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!

Take time to relax during the holidays!

Gift shopping. Wrapping presents. Baking cookies. Visiting with family and friends. Getting ready for parties. There is so much to do in December, and it can be easy to get exhausted and burned out before the holidays actually start! To make sure you’re in top form for the actual festivities, make sure to take some time for yourself to relax and step away from the all the holiday preparations. It doesn’t have to be an expensive or time-consuming activity, just something that can take your mind away from the work you still need to do! Below, we’ve outlined a few ideas on what you can do to relax:

1.     Try a guided meditation

Meditating can be a great way to clear your mind of any stressful thoughts. However, it can be difficult to stay focused on a meditation when there are many distractions around you. Try using a guided meditation to make sure you stay on track and keep focused on relaxation. There are many easy options to use – try searching online, on YouTube, or through a music streaming service like Spotify to find a meditation that works for you. Many options are available with differing time lengths and themes so you can find the best way to relax.

2.     Take a reading break

When there is so much activity going on, finding the time to read for enjoyment is difficult. However, reading can be a great way to escape the busy holiday season and take your mind away from the various tasks left on your to-do list. As important as it is to take a break and read, you don’t want it to become too much of a distraction. If you’re worried about losing track of time or getting too absorbed into your novel, try setting a timer to make sure you stay on time.

3.     Enjoy a soak in the tub

Relaxing in the bath or hot tub can be a great way to calm your mind and your body. Especially when the weather isn’t as nice outside, this can be a great way to press pause on your holiday activities. Light some candles, get a nice drink, and grab a book or play some soothing music and you can enjoy the perfect winter break!

4.     Exercise your body

Being active is always a great way to relieve stress. Whether it’s hopping on the treadmill for a bit, taking some time to do yoga, or even attending a drop-in fitness class, exercising is a great way to relax, get energized, and help work off all the holiday treats! When life gets busy and the weather isn’t as nice, it is common for people to lose motivation to keep up their fitness. Instead of letting your exercise time fall to the bottom of your to-do list, try and make the time to do a physical activity.

5.     Get some fresh air

The weather can be hit or miss in Calgary during the winter, but when the sun is shining and a chinook rolls in, it can be the perfect excuse to get outside and go for a brief stroll in the midst of all the holiday preparations. Fresh air can go a long way to improving your spirits and wellbeing, which is just what you need when you’re constantly going out or shopping or doing tasks around the house in the lead up to the holidays. You don’t have to enjoy your relaxation time alone - take a pet, friend or family member along to make the most of your break time.

Organizing your Holiday calendar

Every year when December comes, it always seems like there are too many things to do in too short of time – from shopping to gift wrapping, holiday parties, dinners and more, there can be a lot of events and activities taking up space on the calendar! Not to mention the amount of time needed for regular activities like going to work, getting groceries, going to sports class and everything else you still have to do on a daily basis. Before the festive season starts in earnest, take some time to organize the upcoming month: 

Mark up your calendar 

The first step in organizing the calendar is to take a good at your calendar for the month of December. Make sure you have everything included that you need – from your usual activities like piano lessons and doctor appointments to any holiday related activities. Consider using a colour coding system to denote what is a regular appointment and what is a festive event. This way, you can keep track of what events are happening when. If you are using an electronic calendar, make sure you share it with your family members fo everyone is up to date on what is happening when. Physical calendars should be placed in a space that everyone has access to and walks by regularly. Everyone should know about any updates made so no one forgets what is coming up each week.  

Don’t forget the little things 

Once you have a full accounting of your upcoming events and activities, figure out which ones require you do to any preparations (e.g. buying a new outfit, shopping for a gift, baking an appetizer) and make sure that you give yourself enough time to complete these tasks. Pencil in some time to go to the store or go through your closet to make sure you have what you need for any upcoming events. Save yourself from getting mixed up or forgetting that you promised to bring a dessert by making notes in your calendar reminders or jotting down some points in your day planner. Be specific and include everything from the time, to the location, any driving/parking notes, dress code information, and details on any items you need to bring.  

Give yourself enough time 

No one wants to be rushing at the last minute to put a dish together, or getting stressed because they can’t find anything to wear. All of the little preparations that need to be done before each event can add up to a lot of time – so make sure enough time is made to actually get them done. For example, set aside some time in the week to get groceries for the dessert you need to bring for the office holiday party. Consider using a recipe that can be made in advance and either frozen or refrigerated so you don’t have to do anything last minute. Read through the recipe and check out the time requirements. Do you have enough time to bake it and prepare the ingredients? The same goes for wrapping gifts or finding something to wear – make sure you take the time a week or a few days in advance to get all the small tasks involved completed. This could include taking stock of what you own, buying what you need, and everything else you need to finish the project.  

Ask for help when you need it 

There can be a lot involved in getting ready for holiday events, so don’t feel like you need to do it all alone. If you need to bring a dish to a work or family function, consider calling up a friend or family member to help you put it together. There’s no harm in stopping by the store or ordering food from a service either – we all get busy and sometimes it’s the best option. When it comes to gift giving, see if anyone else in your family is going to the mall, and if they can stop by a certain store for you instead of making a separate trip. When there is so much going on, it is unpractical to think you can do everything on your own. Don’t be afraid to ask for some help so you can stress a bit less over the festive season. 

It’s okay to say no 

During the holidays the invitations to parties and holiday activities can pile up and occupy a lot of space in your calendar. However, you don’t have to feel the need to always say “yes” to every invite you get. Sometimes, there just isn’t any time to fit in multiple events. Between your regular day to day activities, it is unrealistic to expect that you can squeeze in all the extra events that take place during the holidays. To mitigate this, suggest instead that you meet up with friends and family after the holidays when everyone is less busy and has more time on their hands. You don’t always need a reason like the holidays to get together – having dinner in January doesn’t make it any less special.