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take it day by day. yes, we know! ?ere?s a lot to do before
christmas
comes, but there?s no need to stress about things that can?t be done right away. make a list of tasks each day and check them off as they are completed to help make things a little easier. don?t overschedule the
family
with
holiday
events. instead, have a
family
meeting and share one or two events each
family
member would like to do. ?en, pick from the events shared and put them on your calendar. give you and your
family
a break. you don?t have to attend every
holiday
happening this season. have a gift-free
christmas
. focus on creating memories this
holiday
season and cut out the gifts. instead of stressful shopping, take this time to get out and explore, or take a
family
trip to a place everyone wants to go. it will be a great and memorable vacation for all. gift three gifts for each child. if it was good enough for jesus, then it?s good enough for the kids. seriously, though, practicing the ?wise men? method means giving each child three gifts. ?is minimalism helps encourage gratitude and discourage entitlement. ?e three gift rule also helps alleviate stress and financial burden on the parents. wrap as you go. don?t save all of the gift wrapping for the night before
christmas
. instead, as you get gifts, wrap them and put them under the tree (if you can, of course!). it will save you a lot of time. stay at home. put away the suitcases and don?t bother filling up the car, either. simply stay at home this
holiday
season and enjoy
family
time. don?t rush to
family
dinner after
family
dinner, but instead cuddle up on the couch with the kids and enjoy some great
holiday
films. cook simple meals. stick with what you know how to do in the kitchen! don?t stress about making grand
holiday
meals that you will need to phone a friend over. and if you can, plan ahead. when cooking daily meals for your
family
, double the recipe and freeze half so you will have something ready to go in case any surprise visitors show up at your door. make an amazon wishlist. have friends and
family
create their own amazon wishlists to help with gift giving. children have the right idea writing their
christmas
lists, and adults can make their own, too! help one another out by setting up an accessible list that anyone can use. be an as-you-go cleaner. having children running around while you are trying to clean for your guests? arrivals makes the cleaning process harder. instead of saving the cleaning all for one day, clean as you go. schedule some self care. the hustle and bustle can drain us of our energy. this is a wonderful time to care for others and show love to your
family
, but take some time for yourself as well. steal a few minutes here and there to read a good book, pray, drink a cup of coffee, practice yoga, go on a walk, or work out at the gym. maintain your health and sanity by not forgetting yourself. ? if any sort of countdown to
christmas
throws you in a panic, then you might feel some tension about the happiest time of the year. it happens to all of us at some point. we tend to white-knuckle our way through the jolly
holiday
instead of feeling joy. no more of that unnecessary strain this year! here are a few suggestions to lighten the
christmas
load and transform the
holiday
from burden to blessing. by joy holden and amanda miller strategies stress-free
christmas
for a 32 brparents.com | december 2016
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