Christmas week is in full swing… who’s totally prepared for the big event this weekend? Spoiler… I’m not!!! Are you all finished with your shopping, or do you prefer to rush around and wrap things up in the final hour? (Pun intended) 🙂 I have most of our shopping and wrapping finished, and got around to making our favorite sugar cookie cutouts this past weekend. I’m not an expert at baking, but I sure do try! Check out the recipe here. (Warning, cutouts are not for the faint of heart, and I rode the struggle bus during the whole process but they’re still delicious!)

My husband and I are hosting our big family Christmas party this year, and while I am SO excited, there is a lot to do. I’m trying to stay organized and break up my to-dos throughout the final week so that I don’t feel overwhelmed. I put together my list of 5 ways to stay sane during Christmas week. I hope you find some of these helpful!

1. Break up to-dos by day. There’s no way I can tackle every chore in 4 hours or even one day, so I have a quick calendar of things that need to get accomplished each day.
   1. Monday was focused on organization – mostly just tidying up and making sure everything was put away (near impossible with a now walking 9 month old!)
   2. Tuesday we cleaned out the back coat closet and mudroom area where I know people will kick off their boots and store jackets/scarves etc.
   3. Today I’m tackling the upstairs – washing sheets, organizing extra blankets and pillows for our overnight guests.
   4. Thursday will be food prep, shopping, and finalizing the menu. Luckily, our party is more of a potluck, so I’ll have lots of help with food from family!
   5. Friday is for last minute gifts and cleaning. We are lucky enough to have a half-day at work, so I’ll be cleaning the bathrooms and doing a final sweep of the house to make sure we’re good to go!
   6. Saturday morning I’ll pour a cup of coffee with a little Bailey’s and make sure the driveway and service-walks around our house are clear and ready for people.
2. Don’t push yourself too much. It IS the holidays after all. So, while you’re busy cleaning, remember to take your time and enjoy a glass of wine or your favorite cookie while you do it.
3. Get some exercise. As if you’re not busy enough, right? But honestly – the holidays can be stressful, so getting a little sweat session in helps boost endorphins and lift spirits. Even just a quick walk outside and fresh air is helpful… and we all know 30 degrees is going to feel great after the negative temps we had last weekend.
4. Remember and be cognizant of what others are going through. It’s super easy to get wrapped up in the craziness, but just as much as the holidays are joyful and exciting – they can be hard on people. I wrote a post a few weeks ago about dealing with the harder parts of the holidays here, if you’re interested in reading!
5. Enjoy the ride. The above list is my ideal – but let’s be honest, things change and who knows if I’ll actually get everything done. I’m dedicated to enjoying the process and remembering what Christmas is really about.

What are your go-to ways to organize during this busy time? I’m always looking for easy changes I can make to work smarter, not harder. Lastly, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and feel the love of the season, Merry Christmas to you and yours!