Does the stress and anxiety get to you come December 1st? Are you struggling to find peace and balance this Christmas season? Yeah. Me too. It’s hard to add so many extras onto an already busy plate as a mom.
I like to think I’m a pretty organized person. I usually think ahead. I can almost always find whatever I’m looking for in my home. While my house gets messy, I do try to keep it clean as much as possible with two little boys. But when December comes around, I always feel the stress of the season.
I definitely don’t have it all together. Currently my kitchen counters are full of dirty dishes, I have about 4 load of laundry that need to be washed, and not a single bed in my house is made. While I still struggle, these 3 tips have definitely helped me keep things in order and have a positive outlook on this joyous holiday.
1. Make a List
Lists are seriously my best friend. My head just starts spinning if I can’t get my thoughts down on paper. So of course, my first course of action is to make a list.
While there are super cute Christmas planners available around the blogosphere and all over Etsy, I resort to a piece of lined paper and a pen. It works just as well and it’s FREE! My favorite! I make tons of lists for the Christmas season.
- I have gift list that helps me see who I need to buy for, what I need to buy, how much I have budgeted for that person, and if the gift is wrapped or not.
- I have a Christmas card mailing list. I find that the best way to do this is to create a word document with the names and addresses of those who normally receive your Christmas cards. You can even format them into labels so you can easily print them out to save time! I just save this document from year to year and add or remove people as needed.
- I make a separate list for stockings. I only fill stockings for my two boys and my husband, but stockings can quickly get out of hand if you don’t know what you have. I make a list of what I want to buy to fill stockings early on and pick up a few small items each time I go to the grocery store. Then I store them in boxes in my closet so I can easily see if I have enough to fill each stocking.
- I make a list of Christmas decor I would like to purchase. This is honestly the smallest list. At the end of each season I make a list of things that either need to be replaced or items I would like to add to my Christmas decor for the next year. I tape this sticky-note to the top of my decor tub. Then, when Christmas decor starts popping up in the stores, I go to my sticky-note to see what I need. Some years, funds allow my to purchase these items. Other years, we just make do without them, and that’s okay! It’s just nice to know what you need before you go to the store and purchase a bunch of decor you don’t have a place for in your home.
- I make a list of Christmas activities I would like to do with my family. A few weeks ago I posted my Christmas Bucket List where I shared all of the activities my family and I try to do between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We try to limit this list down to the ones that we truly love to do. Most years, we don’t get to everything and that’s okay. It’s just nice to have a guide for the month instead of remembering at the last minute three days before Christmas that we wanted to do all of these fun things!
Because I love you guys so much, I created a FREE printable gift list for you to print out! Even the frugal at heart need some pretty in their lives from time to time! 🙂 The gift list includes who you want to give to, how much you have to spend, what you want to purchase, if it’s been purchased, and if it’s been wrapped! I hope this helps you stay organized this Christmas!
2. Start Early
I actually start thinking about Christmas in August or September each year. By this point, we have set our budget and know what we have to spend.
- I start shopping in September or October and I’m usually done with most gift buying (unless it’s time sensitive) by Thanksgiving.
- I usually have decorated my house for Christmas by Thanksgiving.
- I completely wrap all gifts by December 1st.
- I begin preparing for Christmas activities and try to take our Christmas Bucket List and place some, if not all, of the ideas on our family calendar so that we have a plan in place. When I started adding these to the calendar, we started actually getting them accomplished! I highly recommend this strategy! 🙂
3. Give Yourself Grace
Sometimes I have to remind myself the reason for the season is not about us, but about Him. Somedays I stress about the little stuff, when in reality, it’s the big stuff that really matters. When all else fails, give yourself grace if:
- you don’t get Christmas cards sent out this year.
- you don’t bake Christmas cookies with your kids.
- you can’t make it to a Christmas party.
- you have to say no to the Secret Santa gift exchange at work.
- you have to cut the gift list.
- you don’t get your tree decorated when you want it done.
- anything else doesn’t go as planned this Christmas season.
It’s okay. Life will go on and Christmas will be enjoyable for you and your family. Yes, I need to be looking in the mirror as I type out this last one! We only have so much time and so much money and it can only go so far.
Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas. Not the gifts. Not the cards. Not the decorations. Not the activities. Jesus.
How are you staying organized on a budget this Christmas?
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