Christmas is definitely the most magical and wonderful time of the year for kids, but with all the extra things on our to-do lists, Christmas can be overwhelming, exhausting, and not that enjoyable for moms.
Too many gifts to buy, food to make, and activities to attend can leave us feeling a little blue and Grinch-ish.
Though I can’t take things off your calendar or your shopping list, I can give you a few hacks to help you save time so you can enjoy Christmas more. Enter batching, aka doing similar things at the same time to max out your productivity.
But what kind of tasks can you batch and exactly how do you do it?
I thought you’d never ask.
5 Hacks to Save Time and Enjoy Christmas More
1. Baking
If you have a school party, potluck with friends, and work event in the same week, and you need to bake different things for each of them, try to do your baking in one day to save time. Review the recipes for each of the items you want to make, and start with the recipe that is baked at the lowest temperature, and move on from there. If you really need to bake something the day of an event, look at your recipe and see if there is anything you can do ahead of time, like prepping veggies/fruit/meat or combining dry ingredients.
2. Wrapping Presents
If you have extra space in your home, you can set up a wrapping station, and wrap presents as they come in. I don’t have room to do that in my house, so it is more efficient for me to wrap all the presents at the same time. I take everyone’s presents and my wrapping supplies into one room, set up a card table, and lock myself in. It saves a lot of time to do all the cutting, taping, and bagging at once.
3. Food Prep
The Christmas season is usually one of the busiest times of year, so it may be helpful to prep food in advance. In early December, while the calendar is lighter, set aside a couple of hours to make freezer meals, pre-cook a few pounds of ground meat, or assemble crockpot meals in bags. If you really want to get ahead, make a list of quick and easy meals you can get on the table without much time or hassle.
4. Shopping
Whether you prefer in-store or online shopping, do it all at the same time versus making frequent shopping trips or spending days searching online. Before shopping, make a list of what you want to get each person and where you will likely find each item. If you are in-store shopping, map out the most efficient route for driving to each store. If you are shopping online, use Google Shopping to find which store has the best price on the item you are looking for.
5. Christmas Cards
When you get your Christmas cards, schedule a block of time to address envelopes, write notes, stuff envelopes, and apply stamps. If you like to have your family sign cards as well, make sure you choose a time when they will be able to sit down and do their part.
Let this list of Christmas hacks inspire you. What other to-dos can you knock out in a more efficient way?
And, if you are already as efficient as a factory line worker, it may be time to delegate a few things on your list to your hubby and kids. You shouldn’t have to do it all. After all, Christmas should be magical for you too.
To get your day started on the right foot, so you can have more peace and be more productive throughout the day, sign up for my 5-day audio course, Design Your Own Morning Routine.
More Posts You May Like