The holidays for some people are incredibly difficult. Whether you are alone and stressed about dealing with the holidays like that, or you have to go be surrounded by a large group of people that bring you stress or anxiety, I understand!  I understand all of these stresses. I have been in a different place during many different years of my life so I truly do get it.

That being said, it is not impossible to stay sane this holiday season.  How? You ask. Well, here are my favorite tips for staying sane during the holidays:

1. Cancel your plans.  If being around family causes you stress, then consider canceling plans that you have to be with them.  Your mental health is more important than sticking to tradition. Try to be kind about canceling, but don’t feel guilty about it.
2. Focus on being grateful.  I have found that instead of focusing on how anxious or stressed I am about something, if I start the day feeling grateful about something else, it helps to take my mind off of the negative.  Sometimes I have to force it, but it can do the trick!
3. Keep a journal.  Journalling is hugely beneficial in all aspects of life, so it is safe to assume that it can also help you get through the stress of the holidays.  Don’t worry, you can cuss out your journal all you want without disapproving looks from anyone.
4. Keep it short.  Explain that you can only stay so long and then stick to that time frame.  If you have a clear cut exit strategy, it helps get through the process a little easier!

Do you have a stressful time dealing with the holidays?  What tips do you have for others going through it?

The holidays for some people are incredibly difficult. Whether you are alone and stressed about dealing with the holidays like that, or you have to go be surrounded by a large group of people that bring you stress or anxiety, I understand!  I understand all of these stresses. I have been in a different place during many different years of my life so I truly do get it.

That being said, it is not impossible to stay sane this holiday season.  How? You ask. Well, here are my favorite tips for staying sane during the holidays:

1. Cancel your plans.  If being around family causes you stress, then consider canceling plans that you have to be with them.  Your mental health is more important than sticking to tradition. Try to be kind about canceling, but don’t feel guilty about it.
2. Focus on being grateful.  I have found that instead of focusing on how anxious or stressed I am about something, if I start the day feeling grateful about something else, it helps to take my mind off of the negative.  Sometimes I have to force it, but it can do the trick!
3. Keep a journal.  Journalling is hugely beneficial in all aspects of life, so it is safe to assume that it can also help you get through the stress of the holidays.  Don’t worry, you can cuss out your journal all you want without disapproving looks from anyone.
4. Keep it short.  Explain that you can only stay so long and then stick to that time frame.  If you have a clear cut exit strategy, it helps get through the process a little easier!

Do you have a stressful time dealing with the holidays?  What tips do you have for others going through it?

If your family and friends are anything like mine, they like to drop by unannounced a lot.  Never more so though than during the holiday season.  The problem though is that I have kids and work and life so my house didn’t use to be what I would call guest-ready all the time.  I kind of went with the “excuse the mess” motto for years.  But, now that I have gotten older and more aware of how I present myself and my family, I do my best to keep my home guest-ready as often as I can.  That is not to say it is always like this, but I do my best.

If you are ready to step up your guest readiness game, here are 5 tips for keeping your home guest-ready:

1. Put laundry away immediately after folding it.  I won’t lie.  This one has been my downfall throughout my life and I know that I am not the only one.  It’s too easy to have a stack (or a mountain) of laundry on the table or sofa and just move it from place to place.  No more.  This one habit can get your house in better working order in general.  
2. Empty the dishwasher.  Right after the dishwasher completes its cycle, empty it.  That way whenever a dish is dirtied, you can place it into the dishwasher instead of having them sitting on the counter or in the sink.  This is an easy chore for the kids too.  My 10 year old empties the dishwasher every day.
3. Keep cleaning wipes on hand.  Keep a container of cleaning wipes on hand in the kitchen and in each bathroom.  This makes quick cleanup of messes easy.
4. Have a mail drawer.  Do you have one of those houses that has a never ending growing stack of mail on your counter?  Make it a habit to go through this stack at least weekly and put the necessary mail into a drawer specified for mail.

Keep scented candles on hand.  Even if your house isn’t perfectly clean, it’s nice when it smells good.  Choose a nice, but not overbearing smell that will make your guests feel comfortable.  I currently have some pumpkin spice candles that I bought on clearance and I have gotten so many compliments on how good the house smells.

The holidays are officially upon us!  That means that the kids will be home from school.  So, what do you plan on doing while they are off.  I’m sure you want to do more than just sitting in front of the TV (no judgment if that is what you want to do, my kids are home and doing that exact thing as I type).  If you want to get the kids out of the rut of just sitting around though, there are some awesome things that you can do with them while they are off this week.

