December 2006 Newsletter
Holiday Solutions

You have swiped all the Almond Joys from your children’s Halloween stash. You feel more stuffed than the Thanksgiving Turkey. That can only mean that the Holiday Rush has begun! Do you feel behind before the season has actually commenced? Are you telling yourself, this year will be different?

Take a few minutes to inventory your feelings about the Holiday Season. What activities do you really enjoy versus “What do I force myself to participate in?”

The following tips are devised to help you savor the season and prioritize your commitments.

1. Are you tired of the same decorations that you dutifully merchandize each and every year?
   SOLUTION: Pass down Christmas Decorations to eager members of your Family.
   EXAMPLE: I suggested to a client to give her niece a beautiful Santa’s Village that she was bored with displaying. The niece was so excited that she went through a fresh batch of bulbs that first Christmas.
   SOLUTION #2: Hold a Decorations Swap at your home and invite other friends and family that are equally tired of their Holiday Décor. This is a cost effective way to revive your Home and provides motivation to secure a new Holiday Look.
2. Do you try to drag out every Holiday Box and spend the next couple of weeks feeling increasingly stressed that your not finished yet?
   SOLUTION: Stagger the workload and divide into smaller less overwhelming chores. Enlist family members to participate in the Tree Trimming.
   EXAMPLE: I suggested to a client that her husband could set up the tree, her sons could hang the lights and she and her daughter could place the ornaments.
   EXAMPLE #2: Plan a holiday Tree-Trimming party with your children’s friends. Order pizza and teenagers become very helpful.
   EXAMPLE #3: Buy Red and Green Storage boxes so grumpy spouses don’t bring down Easter Decorations from the attic by mistake.
3. Do you feel overwhelmed writing the annual Christmas letter, feeling that December 25th is the deadline?
   SOLUTION: Radio stations still play Christmas music until January 1st, which signifies the end of the year holidays. The week after Christmas can be a quiet time to send out your holiday correspondence. Most people tend to enjoy receiving newsy mail that last week of the year.
   EXAMPLE: One client of mine sends out Happy New Year cards with pictures of her children around the tree Christmas morning. Another client sends out short e-mails with her kid’s pictures at Easter, knowing that December is too hectic to keep in touch.
4. What traditions are most important to you and your family?
   SOLUTION: Take it from Nancy Reagan and just say no. Prioritize your invitations and politely decline those that limit your pleasure. A casual night at home watching “ Christmas Vacation” can create a bond with your family that may become a Cherished Family tradition.
5. Does the holiday baking and cooking send you over the edge the month of December? June Clever has left the building, stop feeling guilty and delegate the chores of domestic bliss.
   SOLUTION: Ask family members to bring specific dishes. One client of mine gives out the recipes she needs. That way she doesn’t mind hosting, and her family doesn’t keep asking, “What do you want me to bring?”
   SOLUTION#2: Business’s like Super Suppers, and Dream Dinners cater to time starved families by providing home cooked meals that are ready at a moments notice.
6. This may be the one time of year to pay for help with hanging lights, cleaning your home, babysitters, and wrapping gifts. Responsible teenagers are eager to make extra cash around the holidays. Many have finished High School by mid- December due to being exempt from final exams.
7. Are you disappointed that your children want every toy they see advertised from Black Friday until December 24th?
   SOLUTION: Decide on the approximate number of new items your children will receive this season. Have them donate that many toys to charity to make room for the new arrivals. This will help children in need, and make your child understand the true reason for the season.

Last, I’ll end this newsletter with an old story that exemplifies the importance of streamlining your Holiday processes. A young Granddaughter was watching her Mother preparing the Holiday Ham by cutting off both sides of the ham and placing it into a baking dish. When the Granddaughter asked the Mother why it was necessary to slice off both sides of the ham, the Mother said, I don’t know my Mom always did. When the Granddaughter asked the Grandmother, her reply was, “My ham was too big for my baking dish!” The moral of the story illustrates the importance of determining the processes we do on autopilot.

I’d like to dedicate this newsletter to my Mom, who taught me the secret of Happy Holidays is “Doing less, and enjoying it more”. Thank you Tu-Tu! May this be your most organized of seasons.

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