Ladies, gentlemen, readers at large, you and I are about to enter a time warp. The holiday season is the secret of time travel; where do all the hours go? There’s never enough time to get everything done – unless you plan it out. That being said, I have 7 ways to save time this holiday season, just for you!
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This is kind of mundane and boring during such an exciting season, but it is hugely important. If you keep up with what you have to get done, it’s harder to procrastinate and harder to forget what you need to do. Don’t go overboard, though, or soon you’ll have to have a list listing all your other lists.
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If you are able, you can save a lot of time by making and printing your own holiday cards. This might seem more time consuming but consider this: you will not have to spend time reading card after card to find one perfect for each recipient. Plus, you can make the design and the messages meaningful and personalized.
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Whenever possible, making parts of your holiday meal beforehand can save you lots of times. Desserts especially can be made well ahead of time, but other foods can be made earlier as well. This way, you will not be rushing around and feeling overwhelmed during the big holiday get together.
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Shopping online saves lots of time, and it can save quite a bit of money as well. You do not have to schedule time to go to the store, which is always a good thing, and you can instead focus on other things. Gifts for loved ones are important, of course, but you can get so frazzled when buying them that it sometimes takes away from the joy of giving.
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If you are spending the holidays elsewhere, you can save a lot of time by shipping them to your destination beforehand. If you buy online, it’s even easier. However, you can also get them wrapped early and have them shipped to where you will be spending the holidays. That way you don’t have to travel with them, potentially putting them at risk.
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I don’t know about you, but I cannot wrap presents for anything. They always look terrible. You can save tons of time by having your presents professionally gift wrapped. So many stores offer this for free or for nominal fees, it can really be worth it. Of course, you can always just go with gift bags as well; that’s generally what I have to do!
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What? I know what you’re thinking, that takes time! But, having your close friends and family members over to, say, have a cookie making party can be ideal, because none of you are stuck making tons of holiday cookies on your own. Instead you can share, and have variety. A tree trimming party is a great idea for the same reason: all of you will be working together, so the decorations will be put up faster!
When you save time during the holidays, you have more time to spend with the people you love. That’s the most important thing. What will you be doing with your loved ones this holiday season?
Top Photo Credit: Laurie York