Survival Guide: How to make it through Christmas

OK Folks, yes – It’s that time again! “Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells…” You get the idea.

No doubt the usual cliche’s have been running around your head like:

“I can’t believe it’s Christmas again already!”   ”The year has gone sooo fast!”

So to combat that growing sense of apprehension and the uncertainty of how your going to get through all the Christmas Shopping, Food Preparation, Decorating, Child Entertainment, Family Arguments and House Cleaning, we’ve put together this Survival Guide to help you make it through to New Years in one piece.

Common Christmas Annoyances and their Solutions

Problem: Hearing Christmas Carols in EVERY shop drives me CRAZY!

Solution: Take your iPod with you when you shop and listen to your favourite tunes.

Problem: Getting cornered by your annoying Cousin Ralph

Solution: Sort out a ‘Save Me’ Plan with your partner. Agree that you’re going to watch eachother’s back and if one of you gets bombarded by an annoying relative and stuck in a conversation that’s going nowhere with the bad breath and annoying laugh to top it all off, that you will ‘Save’ eachother from dying that slow and painful Christmas Death.

Problem: Your Mother-in-Law gets a little too loud and chatty when she’s started on the eggnog and champagne.

Solution: Be sneaky and only give her the non-alcoholic version of eggnog that you whipped up last night or some lovely sparkling grape juice – she never has to know!

Problem: I always over-eat at Christmas and then feel like crap the next day.

Solution: Tell your mother-in-law you’re on a diet. Each time you raise an extra mouthful of pudding to your mouth, or another fruit tart – SHE WILL BE THERE! Her constant warnings and reminders will be enough public humiliation for you to not want to ever touch food again.

Problem: I always forget to send Christmas Cards and I hate sending them anyway. Then when I receive them I feel guilty.

Solution: Email! Not only will you be saving paper, but you can set it up to send a bulk card to everyone, and set it to go at a date that you choose in the future. Send your e-cards from Hallmark Online

Decorating Dramas

Depending on your plans and vision this year for your Christmas decorations, it is possibly a big job. First thing that you need to do is get that box out of the Garage and sort through it.

• Delegating is the key here. Don’t expect to get it all done yourself. Make others feel important (such as kids, Husbands and Relatives), by giving them important jobs like the lights outside, hanging the tinsel or decorating the tree.
• To prevent anything that you don’t want or like being put up on display, make sure you hide these items before you give them the job. If you really want to be organised, make a rough sketch of what you want with a list. There will be no arguments and no confusion about how it’s going to look.
• If you really have your heart set on decorating certain parts of the house, or the Tree for example – make it a Family event. This way everyone will feel as though they’re pitching in and you will most likely have more fun. Put some Christmas music on, bring out the eggnog and get into the swing of things.

Krazy Kids

So the kids are off school, extremely excited because Santa is going to be stopping by in a matter of days, and are no doubt bouncing off the walls. Keep your kids as busy as possible with projects for Christmas Preparation, to help you keep your sanity.

• Pop some Popcorn and colour it with Food Dye. Sit the kids down at the table with an embroidery needle and some wool, and get them threading their little hearts out. Their reward for this project is seeing their creations hanging on the tree.
• If you have Parents or Relatives staying with you, suggest to them a drive around the neighbourhood with the kids after dinner to see the Christmas lights. This is a great way for some alone time with your partner and a breather.
• Make Christmas Cookies and set out a selection of icing and candy for the kids to decorate the cookies themselves.
• Make a Template of a Christmas Hat and get the kids to make and decorate their own. They could use glitter paints, paper, and stickers. Get them to write the name of each person attending Christmas lunch on each hat and decorate a hat designed specifically for them. If a Christmas Hat is too ambitious, you could use the same idea with Christmas Placemats.
• If your kids are a little older, tell them to put on a Nativity or Christmas Play. You could inspire them with characters such as Scrooge, Timmy and the 3 Spirits of Christmas, or Mary & Joseph and the Three Wise Men. Costumes can come from the local Thrift store or that stash of old clothes you’ve been meaning to donate.

Food Fabulous Food

One of the most overwhelming things about Christmas has got to be the Food Preparation aspect.

• Try to use recipes that allow you to prepare  a substantial amount of ingredients and procedures before hand.
• To ease the spending on food – buy a little bit each week leading up to christmas and freeze what you can – rather than buying all of your food in one big hit.
• If your Mother absolutely insists on cooking the Turkey, Christmas Pudding or her famous Apple Sauce, don’t fight it – let her. This will give you more time to enjoy a Champagne or some time playing with your kids.

Shopping Schmozzles

We’ve all experienced the nightmares associated with Christmas Shopping. 45 Minutes to find a car parking space, screaming kids, rude and pushy people, or finding the item you desperately needed and had gone especially to get is sold out. There a couple of ways to banish these horrible experiences to the hills, never to be heard from again.

• If you are a traditionalist and still prefer to go to the shops to buy your gifts then consider the benefits of Layaway/Layby. Not only do you miss the crowds by walking straight to the Layaway counter to collect your goods, but you alsohave the added benefit of having in your hot-little-hands that highly sought after toy that every kid wanted and every parent was desperately trying to get. If you plan far enough in advance, you can stretch out the payments of your gifts so that you barely even notice the money being spent – which is much easier on the bank account come Christmas Week.
• The Online Shopping Revolution has reached such amazing heights now that it truly is the best way to shop for gifts. Not only are there online stores devoted to every kind of gift and item you can imagine, but you can purchase and receive it without having to leave your house. If you organise it properly, you can have the items delivered during the day while the kids are still at school – so they will never know. Some services even offer gift wrapping, which also makes your life so much easier. Visit Shopping.com for some great ideas and a list of everything you could imagine in one place.

Quiet Time

One of the most important things you need in order to survive this Christmas – no matter how many relatives are coming to stay, how much cooking needs to be done, how behind you are in your housework or what shopping you have left to do – you MUST take Time Outs every now and then. Set aside some time for yourself this Holiday Season – with a Glass of Wine in hand if that’s your thing – to relax, center yourself, remember what this Christmas ‘Thing’ is all about and to feel thankful for all that you have in your life.

There is no need to get all worked up, stressed, upset and unhappy – it is supposed to be a time of Happiness, Joy, Giving and Family. Give to yourself first, in the form of relaxing for a few moments each day during your Christmas Rush, and I guarantee you will find so much more enjoyment in your Crazy Holiday Season.

Merry Christmas!