The best part of Christmas isn’t under the tree—it’s around it.

Planning a People-Focused Christmas Planning for Connection, Not Perfection

With the rising cost of basic necessities, groceries and food costs. we are all concerned about how to stretch our dollars. One of the biggest things that always Stands out in my mind is I have plenty of friends and family who always had big salaries and big paychecks, Me not so much. I was a flight attendant for 25 years. Flight attendants never made great money however we had a great life style of seeing different parts of the world.

It’s really time to look at others. the state of the world, the homeless and the people who are struggling.
When we go out and buy for a plethora of people on our lists, it actually puts stress on the gift receiver. People will often feel they need to match the gift value or reciprocate similarly when their pocket books simply don’t allow. Thats a huge amount of pressure.

If we changed our thinking to less. More about the people than the item, just think about how much joy we can give.

I know when one of my team brings me back a small cookie or a bar of soap from their travels, I am delighted. it wasnt about the money it was about the thought.

Christmas can feel like a whirlwind of glitter, garland, and gift receipts. Every year, we tell ourselves we’ll slow down, savor the season, and focus on what really matters… and then December hits like a snowplow.

But what if this year could be different?

What if, instead of reacting to the chaos, we planned for connection?

Let’s take a look at the four holiday traps we all fall into and how to flip the script to make this season more joyful, less stressful, and way more meaningful.

The Spending Trap: More Joy, Less Debt

We’ve all been there!! Caught in the glittery grip of holiday sales, buying gifts we can’t afford just because everyone else is doing it. Credit cards get maxed out, and we tell ourselves we’ll “figure it out later.” we can make payments. No that is not fun. And not that is not a way to get ahead.

But here’s the truth: the best gifts aren’t bought, they’re felt.

• Host a cookie-decorating night with friends.

• Write heartfelt letters instead of buying trinkets.

• Plan a “no-gift” brunch where the only thing exchanged is laughter.

The Gift Trap: Perfect Is Overrated

Scrambling to find the perfect present for everyone on your list? That is my biggest stress . I never know what to buy. And then when I do buy something It feels not good enough, or I worry if they will like it. That’s a recipe for stress, not joy. It’s a horrible feeling.

Let’s ditch the pressure and embrace presence over presents.

• Give experiences: movie nights, game tournaments, or a walk through twinkling lights.

• Create a opportunity to create memories and fill your photo book filled with shared moments.

• Gift your time such as babysitting, helping with errands, or just being there is invaluable.

The Time Trap: Say Yes to What Matters

Every invitation, every tradition, every event—saying yes to all of it can leave you drained and disconnected from the moments that actually matter.

This year, give yourself permission to say no.

• Choose a few meaningful gatherings and skip the rest.

• Block out time for quiet mornings, cozy evenings, and spontaneous fun.

• Make space for the people who fill your cup, not empty it. We know there are lots of people who will empty our cups if we let them.

The Decor Trap: Delight Over Duty

Dragging out every box of decorations because “that’s what we’ve always done”? Exhausting. Decorating should be joyful, not a a tonne of work and a burden. Often I remember speaking with friends who are stressed out, they ran out of time and are trying to decorate the tree last minute for their kids.

Let’s slow it down. Make an evening of it and decorate the tree early. If that is all you do that is a win to be celebrated.

Let’s simplify and decorate with intention.

• Pick a few favorite pieces that make you smile.

• Decorate the spaces you actually use.

• Turn decorating into a shared experience with friends, family, hot cocoa, music, and laughter.

Plan for Connection, Not Perfection

When we stop reacting to expectations and start planning for joy, everything changes. Christmas becomes less about the hustle and more about the the great people in our lives. Less about the spending and more about the creating the memories

let’s make a plan—not for the perfect holiday, but for a meaningful one.

Because the best part of Christmas isn’t under the tree—it’s around it.

Eliminate your holiday meal stress!

Hosting a Christmas meal can be exhausting and expensive. A lot of preparation goes into planning a menu, buying the ingredients, and putting each dish together the day of. Then, there is always a home to clean, a table to set, and beverages to be put together as well! This makes the holidays tiring and stressful, and doesn’t let the host enjoy the meal with family and friends.

