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Holidays Information |
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Holidays Information
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Preparing For the Holidays:
Ho Ho Ho... or Bah Humbug!
07/28/07
by: Kathy
Paauw
Some of my clients dread the holiday season because it often
represents stress, pressure, expectations, guilt, disappointment,
pain, loneliness, exhaustion... and the list goes on.
This is a choice. We choose who we spend time with. We choose
what activities we say yes and no to. We choose where we go. Your
holiday season can be as simple or as elaborate as you choose to make
it, and it can be a lot of fun if you plan accordingly.
Take some time this week to think about what's most important to
you this season, and then do a little planning. Here are some
suggestions to help.
==> Create a list of holiday rituals that are important to
you.
Seek your family's input on holiday decisions. Ask family
members what they liked and disliked about last year's holidays. Write
down the most important elements and activities you wish to include
this year, and plan to make it happen.
Keeping time-consuming and irrelevant traditions or rituals
"just because we've always done it that way" can increase
stress. Keep only those traditions that have meaning to you, or create
some new ones.
Give yourself permission to be in the moment and enjoy the
smells, sounds, feel, and tastes that are unique to this season of the
year.
==> Make a list of those you want to spend time with during
the holidays.
Who nourishes you? Who are the family members, friends, and
colleagues you enjoy being with?
Do you want to do any entertaining? If so, when and with whom?
Plan ahead and ask for help if you want it. True friends and loved
ones will not care how many hours you slaved over the stove. Spending
time with you is what they'll cherish most. You don't have to be
Martha Stewart to throw a great party!
Are you invited to holiday parties that you really don't want to
go to, but you've gone in the past because you should? Be at choice --
don't play the victim! This is not about whom you should see, but
rather whom you choose to spend time with.
==> Mail your greeting cards, holiday letters, and packages
early.
Some time-saving tips:
Write a short holiday letter that covers the highlights; copy it
on holiday paper and add a note at the end to personalize it. Make a
collage of pictures to photocopy on the back side of the letter.
Use self-adhesive return labels. These labels are inexpensive
and often come with festive holiday designs. One great online source
for these is Walter Drake at http://www.wdrake.com. Colorful
Images is another source. They can be reached at 800-458-7999.
If you have your addresses on a computerized database, consider
printing out your mailing list on clear address labels. Years ago, an
old college friend commented that she thought it was tacky to use
address labels on holiday cards and letters. I told her that my choice
was to either use labels or not mail our annual holiday letter to the
250 people on our list. Now that she has a young family, I've noticed
she has started using address labels, too!
E-mail a holiday letter to those with whom you correspond
electronically. You can easily personalize this for each recipient.
Attach color photos highlighting the past year. Another alternative is
to create a holiday web page, and include the link to it in a
personalized e-mail message.
Mail packages early to avoid longer lines at the post office and
ensure they will arrive in time. Or, better yet, sign up with
Stamps.com and avoid the lines altogether. You can mail large packages
without standing in any lines -- as long as you have an accurate way
to weigh them before you purchase postage online.
==> Thoughtfully plan your gift-giving.
Give from the heart... not out of obligation. Decide whom you
choose to give to and make a list. This will help you avoid
overspending through impulse buying.
If you think back to the most cherished gifts you have received,
they are often homemade or from the heart. A gift of time -- such as a
gift certificate redeemable for an activity you can do together -- can
be very meaningful. Among the most prized gifts I've ever received
have been homemade cards with a heartfelt note written inside. Value
goes far beyond the cost of the gift.
A great resource for homemade gift ideas is a book called The
Perfect Mix. It contains creative edible gift ideas, including
wrapping suggestions and tag instructions, along with a source guide
for supplies. The book offers more than 90 recipes for soups, breads,
muffins, cookies, and other gifts. The gifts I've created from this
book have been very well received and appreciated.
Instead of exchanging gifts with friends, consider having a
holiday or post-holiday party with them.
Avoid parking hassles, gridlock traffic around the malls, and
long lines at the register by shopping online and through catalogs. A
number of retail stores now offer merchandise online, as well. If you
are purchasing a gift that needs to be mailed, you can arrange to have
it sent directly to the recipient, thus avoiding the extra steps of
wrapping, labeling, and mailing the gift.
Spread out your purchase of gifts over the weeks of November and
early December. It's easier on the budget, and less stressful than
waiting until the last minute.
Wrapping gifts can take a lot of time. Instead of wrapping all
of them, use a gift bag with a nice bow tied at the top, or use a
decorated gift box.
Consider giving an alternative gift to a friend or loved one by
giving to a charity in their name. One of my favorite charities is
Heifer Project International. Through living gifts of animals, HPI is
helping families worldwide to become self-reliant. You can buy an
animal that can change the life of a hungry family and at the same
time honor family and friends. Visit HPI's "gift catalog" at
http://catalog.heifer.org/index.cfm.
==> Spread the holiday cheer with those in need.
Volunteer to serve a holiday meal to the homeless, work in a
soup kitchen, or work at a food bank.
Adopt a family for the holidays and provide them with gifts or
holiday foods. Many churches and non-profit organizations can match
you with a needy family.
Look for a Giving Tree in your local retail stores. The tree is
filled with cards that list a specific gift desired by someone in
need. You select a card off the tree, purchase the suggested gift
listed on the card, and return the gift to the tree with the card
attached. The store wraps the gift and delivers it to the intended
recipient.
The end of the tax year is a great time to review your budget
and consider a year-end gift to your favorite charities. This can
represent a significant tax deduction if you itemize, while doing
great things locally and globally.
==> Use your calendar.
Now that you're clear about your intentions, calendar them in.
Writing them down for follow-up on a specific date will help you to
remember to do it and will keep things from falling to the last
minute. Here is a list of activities you can pencil in on your
calendar:
Happy holiday organizing!
About The Author
Kathy Paauw, President of Paauwerfully Organized, specializes in
helping busy executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs declutter
their schedules, spaces and minds. She is a certified
business/personal coach and professional organizer. Contact her by
visiting her website at
http://www.orgcoach.net and learn how you can Find ANYTHING in 5
Seconds - Guaranteed!
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