Here is a list that I put together of 5 things that you can do with your kids during their break:

1. Do holiday crafts.  You can have a ton of fun doing crafts for Thanksgiving or Christmas!  There are so many options that you can do such as painting, woodworking, DIY gifts, etc.  My kids, for example, are making a fleece tie sleeping bag for their cousin’s Christmas gift while they are home for their Thanksgiving break.
2. Go to the movies.  Many people use the holiday break to head out to the big screen.  I have family members that only watch movies during these breaks.  Be sure to check our website for deals and discounts on trips to the theater.
3. Visit local Christmas light displays.  The Christmas light displays are starting!  Get the kids, make some cocoa and head out on to enjoy a warm cocoa treat while viewing some awesomely fun light displays.  We do this every year and the kids always look forward to it.
4. Game time.  Break out those board games that have been collecting dust all year long and have some family game time together.  Turn off your phones and use this fun time to bond with those you love the most.  Your kids will have a blast.  Game times were always among the best times for me as a child.  How about you?
5. Go for a walk.  There is nothing more refreshing than a nice walk in the crisp fall air.  Doing so with the family will help you to burn off those extra holiday calories, plus it gives you a good opportunity to have nice time to catch up with your family.

With the holidays coming up, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the idea of spending too much time with family that you may not love being around at the time.  As sad as it is, sometimes family causes a lot of unnecessary stress and drama to your life.  Whether it is because of situations that have occurred in the past or because of conflicting personalities, the holidays can go smoothly when you follow these tips on how to tolerate your family this holiday.

1. Don’t take it personally.  If you have a family member that criticizes you or puts down your life or your actions, try your best to not take it personally.  Honestly, if someone has so much time on their hands that they can think about how flawed you are, then they are obviously doing something wrong in their life.  Just brush it off.
2. Have a plan.  Make a plan for yourself to get to the holiday celebration at a certain time and leave at a certain time.  If you can see the end zone, it is much easier to get through it.
3. Don’t mention touchy subjects.  Whether it is politics or something else, sometimes it is wise to not bring up subjects that you know will start a disagreement.  You can’t be in control of the topics that others bring up, but you can be in charge of what you do.  Make sure that you keep things on a neutral plain.
4. Don’t go.  If your relationship with your family is that bad, choose to stay home.  Sometimes the stress is simply not worth it.  You may have some hurt feelings at the beginning, but you will save yourself a lot of stress in the end.  Nothing says you can’t go to the next gathering, but we all need a break sometimes.

I am a big believer in not going overboard during the holidays, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t know how easy it is to do.  When my children were very young I found myself splurging on the gifts because I wanted them to have just the best time ever!  I didn’t really focus on the reality that my children were young enough that there was no way that they were going to remember the days at all!  Since then I have significantly pared down my holidays and I partially do so by preparing in advance.

Here are 5 ways for you to prepare for the holidays now so yours can be simple and non-stressful.

Set a budget.  Set a budget now and stick to it.  If you know exactly how much you have to spend and you follow that budget strictly, you will have no stress about going into debt for Christmas.

Gift Closet.  If you haven’t started a gift closet now, start one now.  A gift closet is a closet or a box or a cabinet where you store gifts that you buy throughout the year.  This is where I buy clearance items or other great deals and keep them to give away as gifts for Christmas or for birthdays.  

Start Crafting.  If you are creative, start getting your craft one my friends! Homemade gifts are always a big hit and they really help to curb your budget.

Plan your schedule.  Get together with other family members and start planning holiday events, parties, etc.  I like planning these things a couple months in advance so that you can pick up decor and supplies spread out over time to save money and keep it less overwhelming.
Relax.  Seriously, relax.  You still have time and as long as you start slowly, this holiday season will be smooth sailing!  

Halloween is coming up!!  Okay, I know we are still technically in Summer, but Halloween will sneak up on us before we know it.  Let’s all get prepared, shall we?

If you want to plan now to keep yourself from blowing your budget, check out these tips below on how to celebrate Halloween on the cheap:

Swap Costumes.  Do you have friends with kids?  Why not have a costume swap with them.  Your kids won’t be wearing the same costume they did last year, but you won’t have to buy them either.

Homemade costumes.  Check out Pinterest or do a good Google search for costume ideas and you will found thousands and thousands of costume ideas, many of which are low cost and super easy.

Use coupons.  Coupons, coupons, coupons!  I know we are always preaching coupons around here, but that is for good reason!  They help you save money on just about everything, holidays included.   You can look for Halloween City coupons to save money on costumes, look for craft store coupons to save money on decorations and costume necessities and don’t forget to check out our site for candy coupons for your candy bucket.

Thrift Store Shopping.  You can save a lot of money on your costumes and decor by shopping at thrift stores for oftentimes pennies on the dollar.  Be sure and check Goodwill and similar stores as well as they often carry brand new merchandise.  

Dollar Store Shopping.  Halloween decor isn’t up long at all so you don’t have to worry about the quality of your decorations.  For this reason, I highly suggest shopping at the dollar stores for much of your decor.
Get your pumpkins at farm stands. Farm stand produce is often far less expensive than grocery store produce.  Last year I was able to buy 4 pumpkins for just $8, which was the cost of 2 at the grocery store!