Planning early or making a schedule only goes so far – a lot of work must still be done the day of, and a lot of the stress cannot be avoided. However, if you’re hosting a holiday meal, consider lightening your load by assigning others to bring a dish!

Just because you are hosting the meal, doesn’t mean you should be afraid to ask for help. Side dishes like casseroles or vegetables are easy for others to bring and quickly heat once they arrive. You can also ask some of your guests to bring one or more desserts. If your aunt makes the best green bean casserole, or your sister has time to make a dessert, don’t be afraid to ask them to contribute to the meal. Beverages or appetizer dishes are also easy to assign to others.

Allow yourself to enjoy the meal by taking some of the load off of your feet. Many of your guests will be happy to help and contribute to the meal. To prevent people from bringing the same item, or bringing a dish that doesn’t fit with the meal, consider delegating a specific dish or giving each guests a couple of options to choose from. This way, you will still have control over the menu and dishes, but won’t have to prepare everything yourself. You can also stay more organized the day of by confirming with each guests a couple of days before whether or not they will need to heat anything in the oven or microwave, so you can plan your own cooking.

Make the holidays more enjoyable this year, and spend time with your family and friends. Too often, hosts spend most of their time organizing menus, shopping for ingredients, and preparing turkeys, and don’t get to visit with their loved ones. There is only so much organizing you can do beforehand – the only way to really cut down on stress is to eliminate some of the tasks that need to be done for the meal. Get your guests to help and bring a dish of their own, or even dessert – anything to help you enjoy the meal with them!

This year, have a relaxing an enjoyable holiday!

Gear up for the Holiday Season!

It may only be October, but that doesn’t mean it's too early to start getting ready for one of the busiest seasons of the year! 

Make sure you are organized this year and eliminate some of your holiday planning stress by getting as much as you can completed and decided before November. Too often, people leave all their running around, planning, shopping, and hosting to the last minute, and the holidays become a stressful and chaotic time that people don’t enjoy. To avoid that, there are a few key activities you can complete this month to make your life more organized and less stressful in the months ahead: 

Make your gift list 

You will probably already know ahead of time who you need to buy or make gifts for. So why not get a head start on your shopping and avoid the busy malls and delayed shipping? Start formulating a list of everyone you need to buy for, including family, friends, co-workers and neighbours. Contributing to a gift to charity or a gift exchange? Include those on the list as well. 

Instead of giving “things,” consider giving experiences or items that appeal to their interests without adding clutter to their lives. For examples, a gift certificate to their favourite spa for a massage, or a homemade seasoning mix.  Think about what would make them smile, instead of leaving your gifting to the last minute. Don’t be the person that buys chocolates for someone who is on a diet! 

Plan your hosting needs 

Hosting a meal (or multiple meals) takes a lot of advance planning and preparation. Start thinking about who will be hosting family and friends this year. If you are the one hosting, now is a good time to decide on what you will serve. Are you hosting a sit-down meal or buffet? Will your guests need to bring anything, and if so, what? 

You’ll also need to think beyond the food to the items and space you have. Will everyone fit at one gathering, or do you need to host separate parties? What about tables and chairs, place settings and serving dishes? If this is going to be an issue, consider hosting separate events, like one just for family, and one for friends. They don’t have to be the exact same either – one could be a potluck, the other could just be a cocktail party. Regardless of what you decide to do, it’s important to start planning early.

Prepare your wardrobe

Whether you’re hosting or attending parties and gatherings over the holidays, chances are you want to look your best. Now that you have some time, start shopping for any new wardrobe items you need. For example, if you need an outfit for the company holiday party, start by going through your current items to see if anything will work. If you need to get something new, start looking online and in store now so you find something you actually like, instead of settling on something because you left your outfit to the last minute.

Don’t forget about your accessories and shoes – make sure everything is cleaned and fixed up now before you get busy with other holiday activities. If anything needs major fixing or cleaning, take them into a repair shop now before the holiday rush.

Get everyone on board

Holiday planning is a team effort, not an individual task. Start connecting with your family and friends to share the responsibilities of the holiday season. It can be stressful to try and accomplish everything on your own, so don’t be afraid to pass on some of the tasks to others. The holidays are supposed to be enjoyed by everyone!