Holiday Planning Tips For

Busy Moms

 by:

Aurelia M. Williams

Ahhh, the Holidays.. The Thanksgiving turkey comes out of the oven

golden brown, with an enticing aroma that fills the entire house. All the

china is in pristine condition and not a single piece in the set is

missing. The family is gathered for holiday pictures, the children are

poised perfectly; hands to themselves, not a hair out of place and their

smiles are shining brightly for the camera. Then just as the photographer

is about to capture the shot. you wake up!

Let's be realistic ladies. Without proper planning, the holidays are

anything but a holiday. Just look at the list of things that need to be

done: Shopping, cooking, cleaning, decorating, sending holiday mail, the

list goes on and on.

Let me clue you all in on a few key questions that you should ask

yourself in order to have a holiday season free of stress and worry, and

instead filled with fun and laughter:

What types of holiday celebrations do you want? For example: Do you

want to have an immediate family only holiday affair or an extravaganza

including immediate and extended family plus a few friends? Once you've

thought everything through and decided on the type of holiday gathering

you would like, you can then start making your plans.

If you are ready to get a head start on organizing yourself, your

family and your holiday check lists, then keep reading:

Holiday Cards: Start early! I use a holiday card list that I derive

from saving names and addresses from holiday cards my family has received

in past years. I created a simple, computerized list that is easy to edit

and print onto address labels. Be sure to stock up on stamps so that when

you have your cards signed, stuffed and addressed you can affix a stamp to

them and make one, simple trip to the Post Office.

Holiday Gifts: There's nothing like getting a HUGE credit card bill in

the mail at the start of the New Year. Many of us tend to want to be

generous when shopping for holiday gifts. While your generosity will be

appreciated at gift giving time, keep in mind that it is very easy to

succumb to "impulse buying" and go all out on your holiday shopping. While

your intentions may be good, your pocketbook may be singing a different

song. Set a budget and stick to it - your bank account will thank you for

it after the start of the New Year.

Wrap it up: Wrap your gifts and place nametags on them immediately

after you bring them home, then store the gifts in a secure spot. This

will cut down on those late night wrapping sessions that I am sure we ALL

have experienced a few times, if not every year.

Baking & cooking: If you will be cooking during the holidays, it is

important to plan your meals ahead of time. Be sure to stock up ahead of

time on all the necessary non-perishable baking ingredients such as flour,

sugar and spices. Create a list of your holiday menus and a list of the

ingredients you will need to prepare each of those meals. Also, try to

think of a few dishes that can be prepared ahead of time and then frozen

as an extra timesaving measure

Delegate: This is one of my favorite tips. Be sure to enlist the help

of your family or friends. Sit down and discuss what needs to be done then

ask for volunteers. If no hands are raised, simply assign small tasks to

each of them. Whether it is arranging for a babysitter so that you can

escape for a child free day of shopping, passing the shopping list onto

another family member or friend so that they can pick up the items for

you, or letting the children decorate your home. Be sure to get the whole

family involved in the holiday preparations so that you will not be

overwhelmed.

Enjoy: Whatever you decide to do, remember to relax and enjoy yourself.

You and your family will have much fonder memories of this holiday season

if you are not spending it pulling your hair out.