Many mums approach the holidays with a mix of excitement and dread, but with the right planning, you really can have a peaceful Christmas season. The good news is that you don’t really need to be an organisation superstar to make the season easier. These 5 simple tips will help set you down the path to a more peaceful Christmas season without adding to your stress!

1. Design your Christmas

I’m not kidding when I say I take Christmas seriously. It’s pretty much my favourite time of year, and I have specific ideas about what I want to do personally and how I want my family to experience it. 

I find it incredibly helpful to decide ahead of time what I’d like us to do during the holiday season. If you wing it, it can quickly become overwhelming and it’s all too easy to say “yes” to the wrong things – and the next thing you know, the season is over and you missed out on some of the things you really wanted to do. 

Instead, whip out your calendar NOW and decide what events you’d like to attend ahead of time. Carve out time for quiet movie nights at home, a baking session or two, and anything else you deem important for the perfect Christmas season.

2. Declutter

Let’s face it: you’re going to end up with a lot of new things this December. The influx of toys and gifts can be overwhelming, especially if you live in a small place and your kids’ closets are already overflowing. 

Take some time now to declutter your kids’ toys so there won’t be any stress when they receive new ones. They’ll probably receive gifts from multiple sources, and grandparents and friends don’t always buy things with your available space in mind! The months and weeks leading up to Christmas are also a great time to donate unwanted toys to help children in need have a memorable holiday, too.

3. Set up a Christmas playlist

A quick way to kill that Christmas mood is stopping the festivities so you can find Christmas songs you like – or worse, having your holiday meal interrupted when an obnoxious Christmas song that makes everyone cringe suddenly starts playing.

I avoid this by putting together a Christmas playlist in advance. It’s something that you can do well ahead of time and is actually a really fun way to get into the mood for Christmas as the season approaches. Consider making several playlists, such as one with more relaxing tunes for the evening or kid-friendly carols for the car that everyone can sing along to. You might also want to make an instrumental playlist for the big Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meal so you can set a Christmas atmosphere without overshadowing the conversation. 

Playing Christmas tunes at home at any time during the festive season is a part of the experience for me. I always check in to my playlists ahead of time and see if I’d like to add any new songs, or create entirely new lists.

4. Make a gift list

No one wants to head to a crowded mall in the lead-up to Christmas without a shopping list, but have you ever tried to Google gift ideas at the last minute? Whether you’re looking for gift ideas for teachers, grandparents or kids of a specific age, you’ll be greeted with thousands of results pages that mostly show the same list over and over. And chances are, whoever you’re buying for already has most of those items.

I keep running gift lists for everyone in an app which I can access on my phone, and update it throughout the year. This really does make for a more peaceful Christmas season. Any time some inspiration hits or I see something suitable – for example, someone mentions wanting something or I see something catch one of my kids’ eyes while we’re out and about – I’ll jot it down. I may not end up buying 90% of the things I add to my list, but I always have a nice pool of ideas to draw from when it’s time to do my Christmas shopping. Bonus: I get to use this list for other occasions too. Win-win!

5. Freeze some meals to get you through hectic days

All the planning in the world is not going to stop you from having those days where things just seem overwhelming. That’s why I like to make some freezer meals I can pull out when dinner just isn’t happening. If you’re worried about not having enough time to make dinner after your daughter’s Christmas ballet recital or an old friend in town for the holidays insists on stopping by for a chat at your usual cooking hour, you won’t have to spend money on unhealthy takeaway. It may take some time now, but those meals can really save the day as Christmas gets closer! 

In relation to this – don’t forget to use your trusty slow cooker which is a valuable gadget during this busy season!

If you want to create a more peaceful Christmas holiday, these tips can make all the difference!

Love,

Nakita xxx