Happy Holidays For The Ill Prepared

This article was originally posted last year at this time. It’s just as relevant this year as it was last. Enjoy!

OMG! Christmas is how many days away? Don’t panic there is still plenty of time.

A lot of us seem to lose sight of what the holidays really mean to us.

To me the holidays are about spending time with family, reflecting on what the past year has brought and what the new year has in store.

If you haven’t sent out your Christmas cards, made the Christmas pudding or even decorated your house yet (I haven’t), relax, that’s not what this is about.

If you are feeling rather ill prepared for this holiday season there are still things you can do to pull it together and have a happy one.

1. Christmas party. Host an open house instead. Send an email or pick up the phone and call those people you wish to see over the holidays. Invite them to your house one day either this weekend or next and have a bit of a visit. Keep it informal and low key. Set aside a few hours in the afternoon (say 1pm-5pm) and make sure people know they can just come and go according to what time works best for them. Keep it simple. No one will care that you don’t have a 10 cheese platter with 12 types of crackers. Set out some baked goods, appetizers, tea, coffee, juice, water and you’re good to go.

2. Baking. If you normally bake enough to fill your freezer twice over but have yet to fire up the oven, don’t panic. No one will think any less of you for buying your baked goods this year. As far as I know no one is handing out prizes for being the perfect little baker. If you still want to make a few goodies, try cheating when you can. Buy pre-made tart shells, cake mixes or frozen pastries. If you are still hung up on making things from scratch how about a compromise? Make things from scratch that are quick and easy and buy the rest. A favorite in my family is peanut butter marshmallow cake (minus the walnuts from this recipe). It’s super easy and takes no time at all. I know it’s not real baking but it’s close.

3. Christmas cards. By now it may be a little late to mail Christmas cards, unless you really don’t mind people receiving them after Christmas. A better idea is to hand deliver cards to those you’ll see at parties, dinners or other get togethers. If you are hosting an open house in the next weekend or two why not hand them out as your guests leave? If you’re anything like me you’ll agonize over what to write in the cards. You want to write the perfect holiday message. Well, when was the last time you received a card and thought, “hmmm well they could have put in a bit more effort”? Likely never. So don’t get hung up on what to say keep it short, to the point and mean it. The following (and slight variations of it) always works for me:

From our family to yours we wish you a very happy holiday and all the best in the new year.

4. Decorations. If you have yet to decorate there is still time for that as well. If you don’t have the time to do everything you usually do each year, rest assured that less is usually more when it comes to decorating for the holidays. Just because you have the decorations doesn’t mean they need to be out. Pick and choose which decorations you love and put them in a place to best show them off. If you’re still looking for a craft to do in time for the holidays, consider doing what we did. Find some glass or plastic balls (enough for everyone in your family). Using a metallic marker write your name across the front and the year on the back. Draw a simple tree or snowflake and you’re done. We’re using these as name tags on our dinner table and afterwards everyone can take theirs home to hang on their tree. Easy!

5. Christmas dinner. Okay this is a biggie for some people. If you cringe at the thought of spending the entire day of Christmas in the kitchen cooking and cleaning I have a few suggestions for you to consider.

• Make ahead. If I’m hosting Christmas dinner I try and get as much of the work done ahead of time. This includes making the mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, preparing the vegetables (wash and cut), and also setting the table and cleaning the house. Doing as much as you can before the actual day, will make for a much more enjoyable 25th.
• Make it a potluck. If you are running short on time or have a committed yourself to a lot of activities ask others to bring something for the dinner. Coleslaw, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, salad, pies and whipped cream for dessert. People will be honored to help out and it will lighten your load considerably.

6. Cleaning. With all the coming and going, dinners and parties I hear you thinking “I’ll never have time to clean the house before everyone gets here”. Again, don’t panic. Focus on one room at a time and do a thorough clean a few days before. Gather up items that don’t belong and return them to where they do. Fill a tub with warm soapy water and use a soft cloth to wipe down surfaces and nick-nacks to remove any of the dust. If you are having people over on short notice focus on areas that they will most likely be looking at. Kitchen, bathroom, living room, dining room, and family room are good places to start. Don’t become obsessed with it though. In the words of Erma Bombeck:

If I had to life my live over: I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded. – Erma Bombeck

Here are some other resources I hope you find useful. Remember what the spirit of the season means to you and stay true to that. Don’t worry so much about what other people are thinking and don’t try to live up to their expectations of what your holiday should be. Relax, take it in and enjoy.

Quick Clean Your Home In Under 20 Minutes

7 Tips For Cleaning Your Kitchen As You Go

8 Steps to Hosting a Party Everyone Enjoys – Including Yourself

What Will Your Holiday Theme Be This Year?

10 Ways To Feel Better in 60 Seconds Or Less

10 Tips To Alleviate Stress

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Photo courtesy of: Great Beyond