Tips for Being Merry and Bright

I can’t imagine that I’m the only one sitting here this evening wondering how in creation Christmas is NEXT TUESDAY???

I’ve waited all year for this day.  I’m one of those that starts counting down the days until Christmas on January 1.  Seriously.

I make it an absolute point to ENJOY the season.  I refuse to get caught up in the hustle and bustle and ridiculousness of the season, and each year I actually get better and better at it.

Here are my very random tips for helping one stay Merry and Bright during the Holidays:

1) Do not care about gaining weight during the festivities.  Walk an extra mile a week if you want to, but seriously.  TASTE and see that the Lord is good! Psalm 34:8

Keep your New Year’s resolution in the NEW year.  Not now.

2) Start your Christmas shopping in January.  Now, I’m not saying that I am done shopping, but I will say, I only have 2 more gifts to purchase and I was sure that neither one must be bought at the “go to malls.”  Make it a goal to finish the majority of your Christmasing by Thanksgiving.  That way, if you have one or two straggling gifts, you have all December to buy.  Plus, you are not scrounging and willing to pay an astronomical price for something simply because you don’t have a gift.  Shopping all year long saves a pretty penny.

3) Keep a list of things purchased and start wrapping as soon as you buy.  Store them in a “gifting closet.” That way, the day after Thanksgiving, you can put up your tree and put gifts under it, all in the same day.  It also prevents hours of wrapping-which I’m not good at.

4) Wrap in brown paper.  So classic.  And beautiful.  And versatile.  And cheap!

5)Buy cookie dough at least a week before Christmas.  Freeze it if you must.  It never fails.  They are out of Sugar Cookie every Christmas Eve.  And we ALL know Santa’s absolute favorite is Sugar Cookie!!

6) Make Christmas breakfast the night before.  Quiche, omelet baggies (beat the eggs, add cheese, onions, peppers, ham, bacon, etc.  The next morning, throw each person’s unique baggies into a pot of boiling water.  Everyone’s omelet is ready at the same time!), or breakfast casserole.  That way, after everyone opens their presents and they’re hungry, all you’ve got to do is pop it in the oven or in the water.  Breakfast in ten minutes-guaranteed.

7)Have a hot chocolate bar on the counter.  Packets of cocoa, chocolate AND caramel morsels, marsh mellows, and peppermint sticks all within hands reach.  When you start to feel guilty about your nightly indulgence, refer to Holiday Tip Numero Uno.

8) Spend time telling the Christmas story to your children.  I {HEART} Truth in the Tinsel and enjoy doing it with P.  BE REALISTIC.  You will NOT get to every single day.  And that is PERFECTLY fine.  Minimize stress by preplanning and having things organized by day into zip lock baggies.  All your supplies are there and all you have to do is grab a bag and sit at the kitchen table.  Make it a priority to have this organized before Thanksgiving. 

9) Have at least three random gift cards on hand at all times.  For emergency gifting purposes only, as we all know, gift cards are impersonal.  Unless you’re gifting to your brother-in-law which is perfectly thoughtful and abundantly personal.  *Insert ‘I-have-no-idea-in-the-world-who-you-would-be-talking-about’ face.*

10) Order from small online businesses.  Shipping is not going to cost more than your gas to get to the store and your hassle anyway.  I {HEART} Etsy.  Gifts are unique, meaningful, you are supporting small business, and customer service is typically, oh, just about a BILLION times better than most major companies.

11) Spend time with our Lord and Savior.  Take time to snuggle up to Him this Christmas season.  Thank Him for being Emmanuel-God with us.  You will feel so much more peaceful and joyful if you do.