots of gifts for the kids. Before I realize it, I’ve already gotten myself so wrapped up in clutter, I’m literally stuffing things anywhere they'll fit.
This leads to exhaustion, stress, and lots of crap everywhere, which makes me really anxious when paired with the letdown of the holidays being over.
These last few years, I’ve decided to display some self-control over the holidays and keep myself in line. And guess what? Instead of feeling like I didn’t do or get enough (which is why I’d overdo it to begin with), the season is a lot more enjoyable and I’m not having a breakdown on December 26 because I can’t move.
Here are three things that have worked for me:
1. Have your kids toss some stuff out
Have your kids take a trash bag to their room and fill it up. This can be done as soon as your kids are old enough (or you can help them), and it also applies to teenagers. Before the gifting begins, I tell my kids to go and get rid of at least one bag of stuff. Then, I drop the bag off to be donated. These can be clothes or toys they don’t want anymore, and there have even been a few times when one of my kids simply brings down a bag of trash that’s been stashed in their room.
It doesn't matter, because the point is to make more room for new stuff. The good news is, once they start, they end up getting rid of more stuff than you planned, they feel good and are excited about their clean room, and they take better care of their new things.
2. Make a list for everything
Now I know you may feel like you don’t have time to do this, but believe me, it will save you time in the long run. I host an annual cookie swap and make a list for that. I create a list with the names of all the people I’m buying gifts for, and I stick to it. If there’s a craft I want to start, I make a list and buy only the things for that one project. If I finish and want to start another craft, I make another list. If I have a holiday event to go to, a list gets made.
This may sound redundant or too strict, but if you have a tendency to get supplies for a craft project you are making as a gift, only to leave the store with the gear for three other projects, the list helps keep you focused. When I overbuy, I get overwhelmed, don't know where to start, and never get to all the things I want to make. Then the bags take up precious real estate in my closet.
3. Clean out the fridge and pantry
You know your fridge and pantry are going to be fuller than normal. When my pantry and fridge are organized, cleaned out, and looking sharp, I’m less likely to stuff them full of fruitcake and every kind of cheese ball, nut, and holiday candy under the sun.
When I’ve done that in the past because I want to celebrate with all the holiday food, I end up throwing a lot of it away by the time Valentine’s Day rolls around.
These three things may sound daunting, but I’m telling you, they will be well worth the reduced amount of stress you feel and will definitely save you some money. And believe me, you won’t miss a thing if you choose not to make every kind of Christmas cookie and fill all your shelves with porcelain trees and Santas.
