My first priority to keep on schedule and stress-free, is to make sure I am spending time studying the Bible and praying. The only way this happens for me is if I get up before the kids and have time in the morning. One of my greatest tortures in life is waking up before 10 AM. But, because I have asked God specifically to help me in this, and then chosen to do so, I can [mostly] regularly get up an hour before the kids. For me, this is 7 AM. My days are much more peaceful and joyful when I follow this pattern! May I suggest taking some time to study Luke 10:38-42 in preparation for the holiday rush?
I made the decision to break from homeschooling the entire month of December. Last year, in the first week of December, Reese was born. I spent the next two weeks healing and trying to survive the rigors of having a new baby (with a Dr. mandate to feed every two hours!) Although I did have help, Christmas came and went with little to no celebration or activities. While it was unavoidable, it was sad. This year, I want to focus on the memories and activities of Christmas. So, we will not do any official school until after the New Year. When time permits, however, I do have dozens of Christmas crafts pinned to my "Christmas Time is Here" board on Pinterest (follow me here) and will pull one of those out.
I also must cling to lists and organization! I use Google calendar and sync it to my phone and tablet so that I always have my tasks at hand. Parties or dinners are clearly marked on the calendar. I make notes about what dish I am bringing; even making a To Do for shopping, baking, or making the dish days in advance if possible. There are many foods that can be made ahead and frozen for storage. Simply defrost and bring your homemade dish to the event. This way, my days are not aimless, and I do not forget any details. My tendency is to procrastinate, thinking: I can certainly wrap 10 gifts a half-hour before we leave for the Christmas party, while my homemade cookies are baking. The reality is that I end up leaving for the event 15 minutes late and have to stop at the store to buy cookies and gift bags, because the baby had a diaper blow out, the toddler had 6 meltdowns, and I didn't have any eggs! This week, I have different tasks scheduled during the kids' afternoon nap time for Reese's birthday this Saturday. I try to be reasonable about these, usually one activity is listed per day. Any more than that and I live in constant defeat by my To Do list because the unexpected always comes up (kids refusing to nap, anyone?)
Less is more. I believe more and more people are realizing the beauty in this statement. Say "no" to as many invitations as possible. Don't offer to bring more food than you can make/afford. Only agree to exchange as many homemade gifts as you realistically have time to make (On my side this year we were going to exchange all homemade gifts. I ended up asking if we could choose if we wanted to buy or make homemade gifts instead. Honestly, I do not have the time to make them; I had to say no to a good thing). Less is more applies to giving gifts to our kids too. I love to walk the isles and grab anything that I think my kids would enjoy. But this is not realistic for our budget or storage. We limit our gifts, trying to get 1 toy, 1 clothing item, 1 movie, and maybe a couple other things. This cuts back on our regular clutter, but also the amount of time I spend between now and December 24 wrapping gifts (I hate wrapping gifts after the first five). Some families require their kids to sort out x-number of toys to give away before Christmas. Other's stick to the four gift rule: 1 want, 1 book, 1 item of clothing, and 1 need. I'm sure there are many more ideas to be found!
Make a gift closet. This past summer, I made three different gift items in bulk that I could store until Christmas. These types of gifts are perfect for Sunday School teachers, school teachers, neighbors, host and hostess gifts, and more. Add to this stash all year! Buy little things off clearance shelves, or when the crafting mood strikes make several small things. Simply having this stash has taken a weight off my To Do list.
Justin and I really want to have memories with our kids. Christmas is a great time to do things together. Here is a short list of things to do with young children (I think I'll dedicate a longer post to this topic later this month):
-drive around to see Christmas Lights (listening to Christmas music, naturally)
-play with your Nativity Set
-make/decorate Christmas cookies
-read Christmas themed books
-watch Christmas movies (Charlie Brown, the Grinch, and Rudolph are classic children's movies)
-dance around to Christmas music
-play in the snow
In summary, my goal this December is to say no as much as possible, make memories when I can, and steadily press on through the tasks with one goal in mind: To worship the King Who was born this season, Jesus Christ.
What are your favorite Christmas traditions?
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